It's been a long time since I have done any blogging. A lot of exciting things have happened since my last post. We celebrated Kambrie's 1st Birthday, the holidays are always wonderful & 4 weeks ago we moved to Glendive, Montana.
The move couldn't have gone better. Travis orchestrated loading the truck & I have to say it was flawless! We got the biggest truck UHaul has & we filled it almost floor to ceiling all the way back to the door. From the time we closed the door in in Smithfield, Utah, to the time it opened again in Glendive, Montana, you'd never know that truck had traveled almost 800 miles without one single thing moving or shifting.
We moved into a small, 3 bedroom house in West Glendive. Everyone we talk to is AMAZED that we were able to find somewhere to live. All of the communities in this area are saturated with new move-ins because of the oil mining that is going on in the area. I have to remind myself just how grateful I am all the time because I would definitely describe our life here in Glendive as being less than ideal... Not only are we limited as far as the amenities the community provides but when I turn on the faucet the water is literally brown. Not only that, it also smells.
I know, we're living the dream, right? We actually live like half a block outside city limits and therefore we are not hooked up to city water. All the homes in the county use well water, which is what we have. Many people have filtration systems that take the sediment out of the water but our landlord has not invested in one yet. I would be more insistant that he put one in if he had not already spent a great deal on renovations so that we could move in.
The first week we were here I cried every time I had to give Kambrie a bath.
But the water really is just fine when it comes to cleaning. My dishes & laundry come out clean, we never smell like the water after we bathe or anything like that but it's still... gross. So for now we drink & cook with bottled water. I also have a Pur water filter on the tap in the kitchen which does a great job too. So we're adjusting.
We, of course, moved here for Trav's new job. He is the Occupational Safety & Health Specialist in the Glendive District for the Montana Department of Transportation. He has some frustrations with the job... or the lack of training & direction that they have provided thus far. He often feels like he goes to work & has to make it up as he goes. But I think he is meeting all of their expectations. Everyone he works with loves him (surprised?... no) and I have every confidence that he will find his place & really enjoy the job. It sounds like a great job to me, he manages his own schedule & spends his time traveling throughout the district visiting the different shops. Today he is participating in a new employee training meeting which should be interesting since he has yet to have his "new employee orientation" himself.
Needless to say I am so proud of him & all that he is doing to provide for our family. Last year felt like an enormous stupor of thought & it was filled with discouragement & challenges, I'm so glad to be to this point in our lives. Glendive is the beginning of a great career for Travis & I am so happy for him.
As for me, I have the job I've always wanted. I'm a stay-at-home mom & I love it. However, it's not always the bee's knees, Kambrie & I don't see eye-to-eye... a lot, she's kind of opinionated. But I'm so grateful that I've been blessed with such a sweet little girl. I always knew that she came into our family at just the right time. She is the absolute joy of our lives! Her biggest thing lately is she wants to help with everything, cooking, painting (we are painting the entire house as part of our lease) laundry, grocery shopping, facebooking, you name it. She loves to play outside which we have been doing since it feels more like spring than winter. She really likes the Public Library, even though we can never stay long because she like to run around pulling random books off the shelves (just a little stressful for me). But I'm optimistic that she'll outgrow that phase.
We watch "Winnie the Pooh" & "Tangled" every single day without fail. She loves them & they are the only thing on TV that will hold her attention for more than 30 seconds. And occasionally she asks for "Toy Story" & "The Lion King." I've decided it's totally against the rules to buy annoying movies! Because if I have to watch them everyday, I have to like them too, and
for now that is working out fine.
Finally, the ward here is wonderful. Leaving church that first sunday, Travis & I felt like celebrities. Everyone introduced themselves & expressed concern about us finding somewhere to live. It's one of the things that makes being a member of the church so wonderful, you walk in & everything is so familiar. We're hundreds of miles away from family & everything that we know but going to church makes me feel like we're not so far away. It's the comfort that you can only receive in knowing & having faith in the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. We love the ward even if they do call us "the Butterfields" most of the time. Bless their hearts!
Travis & I have have been abundantly blessed.
So even though living in Glendive is not
ideal we are making the most of each day. Grateful for our little family of 3.
