I try to live life to the fullest enjoying every moment. My children are growing up before my eyes, and I'm afraid if I blink I will miss something. I take things in stride, and try not to worry about things. Though sometimes worry can get the best of me. I'm proud of each and every one of our children. Jacob is the best husband anyone could ask for, and I love him with my whole heart. He's definitely my rock, and he keeps me grounded. I tend to wear my heart on my sleeve for my family.

Being a first grade teacher I loved teaching the kids, and parents were always praising me. Some of them coming in this year let me know the wish that I was still there with their next child in first grade this year. Oh I will definitely miss them, but I'll see them when they get up to high school! I can be stern and not put up with any shit too. Already set a few of the high school boys straight and the year just got started. The kids from the club know I'm a sweetheart too, but when I get pissed they usually go running. That hasn't happened but maybe a handful of times too thankfully.

The Shoshone can be divided into three different groups: the Northern Shoshone, who were largely concentrated in Idaho, Utah, and Wyoming; the Western Shoshone, who lived primarily in Oregon and Idaho; and the Eastern Shoshone, mainly found in Wyoming, Colorado, and Montana. Each group ranged quite a bit from where they lived, and members of each group passed through Montana in its early history.

The Western and Eastern Shoshone adopted horses early, and utilized them to their fullest. They moved out of the mountains and onto the plains, and adopted many of the traits associated with the Plains Indians, such as hunting buffalo, using tipis, and raiding other tribes for horses. The Northern Shoshone preferred to only use the horse as a draft animal, and they didn’t become fully mounted until the mid-19th century.

Still, the Shoshone’s push east onto the plains didn’t last long, for by 1750 the Blackfeet had arrived, pushed west by the Europeans, and they drove the Shoshone back. The Shoshone were no match for the Blackfeet, for they had no guns to match those the Blackfeet had gotten from the Europeans.

To add insult to injury, a smallpox epidemic struck in both 1781 and 1800. These double intrusions, of Blackfeet and smallpox, reduced the Shoshone numbers so much that by the time Lewis and Clark came through the state, they had no permanent presence, and did little more than scout in single-person or small groups.

The Shoshone, a nomadic people, traveled annually between the Bitterroot Mountains of Montana and the Unita Mountains of northern Utah along the western slopes of the Wind River Range in Wyoming. It is believed that the Shoshone in this area acquired horses in the early 1700’s from their relatives the Comanche giving them somewhat equal footing with their mortal enemies, the Blackfeet. Due to the isolation of their territory, the tribe was spared any contact with the whites until they met Lewis & Clark in 1803. Before the white men reached their homeland in the beautiful Rocky Mountain valleys, the Shoshone people lived for nearly 100 years in a life improved by the horse.

In June of 1868, the government called the Bannock and Shoshone to Fort Bridger to propose a new treaty which would keep both tribes away from the Union Pacific railroad and the Oregon Trail. As the treaty talks continued, Washakie hoped for the land south of Fort Bridger. This area still had game on it and was close to Fort Bridger where Washakie felt secure. He soon realized the land the government had in mind was the Wind River Valley. The Bannock, however, insisted on being given a reservation of their own.

On July 3, 1868 the Wind River Reservation was established, and on July 30, 1869, the Bannock were given their own reservation at Fort Hall. The Fort Bridger Treaty of 1868 turned out to be the last treaty in which the Indians took an active part.

The Big Sky band of Shoshone though did not attend that gathering, and never went to the reservation. They were a small village where their descendants still live in Big Sky River today. They made friends with the White People that came in to settle the land. With the chief's daughter Morning Star joining the first white settler of Big Sky in marriage. That was Clovis Deveraux who adopted a lot of the Shoshone ways, and lived the white man's way building his ranch into the dynasty it is today with his descendants.

Three of the founding families of Big Sky were of Shoshone heritage. The Falcons, Moretti’s, and Thomas’s. Fierce Heart and Morning Dove were a young Shoshone couple that were one of the families. They took on the surname of Thomas. They had twelve children, some of whom moved away, and some who stayed in Big Sky. Fierce Heart and Morning Dove were my great grandparents. Their eldest son was my grandfather.

At one time the Thomas’s owned a lot of acres right outside of Big Sky, but it’s dwindled down over the years as generation after generation moves away. Not ranching as they did all those years ago or farming the land. Our land borders the Deveraux’s which is three times as big as ours. My grandfather made a deal with the Deveraux’s. Their herds were combined, and the agreement is still today. So even though our family have cattle they are in with the Deveraux’s cattle. They use some of our land to run the cattle or horses.

I was born in the middle of a raging blizzard. The power had been knocked out, and my dad said we were down to fumes running the generator. So mom had me on the floor in front of the fireplace. My brother Thorn who was four had been eagerly awaiting to see if he had a new brother or sister, but had fallen asleep bundled up in blankets keeping warm from the fire. Though dad said when I came into this world howling he jumped awake, and got the biggest smile on his face seeing me there. Saying Christmas had come early for him, and he was going to call me his Candy Cane! Mom and dad had only laughed not thinking that name would stick with me, but true to his word Thorn still calls me that forty years later. He's the only one that's allowed to.

