Stand still, even if it's so difficult

I am taking a minute now to stand still. Well, actually I am not standing, or even sitting, I am totally sprawled out on a couch that isn't even mine. I am exhausted. Andrew and I have been up in Montana skiing and it is beautiful. Everything about it. You get off of the lift at the top of the mountain and have a full view of Glacier National Park, Whitefish Lake and the Flathead Valley. The place we are staying really feels more like staying at a good friends home than a lodge. You pad down in the morning in your socks for breakfast and coffee in front of the fire. Everyone staying here talks like old friends coming together for a weekend.
The point of my post is that I was rushing around like crazy getting ready to come here. Getting up early to do homework so that I would be able to come and leave at least some books at home. Then once I got here it's as if we needed to "ski, ski, ski, hot tub, eat out, ski, ski, ski". There is somehow hidden in vacation an intense desire to cram everything "fun" into as few hours as possible and get the most bang for your buck. Today, however, that plan did not work out too well for me. I feel like crap. I woke up with a sore throat and a runny nose and told myself that I was not going to get sick. I was not. That lasted until lunch when I sat down from skiing, let down, and totally fell apart. So here I am, on the couch in the lodge by a huge stone fireplace with sunshine and a diet Pepsi and it hits me - stand still! Look what I was missing out on as I hurried past. Stop being in constant motion, if even for just a few short hours and let down. Truly let down. Be willing to let go of the constant, harried pace that seems to have even invaded my vacation time, and relax. It feels good. Really good. I can't say that I haven't enjoyed everything that I have packed into the weekend or all of the work that I did before I left, but, even if it takes getting sick for me to slow down, it feels good just to be still.

Grand Central Bakery

the "shuttle cock" - impressive, no?

 they had me hooked with the raspberry jam. they set out little pots of what tastes like homemade raspberry freezer jam.


Best. bakery. ever.
(don't even get me started on the lattes or the raspberry jam) 
I should add more than just posting these pictures, because really there is some motivation behind tracking down this bakery. My mom bought me this cookbook for Christmas. I love to bake and this cookbook fit the bill. What really threw me off however was that on the front cover it claims to be the "Pacific Northwest's Celebrated Bakery." How had I never heard of this bakery until now??? I receive a book that claims it holds the recipes to a celebrated bakery that I have been missing right in my own backyard! So, I hounded Naomi. How could SHE let this happen? She is on top of these kinds of things and usually keeps me well informed of the latest and greatest. She had not heard of it either. So, being the good friend that she is, the next time that I was in town for a visit she announced that we she had in fact located the "celebrated bakery" and we would be visiting it the next morning for breakfast. Isn't she good? (I think yes.) The next morning we headed out to this bakery that we had been missing, and oh my, had we been missing out!!! The most delicious lattes and baked goods! Quality, down to earth, nothing too fluffy or pretentious. The barista attempted some coffee art in the foam and ended up with what his coworker dubbed a "badminton shuttle cock." Needless to say this was not a place to be distracted by opulent surroundings or impressive latte art, their baked goods downright stole the show! I cannot wait to start in on some of the recipes from the book - they are equally as appealing!

Hope

Wearing Grandpa's Cougar hat.

She is a TOTAL daddy's girl. This is them dancing. We tease Josh that she's already got him beat in the hair department.

Two things that Kira loves: 1. Grandma Labberton and 2. Sophie the Giraffe, yum.

I can only HOPE that my kids come anywhere near her level of cuteness.

**credit for these pictures go to my parents.

light

I have been trying to learn more about my camera and all that it can do. I have been reading, taking a class and practicing so that I can take better and better pictures. One of my "assignments" had to do with light and noticing the different qualities and colors of light. There is one problem to trying this in the middle of winter - finding the sun! We have had several days of clouds and rain, which I must admit, I love! I love the rainy days, I could have even more of them! However, it has been hard to take pictures of "light" when there is none to be found. This picture is just proof that the sun does come back out, does warm us back up. Isn't that the point of winter. Letting everything rest? Rebuild? For me this picture is proof that the sun does come back around, even when we think that the clouds will continue.