The Long-Awaited Slow Down

I'd like to begin this post with a huge thank you to all of you who have put up with the massive ups and downs that I've had this past year - and still love me anyway. :) These kind of cuckoo swings are unusual for me. Thanks for being supportive. I promise to stop being such a baby, put on my big-girl panties, and get on with life. :) Our lives are so very happy and full and I am incredibly happy here in Sandpoint. Sometimes I just get overwhelmed how unsettled our lives have been. So thanks.

Anyway. Enough of that.

I've realized that it's been quite a while since we just did a good-ol'-fashion update, so here we go.

First off - I really like our new house. It's got lots of room inside and out and we've been LOVING IT. Seriously, I don't even know what to do with all the storage in this house. It's awesome. There is a huge family room upstairs that I'm still trying to figure out how to use and a big living room on the main level that feels just like home.

Unpacking has been an excruciatingly slow process. I think I'm just a little burned out of doing it, but every time I make some progress, it feels like the windows of heaven are shining down on me and I skip all around. :) It's seriously ridiculous how happy it makes me.

The yard is amazing and I'm really looking forward to all the fun I'll have in it when there isn't so much to do inside. There are acres of fun little areas to play in and the most perfect white raspberry patch that needs cleaned up. There are horses in the property behind us and a rooster that crows constantly next door. Last week we roasted hot dogs and marshmallows in the fire pit for dinner and then had a great time playing with the marshmallow guns I made for the girls - something like 3 years ago at a Super Saturday. :)

Since moving in, we've seen lots of deer and a bluejay (have you ever seen a REAL bluejay??? they're gorgeous!). The other night there was something or several big things in the trees to the side of our house, but it was too dark to know what it was. Makes me want to get a dog - but instead I think we're just going to get a new kitten. (hope it doesn't get eaten!) With the house, we've adopted the big, black cat that lives here, but I think today we might go find a new replacement for Gertie (who found a new home at my parents' house when we moved to Sandpoint).

We are all adjusting well to the new school year. Hazel and Lilie love their classes and Elsie is in preschool 2 days a week. She counts down every day until she can go again. It's so cute. I definitely don't feel that preschool is a necessary step for kids before they go to kindergarten, but the social time for Elsie has been really, really great. She just loves people SO much!

When we were at my parents house last month, one night my mom and dad had the young single adults in the ward they serve in come over to the house for a backyard pizza party. My parents have built a new outdoor pizza oven.) We made our pizzas and ate before "the singles" came over and then went inside as they started showing up. Elsie kept trying to sneak back outside. - I thought she just wanted to go back out to get another snow cone from Grandpa. - After I stopped her for about the 5th time, she scowled at me, stomped her feet, and just started crying because she "really needed to go out and meet the people!" She was so upset - not because of the treats - but because I wouldn't let her go out and meet all the new people who had shown up! :) She is such a funny little social butterfly. No matter where we go, she is constantly finding someone new to introduce herself to. Even at the pool, she will inevitably end up over by that couple that is sitting down from you on the steps making out (you know the ones - they're at every pool!). I'll take my eyes off her for 30 seconds and the next thing I know, she's down there telling them her life story and asking them their names. :)

So yeah. Hazel and Lilie are doing well. :) Lilie plays every day with lots of different kids, but - true to form - can only tell me about 3 names of the kids in her class. :) She just doesn't care that much about those kind of silly details, which I think is hilarious. Hazel knows everyone's name and can talk endlessly about who is nice and who follows the rules and who doesn't raise their hand. :) The differences between those two constantly amuses me.

Hazel's 9th birthday is this coming Sunday and for the first time in probably 5 years, we are going to have a birthday party with friends. (I don't like arranging parties.) She is super excited and we're keeping it VERY low key.

Violet is now 2 1/2 and we decided to finally potty train her last week. It lasted one day. I hate potty training. She is a joy to have around. A loud, silly, weird joy. :) She loves to be the family clown, is almost always happy, and is very concerned with whether the people around her are happy with her. She is still my most bashful child around strangers, but loves nursery.

Clara turned ONE last month - and I'm going to write up a post just for her. She is walking and jabbers a lot. She finally has TWO teeth and a couple days before her birthday, I set up her crib for the first time. :) I'd had her just sleeping in the port-a-crib in our walk-in closet in the other house. She has always been incredibly easy-going, but in the past month or so, she's decided to develop an opinion about things. She also will regularly tell-off anyone who gets in her way. She only says about four or five understandable words, but her tone makes the meaning of her jabbery rebuke clear as day. :)

Last week, Nels did something that I don't think he's been able to do more than once in the past 5 years. He took a whole week off of work. And not because he was sick, but because he had PTO to use up and he was able to actually do it. It was a miracle.

Violet and I had strep throat the week before and I was so worried that Nels was going to get it too and then be sick all week. Lucky for us, he avoided our germs. Unlucky for him, Sunday as he was helping the girls find their church shoes, somehow he hurt his back again and spent the next 4 days mostly lying on the floor on his back. {{{sigh}}} I say "mostly" because Monday he was feeling well enough to still make it to the Anthrax concert in Spokane with a friend. :) Ironically, the friend he went to the concert with is a chiropractor here in town. :) It was REALLY nice to have him around and Thursday he helped me make some serious headway in cleaning up the garage. He also took really good care of the girls while I was able to so a lot of cleaning and unpacking. I sure do love that guy!

Saturday Tracy, Tom, and Winston came to visit. It was REALLY great to see them. I think we'll be able to tempt them back more often. :) We took them down to the lake and the kids had a great time swimming --- even though we didn't have swimsuits with us. :) Who needs them anyway? My girls have no complaints about swimming in long sleeves and denim ruffle skirts. :)

As for me, things are going good. Other than the occasional mental breakdown, I'm actually really happy. Fall has rolled in full-force, complete with warm afternoons, cool nights, golden leaves, and the natural slowing down that always comes this time of year. The days are getting shorter and I find myself in a mad rush each evening to get everything done before the sun sets. Before I know it, the sun will be setting right after the kids get home from school. :) But until then, we are enjoying another beautiful season in Sandpoint. Last week we passed our One Year mark. It seems so strange how time marches on. In some ways it feels like just yesterday, but in other ways it feels like a lifetime ago. -- But I guess there are a lot of things in life that feel that way.

I'm finally starting to feel like we're getting into the rhythm of life again - with menus and baths and bedtimes. I'm baking bread again - if only I can figure out this new oven so I stop burning it. And I'm realizing (once again) that the more time I spend outside the better I cope with life. :)

Pics of our backyard.

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