Lovely Labor Day

Anyone else have a really fun Labor Day weekend? We sure did! We went to a little lake house with a group of friends and all our kids... eight little kids running wild all weekend. We tried to get them to pose for a picture, but this is the most "posing" we could get...

 We went to a county fair together. Saw a tractor pull. Look how excited we all are, waiting for the tractor pull to begin. Such excitement!!

It was my first tractor pull, even though I grew up with the Eastern Idaho State Fair IN my hometown, and they had tractor pulls every single year. Who knew they were so loud?! And so smokey!!?

 Spencer did not like the tractor pull. He wanted to go get "something yummy" and "ride a ride."

Nattie wasn't sure what to think. But she sure liked being free from the stroller. She traded seats on those bleachers 50 times in 20 minutes.

 So, we didn't stay too long, but let our kids ride their ride. Heaven...

 Nat had to watch from the stroller...

 Truth be told, instead of watching the kids in the swings, Natalie and I spent more time watching this sickening ride. It looked sooo crazy! We did NOT ride it.

The day of the fair we also put kids to bed and stayed up super late playing games together. Good times. Then, on Sunday, we went to church at a tiny little branch from our LDS church. It was such a sweet experience, to join with saints and feel so comfortable and at home in the gospel, no matter where we go. 

We didn't get any pictures at the lake and pool, but we spent a fair amount of time swimming and relaxing at our secluded beach area. The kids especially loved the pool.

We also went apple picking. Soooo delicious! The kids dug right in...

The whole gang, trooping back with our "picks"...

 And, our little straggler, who just couldn't leave the orchard...

 Lounging with friends, eating cider donuts...

Oh, yes, it was a super fun weekend. Perfect weather, lovely scenic surroundings, delicious food, and good friends.

***

Okay, so I can't just leave it at that. You have to have the extra little back story here...
Ten years ago, on Labor Day weekend 2002, a group of young single friends, myself and Brian included, got together and rented the perfect lake house for the weekend. My friend Alicia scouted out the most secluded little waterfront house, and then invited enough people to join that we only had to pay $40 apiece for three days of heaven. What a steal!! It was absolutely lovely. A deck, a dock, a row boat, and a lake that was the perfect temperature -- even in the middle of the night. :)

Only down side... Brian and I broke up... For the second time. Right out there on the water on that beautiful little lake, in a row boat, in a light, misty rain. It was perhaps one of the most tragically romantic moments of my life. I cried, he didn't. End of Round Two. Funny thing is, when Brian and I talk about that trip, we both remember it as a really fun, wonderful trip, despite the emotional upheaval we were both experiencing the entire time we were there together. We both remember listening to Norah Jones for the first time -- her first CD was brand new then. We both remember the amazing food, the late night monopoly game, and all the fun times with friends. And oh that beautiful Lake Horace. It really was a lovely weekend.

Maybe we were both just trying hard to focus on the positive? Or maybe we just had a feeling that it would all work itself out in the end? Or well... who knows?! But after our most recent trip, ten years later, three kids in tow... Well, I know it's cliche, but I have to say, "All's well that ends well!!" I like our happy ending. Happy Labor Day!!

Almost Gone

Almost a year and a half ago, Brian came home from Costco one Saturday morning before he started working on more work stuff, as usual. In his little "time off" outing, among other things, he had purchased one of those huge boxes of kitchen garbage bags -- the kind you think you will NEVER EVER run out of, you know? In case you don't know, it looks like this...

I thanked him for being such a thoughtful husband as I found a place for them on the floor of our tiny hall pantry. He smiled and said, "you're welcome," then added, "we're going to be gone from here before those trash bags are gone."

What?? I needed an explanation, so he kindly obliged by repeating, "we're going to be gone from this place, gone from New York, gone on to some different job and different life by the time those trash bags are all gone."

Oh. That. Well, it's good to have goals to work toward, right? In whatever weird way they are measured, I guess?? 

I have been the one pulling out those trash bags, one at a time, three or four bags a week over the past year and a half. And guess what? ... They're almost gone. In fact, the second to last week of July, I opened the box and raised my eyebrows in shock as I saw just how few of those bags were left. It was that same day that Brian and I had a little talk and decided it was time to go. No, not just because our supply of Costco trash bags was dwindling. But still, I took a picture of the few remaining bags later that day, to document the decision to move on... 

And then I cried.

It's true. 

We're moving away from our fun New York adventure.

And it's one of those very happy/sad "mixed feelings" occasions for me.

