Christmas in Montana

Our Christmas in Montana was wonderful and long over due! We took the train out Thursday night (the 23rd) and arrived in Shelby, MT around 11:30 the next morning. I am sorry that I don't have better photos of the train, but the first pic below of me and McKinley is our "room". Literally, you can see it from wall to wall. I don't know that I would categorize it as a "room" per se... more like a closet! But it was nice to have a place to ourselves. If we get to take the train again, we will for sure get a sleeper car, but definitely it will be a bigger one! We arrived Christmas Eve morning and had a little trip back to Great Falls... after that we rested, we ate, we celebrated, we rested some more, we ate some more, we played cards, we opened gifts, we ate, we rested, we watched some football, we ate, we rested, we played in the snow, we ate, we went shopping, we ate, we slept, we ate and then it was time to go! : ) Thanks Mom and Norm for a fabulous trip to remember... we love you!

Mommy & McKinley before we've even left the station. Look how chipper and happy we were!


Our Gourmet dinner (actually very delicious) on the ride out. Notice the champagne... now that what "first class" is all about!


Daddy and McKinley in the observation car... stretching their legs!


Mommy and daughter the next morning... a little less chipper... : )


We eventually got the hang of unwrapping the gifts:


Our family Christmas morning in our matching Christmas Jammies! Even the bear got a pair!


McKinley's favorite thing this Christmas? Snowmen... loved, loved, loved them. I was thankful she got to see the real thing up close and personal. Multiple hugs and kisses came after this photo... for the snowman that is!


McKinley with Nana & Papa at Chez Hilton in Montana:


The whole family after church on Sunday:


Learning that applause after each bite may be a necessity. Thanks Nana & Papa.


Starting the journey home...


You will notice there are no photos of the train ride home. It wasn't that it was a bad trip... it just wasn't quite as smooth as the trip out. First it was a couple hours late, so we were a couple hours late eating, and thus we were a couple hours past getting a certain member of our family to bed. We were all thrilled to arrive in Portland the next morning relatively on time. I think we all slept for three hours that afternoon!

So that was our very white, very merry Montana Christmas! Hope yours was wonderful too. And even though January is almost over...

Happy New Year! We love you!
The Hamms

Random Pictures

Here are some of my favorite pictures of McKinley from the last few months... no rhyme or reason... just for fun!

After helping mommy build a snowman (a.k.a. "manny") in Montana:


Ms. Fashionista... sometimes only black patent leather will do:


Lunch with our new friend:


Giving mommy sweet smiles:


Part of our waking up routine in the morning... must have milk!


What my grandmother would have called a "raggamuffin"... love those bangs!