It's Almost Time...

...for the kids to go back to school (insert music and happy dances all around the house)!

Tonight is "Move In Night" and we are ALL excited!  No, not just me...all of us...really!

There are lots of things I'll have time for soon.  I have lots of plans for things that need to get done and are just easier to get done without people around.  

People who need to be fed and watered and entertained.

But, that's what summer's about and we've had a great one!  Got quite a bit of our summer list completed.

Now its time for routine and schedule and school work and house work...all good things too.

I'm also going to keep myself busy with crafty goodness on Etsy.

I'm currently working on a large sachet order for a wedding...sometime in October...somewhere in Cape Cod.

I kind of look at the back-to-school time as a second new year with a chance for resolutions.  

I get my work-out routine going more consistently, get better at meal planning, do deep housecleaning and generally get busy on things I've put off for a while.

What are your "second new year" resolutions?

Idaho - Part 5

This is the last of the Idaho posts...all good things must come to an end.
I'll leave you with some random, fun pictures of our time there.

This picture...

reminds me a lot of this picture from last year...

Can you figure why?

Thank you Chris and Renee - we really love our time with y'all!

Idaho - Part 4

Remember seeing commercials for these kind of shoes - moon shoes?

I do - and I remember believing every word of them...that if you wore them, it would feel like you were walking on the moon.

Well, I watched a few of the kids put them on, walk a few steps, then decide they'd rather try something else.

Not Ivan.
He is not one to take the possibility of walking on the moon lightly.
For a while I watched without attracting his attention.  It was cute to see him concentrating so hard coming down the long driveway.

Then he headed into the garage.  I figured he'd given up.

But for some reason, that remains a mystery, he grabbed some sort of paddle and headed back up the driveway...even a stumble didn't put him off his game!

Ahhh...good times!
:)

Idaho - Part 3

Next came the jet skis - a first for the kids -
again with Donald at the wheel.

Later, Hannah had a chance to try knee boarding.
I assumed that it would take her a couple of tries...and falls...before she got up and stayed up.
Wrong!
She watched Jack do it, then when he got off, she had a go.
She was a bit wobbly as she pulled her knees up, but she got steady and went a long distance on the water.
Yea Hannah!

Idaho - Part 2

One thing my kids were really looking forward to on this trip was what they refer to as the innertube.
I'm not sure what its actually called because it doesn't really look like an innertube, but I think its just a more modern (and safer) version of the old black innertube.

Anyhow, they love it!
And I love watching them on it.

Here's some of the fun shots -

Jack and Ivan

and lovin' this last facial expression...

Jenelle and Colin

As you can see, Jenelle is taking this pretty seriously with her goggles on! 

Hannah and Jack

Later on that day, Donald was able to take the kayak out.  I can't remember the last time he has paddled a boat.  

The kids were all interested, so he took them each out for a trip across the lake.

First there was Jack,

then Colin,

then Jenelle,

and Hannah.

What about Ivan?  Oh yea...Ivan went too...

And had a little adventure with Dad...

They got pulled over by the Sheriff - for multiple violations!!

First of all, Donald forgot to put his lifejacket in the boat.  Second, he was supposed to have a whistle attached to said lifejacket.  And lastly, the boat, yes, even this small kayak, needed an environmental sticker of some sort that has to do with this nasty little plant called milfoil weed.

Of course we were all watching from shore and wondering/guessing what might be going on...speeding?  

I was just crossing my fingers he wasn't getting a big fat ticket!

Turns out the Sheriff was a good guy and just made Donald aware of what was required for his next trip out! 

Ivan was actually rewarded with a shirt because he DID have a lifejacket on!

A pretty cool souvenir for a trip across the water! 

Idaho - Part 1

We headed out of town to visit our friends at their beautiful place on a lake in Idaho.

We had an opportunity to go last year and felt very excited and lucky to be heading back.  

Donald planned a stop at Silverwood Theme Park that was a surprise to the kids.  

Sadly, I didn't bring my camera there.  I wanted to not always have the feeling that I needed to take pictures.  About 10 minutes after we entered the park I regretted it, but what are you going to do?

Hannah was the brave kid.  She rode all the scariest roller coasters with me and Donald. 

One of them, the Aftershock, had me screaming like a child!

(picture from Silverwood website)

The next day was spent testing the waters...

and then just the grown-ups headed to a concert at a very cool music festival in Sandpoint.
Renee arranged for us to see Michael Franti...who I'd never heard of...and who I now really like!
...so much so that my kids are now shouting at me to stop singing one of his songs.

There was a sea of people in chairs and on blankets...

perfect weather and temperature...

all kinds of people keepin' it real...

and great music to accompany the whole evening.

Of course an event like this always leaves you with a standout memory...and this time it goes to our Chicken!
Yep, you had to be there.

Stay tuned for more.