...and my heart grows

life with liam has been more than great. it's been just what i needed. spending the last two and a half weeks as a now complete family of four has been soup for my soul. despite the lack of sleep i've (not) been getting, the time with justin and the kids has made me truly heart happy. it's true, people wonder how they can love a second child just as much as the first one and how will it feel as a family, but your heart just grows and you have twice as much love in it now. this feeling of inner being and contentment that my life makes more sense and there is a completeness about it. i can't stop smiling about it. 

i've been accused of snuggling with the little man too much but what's wrong with that? dad claims he's catching onto the ways of how to have mom hold him all day instead of sleeping or playing on his own. i told dad to get over it, they're only young once! 

who doesn't love a little pouty crying face every once in awhile?

montana and beyond...yellowstone...rapid city

a few more from our 10 day adventure. you can tell it's time to head for home when justin and i are about ready to strangle each other. haha. we are one of those couples that need some time a part every once in awhile to be closer. too much of each other gets on our nerves. plus lexi has been asking to go home the past few days. she misses her family and keeps asking to see her aunties and uncles and grandparents. for a two year old, she has done AMAZING in the truck for so much driving, but you can tell she's about at her end and wanting to be in her own familiar surroundings.

 helicopters for some small fires.

 wolf and bear discovery center in west yellowstone, mt.

 hanging in a teepee.

 found a bear to rivel the size of her bear at home.

 yellowstone national park.

 gibbon falls.

 morning view in cooke city, mt.

 sleepyhead.

 sights along the beartooth american road on the border of montana and wyoming.

 holiday inn in rapid city, sd. justin always loved this place as a kid so we had to come back and ride the tall elevators.

 justin said when he was here at a kid the entire dome had snakes roaming around. i was freaked and wanted to avoid it. he kept telling me i HAD to walk thru that place to get to the other stuff. luckily they only have one snake out now.

 i felt like i was in harry potter and lexi was going to start talking in possel tongue and the glass was going to disappear. so gross.

 wind cave national park.

 the original natural entrance found by some dude who owned the land back in the late 1800s. um, yeah....how he even fit down this whole let along gave tours to others, i have no idea. my right thigh wouldn't even fit thru that hole.