Absent

While I have been away from blogging there have been many things to occur.  Mainly, my husband's burn injuries on his knees and the subsequent addition to my daily load.  He is better now; thank God.  

We have been moving along in our school and Awana.  Lucy has more verses memorized then me.  I am lovinig our curriculum, which requires many books from the library.  We are all learning a ton of info about ancient times.  We read many books and I love the part of the day when everyone finds something they like and is in a little corner somewhere quietly reading.  Casey also took up reading Narnia to the kids.  He read it to Daisy a LONG time ago and Jack didn't think he would like it but he is loving it.   Daisy is writing a book and getting help from my Aunt Kathy in Seattle.  Hank is still a pest and we are hoping to be past some of this terrible 2 business soon.

Casey has been busy making clips for knives.  I know that seems crazy to some but it is amazing what men will spend on parts for knives.  Lucky for us Casey discovered this and has been working at it.  He really loves the design aspect of it and even got a top 3 review by the best known knife guy in the country!  It has been at times annoying for me and fulfilling for Casey.  And so the latter makes the former worthwhile.

Life out here in Laclede Idaho has been enlighting in several ways.  I have learned that I am not the city girl I thought I was!  I think I was a city girl until I had children.  Then every stranger and speeding car became a threat to my sanity and well-being.  Being away from all of that has certainly given me more peace.  Although threats still loom, of course.  However, it is quiet.  I love the quiet or more accurately the peacefullness.  I am still figuring out the shopping situation.  And I swore I would never live anywhere I had to say, "going to town", but here I am.  Even the winter has been fine.  I was really nervous about being here where winter would be longer or colder or darker; I really wasn't sure what it would be.  To my surprise it hasn't really been any of those!  The constant fresh snow really makes a HUGE difference.  We get fresh snow just about the time you think its going to get really ugly out.  The view of snow covered tress and mountains doesn't hurt either.  Plus, the kids still go outside to play...because there is snow!  I have more natural light in this house so whether or not I am getting more sun is not the point.  I think I am and so I feel good.  That is all that matters.

There you have it. We are living our lives as best we can in this beautiful creation of God's.  We are still struggling with the questions of how to raise our kids best and be good to one another.  I am still trying to figure out how to manage a grocery budget for 6 hungry people.  And be a domestic goddess.

 These are the clips.  And one of Casey's "artsy" photos for selling them.

 Lucy "helping" him to make clips.

White Christmas...maybe

I thought for sure I'd be up to my eyeballs in snow by now.  But actually it all melted this week and we got a slight dusting today of big flakes.  It was beautiful.  Those big ones are my favorite.  So, last week it was unbelievably freezing...my car read 1.  And I thought to myself, "this is it; here it is; we're going to freeze our butts off from now til March."  But really it has been fairly pleasant as winter goes.  I have come to realize something else.  Winter in the woods is beautiful!  I look out my window and am actually grateful for the snow!  It isn't like living in the city where it is just gross and makes a big mess.  Here it is actually fun and lovely to have snow.  I am not sure if I will make it until spring with this mindset but I really am enjoying the snow so far.

I have been doing a pretty good job of getting gifts together and am looking forward to Christmas.  I think we have really gotten everyone something they are really gonna love.  Also, I have no stress really about the impending holiday.  We did cookies and have been having hot cocoa and not doing school...its great!

We are sick right now and shared with our visitors this weekend.  Mostly me and Daisy and Jack just a little.  I seem to have gotten it the worst which is always good.  I am using oils like a crazy person and they seem to be speeding recovery along for all of us.

Casey was helping his brother last weekend to pour a concrete basement in a new house he has and Casey burned his knees really bad.  I will not post pictures for they would be too graphic for people I'm sure.  He did end up going to urgent care and getting a tetnis shot and burn cream and antibiotics. It was painfully expensive but sometimes it can't be helped.  I am putting oils on him too!

That is my brief update and I hope that everyone enjoys the holidays very much.  I am hopeful to see people as much as we can.  I hope you all enjoy your christmas and enjoy being with your family!

October..

has come and gone and here we are on the cusp of the "holiday season".  How it happened?  I'm not sure I was just doing laundry, cooking, teaching, cleaning, shopping, wiping butts and taking one small vacation by myself.  However, we did do some other things.

Time is this tricky little bugger.  It seems as though it never moves at the pace you want or need it to.  I need to get places faster and stay places longer.  I need my days to go faster and my weeks to move slower.  Then I realize that my children are growing at the speed of light!  And then I want to slow time again.  Or speed it up past rough spots like having a 2 year old boy.  Nonetheless, we are keeping ourselves busy with life.  We are enjoying just being able to be home more for things like building forts.  Here is the monster fort that the kids built a week ago or so.  I think they used every blanket we had and every chair too.  They slept in it at least one night.

We also carved pumpkins as we do annully at Aunt Betty's house.  It was very fun.  Hank blew out all the lights as they were being lit.  I will post some Halloween pics soon but I will have to get everyone back in their costumes because I forgot my camera in the car when they were trick or treating...oops.

