Jennifer Oakland »

week 19

My first Mother’s Day as a mother was magical.  Not only did the weekend include “my” day as a mother, but also “my” day as my birthday!  Martin booked an amazing cabin for us at Chico Hot Springs Resort- one of my favorite places in all of Montana.  We left on Friday and stopped in Belgrade on the way so Martin could sell some of his antlers that he has accumulated over the years.  His hours upon hours of hiking proved fruitful (if making 5-cents per hour is fruitful)… but it’s obviously not about making money for him, it’s about the search in the most beautiful of backdrops.  Anywho, we offloaded the antlers, went into Bozeman for a quick bite to eat, then drive on to Livingston and then south to Chico. When we arrived, we had a wonderful meal at the Chico restaurant. I mean delectable, divine, mouth-watering… then we soaked in the hot springs, which was equally as divine, but this time in a body-melting sort of way. And then off to a deep sleep with Finley between us. And then up on Saturday morning for a day of fishing on the acclaimed DePuy Spring Creek, a private fishing spring creek south of Livingston. It was a perfect day of fishing: overcast skies with moments of sun. Trumpeter swans and Canadian Geese greeted us, as well as gorgeous vistas.  The fishing wasn’t easy, but it was so worth it. I caught a very nice brown trout on a dry fly and Martin caught an equally plump rainbow. After the long day of fishing, we drove into Livingston for dinner at a neighborhood pub. It happened to be prom and graduation weekend, so we were able to get a glimpse of many high school prom-goers, which was a highlight of the evening for sure. Then Sunday- Mother’s Day. After a nice soak in the hot spring pool, we had an unforgettable brunch. There was everything offered from stuffed crepes, to waffles, to a prime rib, oysters on the half shell and of course my favorite- mimosas!  I was SO FULL… and then I was off to my massage (really). Martin definitely won husband of the year for all of that… An afternoon exploration of the area capped off the day.  We love that area and exploring over the weekend gave us a newfound respect for the Paradise Valley. The views and the scenery are incredible and each time we visit, we feel like we could stay a while longer. So, with that… here are some captures from a most memorable weekend… and thank you Martin for making it happen.