We're moving back to Idaho, back to our big, lovely home with a garage and fenced back yard and carpet and an ice machine in the freezer. We're headed back to family and friends and familiar things. And we're very excited at what all this means, for our kids, for our parents, for our stability, for Brian's sleep schedule, for our time together as a family. It is definitely a right decision for us for now. Brian will keep working with his company, but his hours will be much better, and we'll see a lot more of each other. It will all be much more predictable and much more manageable, which is what we really need, as a family. It will be a good thing, I know.

But oh, how I will miss here. I have been very happy here, even though it's been rough with Brian's horrendous schedule. I've tried hard to "bloom where I'm planted," and I've found lots to love about my life here. I will miss it, I know. I will miss the ocean and the lakes and the Mighty Hudson. I will miss being close to the city, but not IN the city. I will sooo miss the green, green trees and lush scenery, and the gorgeous huge houses on my running route. I think I will even miss the humidity (eventually, when my lips are chapped and my hands are chapped and bleeding this winter). And mostly I will miss so many wonderful friends. I have become a better person for the people I have met here who have changed my life and enriched me. That sounds kind of cliche and impersonal, I know. But I get too sad when I really start thinking about the dear friends I am leaving here -- and my kids' friends as well. So, I'm trying not to think too much about that part of moving. 

Anyway. This is my announcement post here.

The trash bags are almost gone -- there's one lining the trash can, and one more under the sink right now. And we're soon to follow -- three weeks from today. Wish us luck in yet another chapter!

First day of First Grade

Yesterday was a great day for Samantha. First day of school!

Samantha was very excited about school this year, after having such a great time in Kindergarten last year. A few weeks ago, we got a packet of info from her school, telling her the schedule, rules, and class assignment. How exciting to realize that her kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Winter, moved up and will also be her first grade teacher!?!? (At least for a little while.)

 She had two teachers last year, and has two teachers again this year. But having that continuity of keeping dear, sweet Mrs. Winter has been such a comfort and relief to her... Remember all those "first day" nerves of wondering who your teacher will be? Samantha had NONE of those feelings -- until right as we walked up to the door of the school. Then she panicked for just a few seconds until a friend from last year called her name. They discovered they'd be in the same class again this year, and ran off holding hands, excitedly. Samantha didn't even turn around to say goodbye. That's our school girl!

Here she is in her new outfit, with the name tag she decorated herself, with her favorite school activity -- art.

A Nearly Perfect Day

Do you ever have those moments in life that seem almost absolutely perfect? I hope you do. I hope everyone does. I love those moments, and I especially love them if they are long enough to stretch on for hours and even sometimes become a whole entire day of perfection.

I had one of those a few weeks ago... The day after we came back from our vacation to Idaho. We were still on Mountain Standard Time, so we slept in to some unreasonable hour, like 10 a.m. All of us, except for Brian. He got up early, went for a bike ride and made a Costco trip for essential groceries. By the time we were stirring, he had a great pancakes-and-bacon breakfast for us. Can a Saturday start any better??

Then we set off for an outing to Brooklyn, because we had never really spent much time in Brooklyn. It was just a wonderful day. We did normal stuff, like eat a picnic in the car, play at a park, ride a carousel, share a piece of cake from a fancy and expensive dessert shop, wander through a random book store, and walk on the Brooklyn Bridge. The sun was shining, the humidity was low, the temp was mid 70s. And our kids were happy and didn't fight in the car. The icing on the cake, we lucked into free parking all day long!

To end our day, we went to an amazing Middle Eastern restaurant that Brian has been wanting to try since we first moved here. We bribed the kids to be extra good while we ate, telling them we would buy a soda for them at the shop across from the restaurant after, if they were soooo good. And they were! The food was even better! -- smooth hummus and pita, spiced lentils with fried crispy onions on top, delectable kebabs, Mediterranean-style chicken and tomatoes, fettoush -- which is like Greek salad with tons of cilantro and lemon, baklava for desert. wow! Perfect food for our perfect day.

I tell you, I could relive that day again and again. That's why I'm writing it here. :)


Pictures, because it was worth remembering it all, of course...

Back from holiday

Howdy, blogger world.
We just got back this past weekend, from a lovely two-week vacation to visit friends and family in Idaho. Fun times!! Sadly, I didn't take enough pictures. But we all sure had fun. Here are the few pics I got...

All set to go! Natalie wasn't so happy to learn that she had to share that seat with me. Neither was I, by the end of it. ha!

One night we went to see a play of Cinderella, at the Starlight Mountain Theater, up in the mountains behind Boise. Samantha and Ella really seemed to enjoy it, and got their picture taken with the star...

