Jam with Mom

While my parents were here a couple of weeks ago, my Mom and I made jam. I like to make jam with her because she knows so much more than me about sugar and proportions and the canning process etc. (Really I like that she helps prepare the fruit, i.e. chopping, peeling, cooking, whatever-haha.) So, we made strawberry rhubarb and blubarb (blueberry rhubarb) together. And after she left I made raspberry jalapeno. All three turned out fabulous and I love being able to give a jar of homemade jam as a gift.

As you'll see the picture at the end: the last time we made jam I was expecting Madigan any minute....Wow, how different life is today....and for the better!

Magnet Inventory

I was do for a magnet inventory restock at Tart this month. Some of you may have gotten a set of small magnets for Christmas this past year. After the holidays I started doing larger ones too (quarter sized). The magnet pictures are from everything and anything I find in the free magazines at the library. A friend saw them and thought that Tart would be a good fit. It's a place in the Emerson Cultural Center that sells all different things from local artists- handmade skirts and bags, lots of jewelry, some artwork, paper goods, etc. I make my small and large magnets sets that come in little metal tins. And I also make oilcloth lunch sacks. It's been a nice local venue and allows me to have quality craft time. But it's also a lot of work sometimes, especially if I get a custom order....I think sometimes Kyle thinks I'm crazy for adding yet another thing to do, but I do truly enjoy doing it.

Outdoor Finger Painting with the Neighbors

So, somebody with little fingers was trying to type as I posted these photos.... Our neighbors who just moved back to California this past weekend (we're so bummed) invited us over for a little outdoor fingerpainting. Madigan and I biked some errands that morning and she fell asleep in the bike trailer. So, when she woke up we headed right over. For some reason waking up and playing with fingerpaint did not sound fun to her. She didn't touch the stuff at all. Her paint markings are all my attempt to get her interested. However, she did love the watermelon we got to have afterward.

First Rodeo

We ate a delicious dinner at the Rob and Chop House in Livingston before heading to the Livingston Roundup Rodeo. The rodeo was quite entertaining and Madigan happened to love it. When there was a "lull" or downtime between cowboys, she'd clap her hands and say "more, more!". She's such an animal lover. This weekend we'll be taking her to the Gallatin County Fair where there's a petting zoo! I can't wait to see her happiness over that!
I was thinking as we sat at the rodeo about Madigan's love of animals and what she may do when she's older. When I thought about her taking up rodeo, I had to giggle thinking about Kyle and I being the most unlikely candidates for rodeo parents.

Cowgirl at heart

Madigan has to stop and smell every flower on every path we're on. Not such a bad thing unless you want to get anywhere:

While we're at Murdoch's Ranch and Home Supply shopping for some hats and pants, Madigan found a pony. She immediately picked it up after Mom did a few rounds around a clothing rack:



Giving kisses:


Making dinner and talking on the phone- sounds so very familiar:

Quinns Float the Madison River

Here's a couple photos from our trip down the Madison River. It was perfect day weather-wise. We also went on the Thursday before the 4th of July to avoid some of the river traffic and party crowds.

Quinns Visit Lewis & Clark Caverns

So, I'm finally posting photos of my parents trip out the first week in July. We had such a great time this visit. We went to Lewis and Clark caverns (which I haven't wanted to do for 10 years), took the cata-raft down the Madison, went to the Livingston Roundup Rodeo, ate really well both out and in, went for a couple of hikes and just hung out together. Madigan warmed up a little each day, but still covered her mouth when asked for kisses (what a little turkey!). Since my little brother got an apartment a few weeks before my parents trip, there was also lots of time spent stocking his refrigerator and getting the new apartment necessities.
Below are from our Lewis and Clark adventure. The tour was 2 hours long and Madigan did awesome. I had to carry her on my front while in the caves since there was lots of low and tight spots, and also a slide! (and no she didn't have her binkie the whole time-just at the end when she got tired of being so good.)