2026, June 29-July 5

Hallie got to spend time being Nana to Diamond and Caleb's newborn, and Eliza got new wheels. Fergus got into a fight, and we all spent a quiet Independence Day watching soccer and chilling out. Let Freedom Ring! 

We can't show pictures of baby Katara yet, but suffice it to say she's adorable! 

Being in Waco meant Hallie got to go to ALDI. Hallie told the cashier how she puts ALDI on her bucket list every time she is in a city where there is one.

Early in the week, it looked like Ferg was dealing with allergies or an eye thingy. It cleared up as the week went on. Eliza gave him cuddles. 

Katara Pearl was born on Monday, and Diamond, Caleb, and Nana Hallie got to be at the hospital to meet her and her birth mom. Papa Mike survived on photos and video calls. 

Hallie was reminded of the two times we were able to bring Landon and Eliza in to our family through the process of adoption. How important these birth moms are to our family. We could not be parents and now grandparents without them.

Caleb, Diamond, and Hallie spent a lot of time waiting, ruminating and hoping for the best outcome for Katara. In Texas the birth mom can't sign any documents until at least 48 hours after delivery and all pain medications have left her system. Fear and doubt can creep into a person's mind. Hallie is grateful she was able to share this special time with Caleb and Diamond. Hallie used to teach adoption education classes, and hopefully a few of those lessons were helpful to the two new parents.

Eliza worked hard to get an e-bike, and during the week she got mail with her accessories, including head- and taillights, a helmet, goggles, and gloves. 

Nana Hallie got to visit tourist sites in Waco during the times she wasn't at the hospital or the hotel. Hallie doesn't like being alone, so she purposefully found things to do so she did not sit inside the hotel. 

She went back to the Dr. Pepper Museum, this time strictly to the gift shop. After going to the museum the last two times she has been in Waco, she knew the story.

At the spot where Hallie walked into Magnolia Market, there is a cool quote on the building. The day was so hot! Even with eating in the shade with fans, Hallie did not feel well after being out and about for several hours.

She got Alabama Sweet Tea at the market. This time around she tried the peach version, and it was very good! We have liked their tea so much in the past that we have ordered from the company to our home.

The Cheddar Box has yummy grilled cheese. The side watermelon cubes with a bit of mint added a perfectly refreshing touch.

Mike and Eliza spent their afternoons going around local shops and sites in Missoula during the week, including one where Eliza found a leather jacket that only cost $125! (No, we didn't buy it. That was too rich for Mike's blood, but E is welcome to earn the funds and get it herself.)

In his afternoon walk with Kai, Mike found a current plant. The berries were tart, but edible. 

Fergus appreciated a chance to take a walk with the other boys. 

Snack for the walk back home. There are several fruiting trees and bushes on campus. All are edible, but some (as with the mushrooms) are edible only once, so Mike has not generally indulged. The deer and birds have plenty to nosh on without him interfering.  

Mike and Hallie spent time watching the World Cup and chatting with Miguel and Priscilla as the games went on. It's been a great tournament so far! 

D&C completed the formal part of their initial adoption placement a couple of days after Katara was born. Now they wait six months for her to be legally their child. In the meantime, no baby pics. 

Eliza is showing off the dinner she and Dad made (with help from Hello Fresh). 

Mike had to show Hallie that the pets were surviving in the midst of him watching Argentina squeak by Cabo Verde in their round of 16 game. Well played! Hallie watched the game on her phone at the airport in Denver during her three-hour layover. All of the airports sold World Cup items, and people were walking around wearing shirts from different countries. It is fun to see the excitement.

Hallie ended up losing her fingernails, it was so intense. 

Ferg showed up Friday morning wounded after getting out Thursday night. We don't know whether it was another animal or some other mayhem. Mike took him to the emergency vet, and now the poor kitty has to take pain meds and antibiotics. Fortunately, so far he hasn't required more drastic measures, but he still has a lame left arm, so his recovery may take some more time. 

Hallie even got D&C to watch some soccer. Diamond gets into the games, and Hallie had a lot of fun watching the games with them.

Here are the boys, yin and yang. Poor stupid wounded Ferg.

Hallie traveled back from Texas on Friday, getting home in the evening. She needed a Starbuck's souvenir from the Lone Star State. It may not have been the only cup she brought home, thanks to Alabama Sweet Tea serving their drinks only in fun Mason Jars and Magnolia Market having a sale on themed HydroJugs. All three adults bought the later.

She also had to make sure to stop by Buc-ee's. She noted that it's quite the overwhelming experience. Many people! Especially using the bathrooms. A man was controlling the lines. It was still breakfast time when Hallie stopped by, so she had a Brisket Breakfast Taco. Simple but delicious. People are not wrong about their love of the brisket.

