By the time October 2020 rolled around, we (like most of the world) needed a freaking break. Although Carl and I were fortunate enough to continue working from home after the pandemic hit, 6 months of appointments, business pivots, lockdowns, political bickering, and disappointment had finally caught up with us. It had been almost a year since we had seen our families and we were missing home. So, we decided to pack up Tana Bean and head for Montana.
Our first stop was New Mexico to stay with Carl’s cousin Bryce, his incredible wife Kara, and their fantastic kiddos Charlotte, Jake, and Camden. On the drive over, we discussed if, when, and how to let them know we were pregnant. I was only 5 weeks along at this time and knew it was incredibly early, so we decided to just see if the topic came up. Now, anyone who has had the pleasure of meeting Kara knows she is one of the greatest hosts ever (and no, I’m not exaggerating) and in true Kara fashion, had a seasonal spiked cider waiting for us when we arrived. It took them all of 2 minutes of me saying “I think I’ll just have some water” to figure out the news! This was the first time sharing the news with anyone, and I felt relieved, anxious, and excited all at once. Speaking it out loud for the first time made it seem more real, and the ever-familiar feeling of cautious optimism began to grow. I received my first pregnancy gift from Kara that I have carried with me every day since. It is a card of Saint Gerard Majella with a prayer for safe delivery. It was given to her by her friend’s Mom while she was pregnant, and I felt beyond honored she then gifted it to me.
Next up were stops in Colorado to stay with our dear friends Bryan, Kendra, + Sierra. We hadn’t spoken openly with many of our friends about our fertility struggles over the years, but these 3 had been some of our biggest supporters throughout all of it. News was shared again upon arrival and there was much rejoicing (cue Monty Python clip).
We spent the rest of our time enjoying Denver (fully socially distanced and masked up of course), golfing, playing Catan, bopping by to see Braden, Amanda, and Maybe, and slipping away for a quick getaway to the mountains.
The final leg of the trip landed us in Montana where we were able to pack in some serious family time! Check out Tana’s post (which she should be getting around to posting a little later today) about getting to be a real Montana dog at the Streeter’s Ranch and her favorite parts of the trip.