Now this is the story all about how My life got flipped, turned upside down...

 A photo dump to explain away the move. Or start to anyway. It started with the urge to repaint the interior of our house. I had wanted to for over a year but, such is life. When we jumped in with 5 gallons of 'Ancient Stone' as recommended by the Rehab Addict, it looked just about one million times better. No joke.

It was actually around May when I felt like maybe our time in Seattle was over. Matt had a couple ideas to make the work stress and schedule better but nothing panned out. So in July, I really started in thinking about what was next. Our lifestyle was not sustainable, the cost of living in Seattle has been a battle. Returning to Idaho made the most sense but there was uncertainty about employment for Matt. I became obsessed with making the jump back but Matt was not convinced. Then came a phone call with a job offer for a job he had not even applied for. We took it as all doors were now open. The housing market was booming, most of our extended family are in Idaho, and Matt's mom recently remarried and moved out of her home leaving an convenient transition for Matt and I. (no having to rent or buy from Washington) I am skipping over a lot here but you get the idea. The timing was so quick that we hardly had time to wonder about the future.

We celebrated this guy turning 12, with style.

 Sharing our most favorite Toulouse Petit with the boys. You should have seen the look on the waitress' face, convinced we were wasting our money. And then her face when they all licked their plates clean.

The monorail! Aden had this on his wish list since Christmas. 

 Such a fun day doing all the touristy things about the city. Love this family of mine. Blessed by how they navigate the city with ease.

 Finally visited Coleman Pool, on my list for 2 years!

 Wined and dined by the best girlfriends.

 Cleaned everything manically. Fridges are GROSS. This is the after, so pretty I had to capture it.

 Wine at the skatepark.

Goodbyes with friends.

 Football in the park. Seattle summer is GLORIOUS.

 And my lil' sis is 30! Fun night at Barrio followed by Molly Moon's.

 Spotless. The house looked awesome, as long as there was not anyone actually trying to do any living there.

 Digging out buried treasures to keep this little one occupied while I cleaned.

All the can't miss Seattle spots, like Meander's, we tried to hit up one more time.

Most days we looked a lot like this.

Delridge Days! It is just nuts the opportunities that existed just a few minutes from our home. This was a free skate lesson with live competitions all day long. Took our mind off from all the packing.

The plan was to arrive in Idaho in time to start the Nampa school year then return on Labor Day Weekend to pack up all our things. (And thank God! Our house sold that first week we were gone!)

I told Matt I wanted to hit the road by 9am and by golly, it just worked out.

Forgive the rushed post but I had to start somewhere.

806 days

...we have called Seattle home. It's ridiculously beautiful, it's urban and diverse, home of fellow misfits. I think of our time here as a long term mission trip, it has been a hotbox of growth for our family. And now, the adventure continues as Matt has accepted a teaching position at Nampa High School as the Law Enforcement Instructor. Miss us, Idaho? Because we're coming home!

camp

 These boys went off to camp last month. A week full of pranks and dirt bikes and the Gospel.

 This guy spent his quiet times meditating on this verse;

It is a verse I have prayed over Parker for years. A very special connection for my son and I, even though I was not able to go to camp with him. Big things stirring in this young man's heart, makes me so proud!

 Kaleb had a splendid time meeting up with friends and endless farting and not having his mother chasing him around with sunscreen.

We picked the boys up and spent the day together, hearing about their first church camp experience. A lot of laughs and some drama.

 While the older boys were gone, the younger two had a pretty fun time too. It is neat to see them interact in a new way. And two kids seems pretty easy when you're used to four.

God is good. He is with us in this Seattle Experiment and that is the only thing that matters. (Even when I am more homesick than ever!)

relic

A few months back I was cleaning out a hoard of mementos stashed in our attic. I found this drawing on a thank you card from Matt's friend Mickey. It makes me so happy to recall this chaotic time in our life. 18 years old and raising a baby. The sketch really sums it up. Matt is obviously lacking sleep, I need a stylist to help me merge soccer mom chic with high school hip, Parker is hanging on for dear life but smiling all the while, and we are surrounded by friends that make us laugh. (check out his elf shoes!)

And this is my life today. Still lacking sleep, still in need of a stylist, and still smiling. (errr, smirking?)

bits of our summer

Putting the boys to work in the yard. Those are our hipster safety googles ;)

A fun birthday party for a friend.

Walking to swim lessons with Rocky.

Enjoying our CSA (Community Shared Agriculture) boxes. I will post on this further, life-changing!

Aforementioned swim lessons.

A trip or two to Chipotle. (or 10...;)

Epic battles with Aunt Yinzi

Forest wandering.

Walks around the neighborhood, Seattle show-stoppers in full bloom.

Finding that Twinkies have been resurrected!!!!

New splash park discovery, in a nearby neighborhood. And! Collin can Riverdance.

Organizing, purging, and a bit more painting. It is amazing how tiny the house feels with all these kids home all day! Must organize EVERYTHING.

 Grown-ups drinking whiskey blackberry lemonade on summer nights.

Summer looks good on us, don't you think?

paint the town red

 Or maybe just the back door. Last month I took a Sunday morning Matt had to work for another type of worship: Boring back door redemption.

 Here she is , your basic, beat up back door. Before the $2.50 can of red paint from the clearance bin worked it's magic.

 And after! God really is in those details. The paint matches our patio cushions perfectly at certain times of the day.

Hurray for small wonders. Any home redemption going on for y'all? Or has the heat zapped everyone?

what I did not buy at the thrift store

On a recent trip to my local Value Village I observed more things one should never buy at the thrift store then treasures I wanted to drag home. Rare for me, remember that I have those tendencies to hoard all the things?!

Up first is this leotard with loads of sparkle and velvet to spare. No thank you, not even my fond memories of countless gymnastics classes would get this in my cart.

 Addendum: If you were going to purchase that leotard you are then bound by law to wear it with these silver booties. A steal at $14.99.

I didn't need a 70's sweater dress either, so I passed on this as well. Although, paired with those silver boots, you could totally be Twiggy for Halloween. You're welcome.

Now we have arrived at the more serious portion of this post. I'd like to forewarn anyone with a sensitive stomach or prone to fainting...;)

This guy will climb down from your shelf at night and eat your face. Seriously, freaks me out.

Unless of course you buy these dolls as well. Then the dolls will crowd out the mug because they're quicker and it will be a face buffet all night. No kidding!  I think I saw an episode of Scooby Doo about this once.

Ahh! Look away! They will steal your soul.

Yikes. Haven't been back in awhile, too busy with nightmares and therapy.

60

My dad would have turned sixty this week.  He was always the birthday wizard, making special days extravagant. I'd like to think all my party planning madness came from his genius. So I thought it only right that I do a birthday post.

I happened upon a website where you enter your birthdate and it spits out a mostly right-on analysis of your personhood. (gee-golly am I ever a sucker for that type of thing!) My Dad's said it perfectly, in regards to my memory of him;

 "... July 23 people also have a great deal to offer the other party in a relationship: their highly developed problem-solving abilities, compassion, understanding and human qualities are invaluable....
The emotional complexity of those born on this day, their warmth and human struggle, generally makes contact with them meaningful."

A whole lifetime of meaningful packed into his 42 years. Cheers, Dad!