Eliza's e-bike arrived late Friday afternoon. She was giddy and very excited to get it put together and get on the road. 

. . . And she's off! 

Here is a picture of a happy Mike now that Hallie is back home. Priscilla wanted a family picture once Hallie had gotten home.

We celebrated America's 250 pretty low key at home. Mike watched a few history documentaries between games, Eliza explored town on her e-bike, and Hallie and the pets slept between WC games. 

Just a gentle reminder in these troubling times: Resistance to tyranny is the true Spirit of Independence. May freedom always prevail over corruption and oppression by those who use the levers of power to line their pockets and those of their sycophants.  

Here is one happy girl. Sadly, she got a front tire flat in the evening and needed a lift back home. 

Here's a Fergus on Sunday morning feeling no pain. He's on kitty pain relievers, but it seems stronger than the human version. 

Hallie said she has never been one for soccer, but she has definitely expressed her interest in this years World Cup. We chat with our friends the Melos via texts during the games. It is fun to have a "watch" party with them even though they live in Utah. 

2026, June 22-28

The Missoula crew continued getting settled into Montana life. Diamond and Caleb gave us sudden news that sent Hallie flying out to Texas! 

While Mike is up on campus, the girls have gone on some adventures in town and further out. On Monday, they went to Rockin Rudy's, Missoula's "Original Hipster Department Store. They found soem treasures to bring home and even got Mike a couple of treats. 

Eliza has spent time making her bedroom her own, finding her packed boxes and moving things into her new space. 

Mike caught one of the local deer meeting Fergus for the first time. She seemed genuinely curious about what kind of strange creature was sitting on the front porch. Ferg took it in his stride, as is tradition. 

Eliza had a riding lesson on Tuesday. 

On our evening walk with Kai, we caught sight of one of the bucks and a couple of does. They're still getting to know Kai, and he them. 

The Coca Cola Company seems to be recycling the idea of round thermal detonator-themed bottles from Galaxy's Edge into soccer ball-themed ones for the World Cup. We've enjoyed this tournament so far. Lots of exciting action. We're also glad to see the people who visit the US having a fun time.  

Plenty of flowers are in bloom around campus. The catalpas are in bloom. UM Campus is the State of Montana Arboretum, and we have many native species along with those from other areas of the country and the world. 

On Wednesday, the girls went to Helena so Hallie could run an errand and so they could go over to Marysville, a historic "ghost town" that still has people residing there. 

Some lovely poppies in bloom. 

A lovely Hallie looking at lovely poppies. 

We took Kai into the back yard to play and really tuckered both him and Fergus out. 

We wanted to get ahead of the weather, because we were due for rain on the weekend. It started Friday and continued all the way through Sunday. 

Diamond called Hallie to let us know that she and Caleb had been matched with a birth mom named Kayla and that Kayla was going to give birth this coming Monday. Hold the phone! Someone is going on a trip to Waco, Texas, meet her new granddaughter! We're so happy for Diamond and Caleb and grateful to Kayla for entrusting her daughter to their love and care.  

Ferg doesn't seem to care about much other than sleeping. 

This is the local woodpecker pecking at the metal cover on top of this street lamp. It's noisy but not particularly effective. 

This is a sticker from UM's Branch Center. They get belonging right, and it makes us proud to be part of this community that takes belonging seriously and doesn't manipulate the idea for its own ends. 

On Saturday, Hallie needed to get a few things for her trip. Diamond asked her to find some Hello Kitty-themed stuffed animals, and Target delivered.  

Sunday morning dawned rainy and with a bunch of cars rolling down 6th Street East due to the marathon. Fortunately, that didn't stop us from getting Hallie to the airport. As of this writing, she's in Austin and making her way to Waco to meet up with Diamond and Caleb. 

Mike and Eliza and the animals spent a quiet day at home. Eliza slept in before taking Kai out for a walkabout. Fergus mostly slept. Mike tried organizing the boxes of stuff we moved up to Missoula and retrieved from the storage units earlier in the week that are now taking up the basement before watching the Canada-South Africa World Cup game. Go, Canada! 

He has listened to several great audiobooks over the last year and more and particularly these couple of weeks while working, getting things organized, walking, and so on: Humankind: A Hopeful History by Rutger Bregman and A Short Stay in Hell by Steven L. Peck, which draws inspiration from the Jorge Luis Borges short story The Library of Babel. Been a thought-provoking couple of weeks. He's grateful for Audible and Libby and how they provide access to such a wealth of creative and meaningful print media set to speech.