For years Ryley has wanted to see her “homeland,” the place of her birth. And this week, 11 years after we last drove away from Helena, Montana, with Baby Ryley strapped in the backseat, we retraced our steps and returned for a whirlwind afternoon and evening of reconnecting with a very special, unique era in our lives.
We had forgotten how truly big the sky is in Montana.
And we had forgotten how mesmerizing the scenery is.
We came across this osprey nest, so we had to stop and take pictures. In all honesty, we thought they were baby bald eagles, but it’s still pretty cool regardless. 
Ryley in her homeland…
I could post these landscape shots all day long.
Our first stop in Helena was our old apartment, Ryley’s first home. It was aptly named Sunlight Circle. That was a very sunny time in our lives!!!
It hadn’t really changed.
Poor Ryley kept having to pose for her sentimental mom. 
The Sleeping Giant…
Us now…
And for comparison, in the same spot 12 years ago…
Our next stop was the hospital where Baby Ryley was born.
And then downtown for some gold mining historical sightseeing and souvenir shopping…
This area has been revitalized and was way cuter than it ever was when we lived here.
We stopped for rootbeer floats, too, but at some point I stopped taking pictures.
Overall, we were so impressed with the improvements and developments in the entire town. It’s quaint and fun. It was interesting to view things from an adult perspective after having been absent for more than a decade. Some of the things that had been left alone were puzzling to us…
Like this staircase to nowhere, at our old Blockbuster. Now it’s a Dollar Tree.
The building’s been redone, yet nobody bothered to remove the staircase in the last 11 years. What’s funny is that it was a staircase to nowhere the entire time we lived here too. There must be a story there.
Tonight we met my work friends Becky and LaDonna (and LaDonna’s husband Dave) for dinner at the Brewhouse, our favorite Helena restaurant. It was such a great time to catch up with amazing friends. I loved how we picked up like no time had passed at all!!!! I love both of them so much.
We are so glad we took the time to stop here and re-live a very cool time in our family history.
Tomorrow, it’s on to Yellowstone!
I have more to writing and updates to post at some point but just haven’t found the time. In the meantime, we hope you are all having a beautiful summer!!
xoxo
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