One Full Day...

I grew up in a town called Choteau, MT. A town of 1,800 people. A town nestled at the base of the Rocky Mountains about 90 miles south of the Canadian border. Choteau's big celebration is the Fourth of July. The town comes out in full force, people come from other towns to celebrate, and a lot of "kids" come home to visit. I hadn't been back in six years. It was good to be home. Choteau pulls out all the stops and if you partake in everything you would have started on the 2nd. We are old...we started on the evening of the 3rd and were home by 11pm (a record I think) so we could get up bright and early on the 4th for the "Let Freedom Run" 5k.

8am...Mara and I at the finish line. Mara is a fast runner, but stayed out until 2am the night before. It was a good thing she ran with me because we not only Let Freedom Run, but we let her shuffle and walk a little bit too...
10am...Every good kid loves a good parade. The girls sport their most patriotic atire with their cousin Aundra (with Great Gramma Joyce in the background)...

Every good family loves a good parade too...

12pm...Picnic in the park and pony rides. Another year and Lena's legs might just touch the ground...

2pm...The rodeo. The girls donned their boots and loved watching the cowboys...oh wait that was me...

Lena is horse crazy this summer and her goal next week at Nana and Papa Horse and Kitten Camp is to learn to barrel race...just like the little girl below...

7pm...Dinner in the park and an outdoor concert. One would never know by the coats Nana and Papa are wearing that it was mid-summer. Choteau did not pull out the warm sun for the 4th, but those Montana folks are used to it and come prepared...

Who would have thought you could rock out so hard to a country western singer who specializes in yodeling...

10pm...Fireworks and pie back on the ranch. A very good end to a very good day...

After being back in Choteau I realized the importance of community. Growing up in a small town I never really appreciated it, but now that I am raising my own children I do. It feels so good to go to a town that had such a strong sense of community where people are genuinely happy to see you. They still care about you even though you haven't been on the "scene" for the past 15 years. They are excited to meet your new family and you are proud to introduce them. Not only did I see my childhood friends, but I saw all the "grown ups" that helped shaped my childhood and lead me to become who I am today. I think Thomas Wolfe was wrong...you can go home again...and it feels good!