chapter 2

 Another rushed post brought to you by moving across the northwest, starting a new job, and blending a family.

 We arrived in the 208 in mostly good spirits and I promptly started taking photos of the sky. Goodness! Idaho, you know sunsets!

 That full moon got all the blame for my wonkiness amidst the transition. Also good for wonkiness? Get yourself to Granny Annie's and have some ice cream.

 And maybe catch a slug or two for your hosts. We stayed with our good friends the Teels the first week. They are hospitality whizzes and forgave our fragile state. (And their girls love slugs, so the boys jumped right in)

 Plenty of coffee in a fitting mug.

 Part of the 2 week rush to wrap up our Seattle Experiment was to see Kelly and fam during their Idaho visit. Dan and Ellen were having a small celebration for their marriage and both boys wanted to be there. Here are the happy kids and the worn out guys.

 I had a chance to go back to school shopping with the Teel girls. They were most interested in Mrs. Field's Cookies at the mall. Maybe there is not such a gap between boys and girls ;)

 Cute hats on girls and cute hats on boys.

 Matt made the transition to teacher look pretty smooth. I thought we could all call him Mr. Archuleta but he said the students call him Matt. (what?)

 We are staying at Ellen's old place, just rearranged what was here and then held our breath to see if our stuff from Seattle would fit when we drug it back. (spoiler: it didn't)

 I cut Parker's hair! Part of my plan called Operation Teacher's Salary. He was pleased, saying it has a Macklemore vibe.

 And then I basically has a nervous breakdown. I am wound too tight for this moving every 2 years crap. Oh yea, this was all MY IDEA. I found this on Instagram the moment I was struggling the most.

 Yes and Amen, with a side of detox tea. (the stress diet has been killer. hello, Twinkies)

 Our house sold! Full price offer and buyer paying closing costs. Woot Woot! I knew that house was a gem and I'm so glad someone who loves it is moving in.

 Grandma Ellen's new place has a pool. Now tell me what is more fun than 7 cousins and a pool on a hot summer day?

For the first time in the 13 years I've known my sweet sister-in-law, we got to celebrate her birthday with her. She is patient and loving, makes the cutest babies and she let Collin blow out her candles. Miss this crew so much already.

Thanks for reading, the posts while half-crazed, are helping me bring it all into focus.

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?)