Two years later mom had our sister Kayla. So it was the three of us kids and mom and dad for years. Till mom cheated on dad that is when we were in grade school. Cheated with another woman to be exact. She left us for her. She was still there for us, but dad had full custody of us. Which was fine with me. I couldn't imagine growing up anywhere else than on our families ranch.

When I was four I got my first mini bike, and I learned to ride it quickly. I rode it all over the ranch, and when the dirt track got built over at the Deveraux's ranch for us kids you could usually find me over there. Especially after I graduated from a mini bike to a dirt bike. I was tearing up that track with the older boys as soon as I was able to. Dad had me in Motocross soon enough with Thorn and the other boys and the girls from the club that rode in Motocross. I was probably around eight when I had my first accident during a competition. Broke my arm in the crash, but as soon as I could I was right back out there on that track. May have been my first crash, but sure wasn't my last.

When I got to junior high there was only one boy I wanted to go to dances with, and that was Jacob Garard. When I walked into school one day the the entrance hall was decorated with banners, streamers, and balloons to ask me out on a date. I grinned widely and got lots of pictures of it to remember all of this. Even got a couple of videos. One included of Jacob getting into trouble for it and getting detention. My answer was definitely yes. I sent pictures of it to Thorn who only said it was about time. He knew all about my crush on Jacob. As did Kayla, but since she didn't have a phone yet since dad didn't get us one till we started junior high I'd have to wait till I got home or on the bus and show her. I'd gladly show them to dad later too. I didn't dare text him. Never knew when he was on a job, and we knew better than to bother him unless it was an emergency for one of us.

Dad got remarried when I was thirteen to Cara Rhodes. I liked her, and she didn't try to replace our mother. Which wouldn't bother me at all if she had. She was a kind and caring woman who I grew to love. They had their first baby girl when I was fourteen. They named her Laura Beth. Two years after that they had Abigail. Thorn was married by now to Nicole and was starting his own family. Though they built them their own house here on the ranch and were living there. It was fun getting to spoil the babies that they started having.

Jacob and I were an item through junior high and through high school. At the beginning of my senior year I started getting sick. Not knowing what was wrong with me Cara took me to the doctor who told me I was pregnant. I was a bit in shock hearing that. I still had my senior year of high school left, then planned to go on to college. Only thing I knew for sure was I was going to love and cherish the baby. I could figure out what to do later about the rest when I talked to Jacob. We had used protection, and I was on birth control so I wasn't sure how this had happened. When I got home I checked my birth control and groaned realizing I had missed a few with my hectic schedule. I was waiting on Jacob when he got out of football practice to tell him.

We had a lot to talk about and plan, but we still lived our lives not going to let this get in the way of our plans. The baby was a blessing from god in my opinion, and we were going to love this baby regardless of what life threw at us. I had our first born Jacob Lee Garard Jr came barreling into this world on May 10th. A couple of weeks before our graduation. Graduation finally came, and I was ready for it. I watched Jacob walk across the stage getting his diploma and cheered for him. When it was my turn I got up there, accepted my diploma, and when I was walking down the steps I gaped seeing Jacob down on one knee, and he asked me to marry him. I didn't hesitate saying yes, and let out a squeal as graduation had come to a standstill at this and everyone was cheering and clapping!

Our wedding day, which was in June because I wasn't waiting any longer to be married to the love of my life, was one of the best days of my life. My father gave me away that day, and the ceremony, reception, and dance was all heavenly to me. Everything went without a hitch. My parents kept Jake that night and while we went on our honeymoon. They and Jacob's parents were great when we needed help always ready to watch Jake for us. With their help I was able to go on to college that next year. It was a bit stressful with us both in college and having a baby, but we made it through. We even had another child our junior year of college. We welcomed our second son Dylan.

When we had our next son Lawson we had both graduated from college. I was teaching now and only took off for maternity leave. Though it was hard to go back after it was up, and leave him. The year after that we had twins Felix and Ashleigh. So we have four boys and a girl. Our family was complete with the twins. God didn't grace us with anymore children after that anyhow. We had our hands full the way it was.

Thirteen years ago Thorn's wife Nicole died having their twins. He went off the deep end, but he rallied around and came back to us. My sister, and his sister in law Zoe helped him out with the kids and the babies. Though the babies were in the Neonatal unit for three months till they were able to come home. It was around then that our parents were killed in an accident. All of our parents. Dad and Cara and mom and her friend. They had been at opposite stoplights, but when a big rig lost control it killed a lot of people and there were explosions. Thorn moved back in the main house at the ranch and raised our baby sisters along with his own kids. Course Kayla and I helped as much as we could.

Jacob got elected as mayor this last term, and I love seeing how happy he is. Our schedule has gotten more hectic with his schedule added in, but that's fine. He's going to be the best damn mayor this town has had! Just what it needs to grow the community. He is from a founding family same as I am, and I don't think there is anyone more cut out for this job than him!

I went back to school and got my degree to be a principal, and will be the new high school Principal this year. I'll miss teaching first grade, but I'm looking forward to this new experience too. Don't know for sure how Lawson, Felix and Ash are taking it. Haven't asked them yet, but I'm enjoying my job. Of course the kids don't complain that much either there good kids for the most part. They are 1/2 Garard and 1/2 Thomas though so they do get into trouble. Wouldn't have it any other way!