I am hoping to really enjoy this coming season and to take a break from school.  I am hoping to just have some time to reconnect with people and to reconnect with myself.  I have some stuff brewing inside me that needs some proper reflection...and since I don't even get to the bathroom by myself; quiet reflection is sometimes difficult.

Settling in to our new normal.

We have had what seems to be an eventful couple of weeks.  Busy with trips and helping my dear cousin Emily get home with her new babe.  I just went to Seattle and had a FABULOUS time.  I saw my brother, aunt, uncle, cousin, Sara M., and my long lost friend Jackie.  Jackie was the main reason for my visit west.  She was in town on her book tour for her new cookbook about cooking with beer.  It is a great cookbook "Craft Beer Cookbook" by Jacquelyn Dodd.  Anyway, I got my cookbook signed and gave one to my bro and Sara for early Christmas gifts and they also got a signature.  It was fun to catch up and see her and find out about this whole cookbook thing.  It was also fun to sit in the brewery and laugh and eat with Jordan and Sara.  We had a great time.  It was much fun indeed.  I shopped a little bit for the kids and found something for everyone.  Went out to an amazing brunch with Jordan and Sara and Marcus which we all ate too much and loved it.  If you are ever in Seattle go to Queen Ann to "Touluse" not sure if that is the proper spelling but nonetheless go there.  It will blow your mind!

All and all here not much to report other than we are doing our usual of school and play.  We are trying to adjust to the weather being colder.  The kids still want to run around outside without shoes on if the sun is out. But it actually it has been really great here.  The mornings are cold and foggy but after about 11 it is beautiful here.  Sunny and perfect for playing outside with a jacket...and shoes.  We are still trying to figure out what happens after our lease is up here but just trying to enjoy it while it lasts.

 We have a big slider in the living room and in the late afternoon when it is getting full sun the kids lay in it like cats.

 I don't know why but Lucy and Hank have taken to vacuumming.

 While all the other kids play in the field Hank plays in the pile of rocks...and yells "guys, guys, guys" at the other kids.  When you're two all you need is some rocks and a truck.

Our last couple weeks...

 We are studying ancient Egypt right now and so naturally Lucy is the queen.  It is really fun when my kids play the things we are studying.  They have also made robes out of sheets and gold jewelry out of construction paper.  You know, to match all the pictures in the books of what Egyptians looked like.  Daisy was a queen, Lucy a princess and Jack a scribe.  He even crumpled up his paper so it would look  "old".

 For PE the last couple of days we have taken to archery.  Daisy actually found this bow at the cabin the weekend and Casey told her she could bring it home.  They stopped on the way home and got some arrows.  Now we have an upside down cardboard box in the yard full of holes.

 That is one cute little archer!

 Jack is very proud of the fact that he can hit the box.  He and Daisy can get pretty competitive sometimes.  He did have to scootch a little closer than her to the box.  In his defense she has been practicing it since she got home; him not so much.

 She actually looks like she knows what she's doing, huh?  She got one of the arrows to go through the box today!  I think she really likes it.  She has been out there a ton shooting!  We'll see; maybe she'll go to the Olympics in archery someday.  You never know.

Hank on the other hand only cares if the things he is doing have engines and wheels.  He actually gets Casey's motorcycle magazines out of the bathroom and sits on the floor and flips the pages.  No joke.  He freaks out every time one passes us in the car.  And he begs for rides via standing in the garage pointing to the motorcycle making the vroom noise.  It scares me a little.  Casey took him, Lucy and Jack on the 4 -wheeler at the cabin and as they rolled back in I noticed that Hank looked very relaxed.  He slept almost the whole ride.  He hadn't had a nap that day and I guess he just couldn't fight the power of the motor.  Pretty funny.

All and all we are doing great.  The kids love it here and so do we.  Going for walks here is way better because the scenery is about 100 times better.  Driving places is fun because everywhere you look are mountains and water.  Plus, the real bonus has been getting to spend a lot of time with my sister-in-law and her 4 kids.  All the kids are loving getting to see each other so much.  The kids are in Awana together and we decided to try to do a little Lynch co-op on Friday mornings.  We had our first one last week and it went great.  My kids taught her kids the 4 kinds of spider webs and they taught us a couple of songs.  Then they all went out and hunted for spider webs and drew them.  Then after that they made a teepee out of a tarp and branches.  It was crude but they loved it.  The boys also killed a wasp nest-to make the day complete.  Hank and Paul played with the dirt and cars.  Lucy and Maddie colored, made a dinosaur out of the letter D and played dolls.  Everyone had a great time and the Lynch co-op is off to a great start!

So we moved...a month ago!

We have successfully transitioned from Washington to Idaho.  Well, maybe not totally, I still have a WA licence and license plate (which is expired) oops.  Anyway, we are here and it has felt much closer to a vacation and chaos than life in a different place.  Mostly that comes from the fact that we went to the Tri-Cities after only a couple of weeks of being here and going anywhere we please on the weekends.  We have been trying to move in and abuse the last warm days of summer here in beautiful North Idaho.  We live almost right on the water and it is a short 2 minute walk down the street to Pend Orielle River to swim.  The kids love having access to the water.  We also have the fabulous Riley Creek campground that is only a short 10 minute bike ride away.  It has a great beach and playground.  We have tried to go there lots too.  We have gone on many hikes including a day long adventure with the other Lynch family.  (It was not supposed to be all day).

