30!

In the midst of some tough stuff, we've had some fun things going on, too. Tim turned THIRTY last month, and we had lots of friends and family help us celebrate.

The weekend before Tim's birthday, we celebrated with our small group by eating out at BJ's and playing putt-putt afterwards.


At dinner we listed thirty things we love about Tim. It didn't take long, but Matt helped us keep track as we went. Among the more notable attributes:

- lyrical flavor
- Garage engineering prowess
- Watches girl movies
- Sincere
- Cool without trying
- Always finds the best in people
- Sweet dimples

The Adams beat the pants off of us during putt-putt, but we had a great time. Thanks so much for celebrating with us, friends! (McKibbens, we missed you!)



On Tim's actual birthday, our dear friends Kim and Justin brought dinner and we had a casual celebration at home. We snapped this picture out front before they left that evening. Ava and Harper were already loaded into the car, and I can't for the life of me remember why my child doesn't have any clothes on. Ah, the chaotic blur of life with small children.



For Tim's big gift, several of us went in together on a three-day hiking adventure through Glacier National Park. Those of you who know Tim understand why this was the ultimate gift- Tim is a true outdoorsman/adventurer at heart. Tim's best buddy, Justin, flew up to Montana to do the hike with him, which was the icing on the (birthday) cake.

Half of the fun for these guys was anticipating and planning the trip in the months leading up to it. They researched and bought new hiking boots and pants and scrutinized each item they would have to carry along in their packs. "Rinseless shampoo" came up just once, and was quickly stricken from the list.

Before the official hike began, Tim and Justin loaded up in my Grandpa's old pickup and drove to the Prince of Whales Hotel in Canada. That lookout over Waterton Lake is one of my favorite spots in the world.





After Prince of Whales, the guys drove the going-to-the-sun road through the heart of Glacier. The road stretches fifty miles between the east and west entrances of the park, and offers breathtakingly picturesque vistas. On the other side of the park, they rented a boat and paddled around Lake McDonald.





The guys camped out on their own that night, and the official, guided three-day hike began the following morning. We booked this excursion through Glacier Guides, and they were wonderful hosts to Tim and Justin. We highly recommend checking out their site if you're itching for an adventure of your own.









Although I would have loved to have joined Tim on this adventure, I honestly felt very little jealousy or resentment about being left behind. Until I saw this:



Y'all, I love moose. I can't explain my obsession. Of course, I've heard all the rumors about them being tough and dangerous, but I just don't believe it. I find them so adorable and awkward. It's the combination of their big noses, all that weight balanced on those skinny little legs (the front ones are longer than the back ones) and their funky antlers. (Little known fact: I have a collection of children's books about moose. I highly recommend "Antlers Forever." Cutest moose story you'll ever read.)

Tim went on and on about how amazing that moose spotting was, which just rubbed salt in my wound.

Before the guys headed into the park, I begged them to take people pictures and not just landscape pictures. They didn't disappoint. Still, because I left the camera in the hands of men boys, I got a few pictures like this:





Despite their shenanigans, I ended up with hundreds of frame-worthy shots. Tim had an incredible time, and I'm so thankful Justin was able to join him for the mountain adventure. This gift will be difficult (if not impossible) to top!





Here's to the next thirty years, baby... wild adventures, and all!