Jumping Hay bales.

We are going to Montana for Thanksgiving. I really do miss Montana. I miss the cowboys and pickup trucks. The kind of guys who don't worry about what store they shop at because what they wear to work are the same clothes they wear to church. The clothes that actually fit and don't ride around their knees. No fancy names written across their shirt to advertise where they've shopped. The trucks that are actually used for work and not for show. I miss the fact that when you are pulled over on the side of the road, people stop, even if you don't look like you need help. I miss seeing gun racks in the back of pickups. I miss the dances. There is always a place that has dancing during the weekend. I miss the banks and sporting good stores being open at 7:30 or 8 am because they open for the ranchers. I miss the change of seasons. I love the snow, real snow, the kind that falls thick and slow and fat and lasts more than a week. I miss the first signs of spring because you've seen too much snow and that crocus or tulip is really worth celebrating. I miss the hot summers, the kind that if you jump into a glacier fed creek it feels good. I miss the crunch of the leaves when you jump into the pile and the smell of a hot October afternoon. The kind of autumn day that started off below freezing in the morning and is 70 degrees by 4 o'clock. I miss my little red cracker jack box house, with the holes in the bathroom walls, the rooms that weren't quite level or square and the falling down garage. I miss cowboy hats and baseball caps and a nod of the head and the smiles. I miss being able to drive 7 hours and never leave the state. I miss the speed on the roads and the gravel and dirt lanes in the country. I miss the country where you may not see another house or car for 2 hours and no cell coverage. I love being able to look up at the stars on a cloudless night and really see the stars. I love the moonbows in the middle of the night and the northern lights. Yes, I do miss Montana.

I love my home here in Washington. The mild weather where you don't really have to wear a coat except for the week there is snow. I like it that I don't have to bundle the kids up into winter boots, hats, gloves and a scarf just to get into the car. I love the rooms in my house and how we fit. I love the views of the oceans and the mountains. I love the variety of foods, all the berries and fruits. The restaurants of different nationalities here, not just pizza and tacos. I love the different activities and opportunities like going swimming in Canada for less than $10 for the family. I love the hiking and biking trails in our county. I love the kinds of stores here, like Restoration Hardware (a store for dreaming) and Treasury of Memories for scrapbooking. I love being able to skip rocks in the ocean one weekend and finding a place to sled just 60 miles away on top of Mount Baker the next weekend. I love being able to sleep under the stars in April on an island. I love the soccer fields and I do like the time spent on them watching the kids. Yes, I do love Washington.

My heart is in two places but only with one man.

Saturday was a big day for both Isaac and Job. John took them to their first tournament of the year. This tournament was a state qualifying tournament. That means the kids who won 3 games qualify to go to the state chess tournament. They play five games - no elimination and after each round their scores are adjusted. The tournament check in was 8:15 to 8:45 and the trophies would be handed out at 4:30. This is an all day thing. John brought both boys and left Lona and I at home. I'm no good at chess. He had a little pep talk with the boys. Told them what their goals were for this tournament. They had been practicing a little bit but not like last year. They were a little rusty. Both Job and Isaac won their first game. Wow. Then Isaac won his 2nd game and Job lost his 2nd game. Then Isaac was up against the first place kid for the third game. It was a tough game. The kid was rated a lot higher than Isaac, but Isaac won! wow! Job also won his 3rd game. So now Isaac had three points and Job had 2 points. They get a point for each win and 1/2 a point for a draw, and zero points for a loss. I showed up during the fourth game. Isaac won and so did Job. Job came out with this little smile on his face and walked up to me. He put his hands by his mouth and in this little excited voice said, "I won." Almost as if he was surprised. It was so cute. Now Isaac had 4 points and Job had 3 points. A little play time while they compute scores for the next round so John and the kids go outside to play. Final round. Isaac is playing for either 1st or 5th place. Job is playing for a trophy place as well. Isaac came out first. His chest was puffed out and he was trying hard not to smile. Yes, he took first place in the tournament for his age group (4th and 5th graders: 62 kids). Job came out happy as well. He drew, which means that he received a 7th place trophy! At the end of the tournament, Isaac had 5 points and Job had 3 1/2 points. Both qualify to go to State. Both boys exceeded John's expectation for this tournament. Their team won 4th place trophy. They had 18 1/2 points for the team total. They take the points of the top five kids of the team and add them up. Job and Isaac contributed 8 1/2 points together to the team. We are proud of them. Chess is such a thinking strategy game. It is totally individual. There are only three outcomes to each game, win, lose or draw. Such is life as well. Lona has decided to join the chess club and she wants to be in the next chess tournament. That means a free Saturday for me! John understands this so much better. I did learn that not only are your scores considered but also the scores of all your opponents considered in how to place. If you win and all your opponents win their other games then you have a higher rating then if your opponents lose their games. That is how they determine a tie breaker. Both kids received the trophies that they did because of tie breaker computations. It is amazing all the calculation that goes on with a chess tournament.

Like father, Like son.