Well, it has been a busy 3 days in Fairview, Montana.  Jimmy took a Friday and Monday off from work so he could spend some time with me.  What a good son!  On Friday we started off the day with an Easter egg hunt at the library in Sidney.  It was so fun to see Taylor enjoy the experience and also see her kind heart as she gave some of her eggs to another little girl and help another find some eggs.  Watching Colton on his first Easter egg hunt was a special treat!  Watching them both made this Grandmother's heart very happy!
      In the afternoon Jimmy drove all of us to Fort Union, just a few miles away in North Dakota.  What a nice experience for Taylor and I certainly found it very interesting.  For those of you from Vancouver, Wa., it is much like Fort Vancouver, only about a third of the size and not as developed but with a very nice visitors center in what would be compariable to the chief factor's house at Fort Vancouver.  In the visitor's guide it is noted that Fort Union was the most important fur trading post on the upper Missouri from 1828 to 1867. Assiniboine, Crow, Cree, Ojibway, Blackfoot, and Hidatsa Indian tribes traded buffalo robes and furs for trade goods.  Fort Union was a center of peaceful economic and social exchange between Euro-Americans and the plains indians.  The visitors center guide told us that many nationalities from the European countries could be found at any one time.
      Saturday morning found us at another Easter egg hunt. Jimmy joined the Elks when he first moved to Montana and so he went at 9:30 to help a few of the members spread 2500 Easter eggs in a park in Sidney.  The hunt took place at 10:30 and was over in about 5 minutes!  Jimmy could not believe how fast it went! He said it took 5 people 45 minutes to spread out the eggs on the lawn of the park.  Kind of sounds like a holiday meal doesn't it?  Half a day to fix it and consumed in 20 minutes but oh, to the delight of partaking in the activity!  Speaking of food, we ended the day with dinner at the local pizza place in Fairview.  A very good pizza was totally consumed when it finally arrived.  Taylor and I went out side to explore while waiting for the food to arrive.  We had a "productive" time however, since she began to learn how to balance herself while walking on logs.  The logs were strung end to end to designate the parking area for the restaurant and so we had fun in the vacant section of the parking area.
      Easter morning found Taylor and I getting ready for church.  The Luthern pastor lives across the street from Jimmy and she and her husband know Jimmy and family. So Taylor felt quite comfortable at the church especially when the pastor's husband sit right in front of us.  After church when we exited the church, who would be out greeting the children but the Easter Bunny, himself!  What a thrill for Taylor!  And the thrills just kept on coming when we arrived home and the Easter Bunny had visited not only Taylor's yard but also the kind neighbor's yard as well!  After all that excitement it is hard to believe the family could focus on a breakfast of eggs, sausage, and home made cinnamon rolls!  It was all a very good start to a blessed Easter!

                                    A view of the bad lands and the Missouri River


Colton's first Easter egg hunt!

                                 Taylor partaking in egg hunt at the Sidney library.

                                                          Taylor at Fort Union.

                                                                       Fort Union

Jimmy, Brittany, Taylor and Colton at Fort Union.

                                                          Colton's first Easter!

                                    Taylor Easter egg hunting at home after church.

Colton finding Easter eggs at home!