And another pic, with the fairy godmother...

On the way to the play, we drove up this beautiful mountain pass that is usually so gorgeous. Only, it was in full blaze with a forest fire, right off the sides of the road. This was taken out our sunroof, as we drove by, just yard away from our car!

We could literally feel the heat of the fire as we drove by. So crazy and and sad, and somewhat scary!

Luckily, there was quite a crew of fire-fighters standing by to keep the fire from raging out of control...

 But it was bad enough that the road was closed later that night and we had to take the REALLY back roads to get home... covered in dust on a winding road for over an hour. ugh!

Fast-forward a week, and here we are in Blackfoot, with my mom, letting the kids play at Jensen's Grove Lake. It hasn't changed much since I was a kid. And the kids really had a good time.

Here's Nattie, wading out, being so brave. (A little TOO brave, actually, if you ask me! She fell over at a river this week. Thank goodness she had on that life jacket!)

And Spencer, being so very cold. He gets cold fast, and his lips turn blue, just like my brother Lance's used to...

Our last day in Blackfoot, we went to say goodbye to my Grandma Eva and Doug. The kids were THRILLED with the boat parked in their driveway!

 Grandma was a little nervous with all their climbing around...

 Our little poser, asking me to take "just one more" of "just me!"

When we got to the airport to fly home, we checked our bags, and as we got in the security line. Who did we run into? Our friend Catherine and her four kids, on their way back to Beijing!! Small world, eh?! Catherine and I were good friends when we lived in London. Her little girl Madeliene and Samantha are about the same age, and we were both pregnant together. It was so fun to run into her. We helped her get to her flight, which left 1/2 hr before ours.

We stayed on the same plane on the way home, touching down in Denver to pick up more passengers. There was a slight delay, so one of the pilots let the kids come into the cockpit. So cool! They got to sit up front, hold onto the steering column, and push a bunch of buttons.

 I told Brian they got to do that, and he was even more excited than they were!

That's the end of the pictures from our trip. Fun times NOT pictured (because I accidentally misplaced our camera for a week, oops.)...
-- A great family reunion in Post Falls, with all Brian's mom's siblings and kids. We camped on Brian's aunt and uncle's front lawn, and had some fun outings to lakes and parks, etc.
-- Some gorgeous scenic mountain drives on the way back from Post Falls (about 8 hrs). And a not-so-scenic drive there, by way of Salmon (also about 8 hours). Salmon is scenic, but several hours surrounding the Salmon drive lack character, and water, and trees. (Not very photogenic, if you get my drift.)
-- A really fun dinner at Cheesecake Factory, celebrating Brian's weight loss goal. He is looking sooo great, I must say!
-- My parents' remodel on their bedroom, guestroom, and bathrooms. It looks amazing and is so spacious and comfortable! Also, my brother Trent and Melissa just built a new home across from my parents. We got to see it for the first time, and LOVED all the finishing touches. Gorgeous.
-- Some good thrift store shopping trips. When things come on sale at thrift stores, ya know you're REALLY getting a bargain, eh? I walked away with some great summer skirts for $2-3 apiece. Fun! Also scored some great clothes for the kids for this winter. Not bad!
-- A funny story... We bought a little plastic gumball machine for Spencer at Wal-mart, during our family reunion, just as a fun treat for him (mainly because Samantha got to do something fun that he didn't get to do). Well, one night, as I was putting him to bed in our tent, he was clutching his new gumball machine in the sleeping bag beside him, and he asked, "Mom? Are there any owls here?"
(Those of you who don't know about his owl phobia... well, he has one. He has woken multiple times in the night to tell me or Brian he heard a noise and it sounded like 'whooo.')
I reassured him that no, I had not seen any owls around Aunt Lucy's house. We were safe and owls didn't like people, anyway. He weighed my response carefully, then asked, "But do they like gumball machines??"

ha! Oh, how fun it would have been to get wide eyes and look around the tent and tell him, Oh, actually, owls really, really DO like gumball machines! ... but I didn't. ;)

All for now. We're back on the Eastern seaboard, soaking up the last of our summer sunshine and trying to pack in more fun before we head back to school in 10 days.

Brusheeen Teeeefff!

One of Natalie's absolute favorite activities is brushing her teeth. Every time she sees the bathroom door open, in she runs, pointing at the water, calling out "brusheeeen teeefff!" with great enthusiasm! And to be honest, it's one of the cutest things ever...

Open up and show us your teeth (she has ten now, cutting two more on bottom, finally).But you can't really see any of them here...

And, making a run for it. I just had to take one of those luscious curlies...

The girl in action...