It is super quiet here and that has taken little time to get used to.  I love that about it probably as much as  I love the scenery.  Today on the way into Sandpoint to go to the store the kids were asking about the low clouds that were trapped by the mountains and making the whole scene with the river and mountains and clouds quite the sight to behold.  My kids get to play in the front yard and think that is the best thing ever.  I am still trying to convince them that hanging out in the middle of the street is a bad idea.  Hank has run down the street once already.  Kate has run away many times but she always comes back.

My kitchen is much bigger and WAY better than my old one.  I can actually use my food processor and put a cookie sheet on the counter next to it and have the ingredients there too.  I actually almost took a picture of it one time I was so amazed.  Sad really; the things that excite me now.  The house has great space for us.  We have a full room for toys and school.  And another room for the couch and tv.  I am a big stickler for keeping toys in the toyroom or bedrooms.  One thing I didn't see coming was keeping kids out of my bedroom as a playroom!  My room used to be in the basement remember and so it really wasn't all that accessible.  Now it is very accessible and everyone thinks they should access it.  So, I had to finally tell them that I am not going to pick up after them in my own bedroom.  I need ONE space that doesn't get infiltrated by children and my room is it.  So stay the hell out.  I actually didn't say that last part but I was thinking it.

All and all I think everyone has transitioned quite well and we are all adjusting fairly well.  We are missing some of our Spokane people and our church.  But we LOVE being here.  Right now.  Talk to me in February.  I may drive south then.  I'd actually love to do that.  I just need to come up with the cash.
Hank on his first mini-motorcycle ride.  He has riden the big one and didn't care for it that much.  Jack is riding this little one by himself these days.  It is amazing what a month in the woods will do for you!

 This is what I see out the back of the house.  I love both of these barns.  They make me happy for some weird reason.  The old and the new.

 This is the water down the street.

Where did 2 months go?

Well, if you must know I have been cleaning!  And organizing and filling boxes with all our "extra stuff".   And dealing with a puppy who has now ruined 4 pairs of shoes, a pillow, a few towels and several toys.  Among other things like laundry, school, dance, appointments, cooking, and all the other random things that come about.  We haven't been to care group or church for about a month due to severe colds...mostly Casey and me.  I think it's stress induced...I know it's stress induced.  Casey is commuting for 3 hours a day in the car.  Leaving at 5:30am and getting home between 6:30 and 7pm.   I feel like I need to apologize to every person in my life for practically dropping off the face of the earth.  All I really want is a day off, honestly.  A day where I don't have to do anything or go anywhere.  It just seems never ending, which I think is why I haven't kicked my cold.  Oh and to top it all off we need a new transmission in the suburban!  Ok. Am I done ranting?  Not sure.  We'll see.

I have learned some interesting things about myself in the last couple of months.  I am not a very good mom when I am stressed out.  I became very short and easily frustrated with my kids and basically just wanted them to go away and not bother me.  It seemed as if they were always doing something I didn't want them to do or were ruining something I was trying to fix or just fixed.  It has been pretty ugly...on my end.  I also hate being consumed by housework.  I am a good housekeeper.  But I hate having to constantly be on top alert for what the kids are doing.  I hate that I feel like my house needs to be pristine or damn close all the time.  It makes me crazy.   I also have very little patience or trust in God and what He is doing in my life.  I had a breakdown last week.  It was pretty pathetic.  However, I realized that I was having a breakdown over something pretty insignificant compared to some of the other things I had faced in my life.  So, what does that say about where I am?  Have I lost faith?  Have I regressed emotionally and spiritually in maturity?  I don't know but boy do I need to get a grip.  I have lost my focus for sure.  All things are not in my hands nor are they by my doing or undoing.  Anyway, in all this up and down of selling a house I have come to learn some MORE of my weaknesses as a person.  And boy is that fun!!!  We are ready to move and just waiting for the right person to come along and buy our house.

In the meantime the kids are basically done with school...which is a huge weight off.  We have done most things that need to be done to the house.  Now we just wait.  We're in the waiting place as Dr. Seuss so aptly put it.  I am trying not to hate the waiting place.

WE ARE...

moving!  To Sandpoint, Idaho.  I can hardly believe it myself sometimes.  It has been a whirlwind and I am hoping to keep myself from going over the edge but only time will tell.  Casey has been out of work since November and looking for jobs.  He actually applied for this job in Couer d'Alene but they only had an opening in Sandpoint.  He interviewed anyway and got it!  We were a little shocked actually.  So, it has hardly sunk in even though Casey is commuting one and a little extra hours to work one way everyday now.  But no weekends!  Plus, he doesn't have to dig or carry rocks in the scorching heat and pouring rain.  Yeah!

We are trying to get the house ready to sell and figure out what the next steps are in all of this.  The kids are anxious about all of it and wondering when all of this "moving" is going to actually happen.  I am trying to get everyone to push through more work while we are in the calm before the storm.  That way I won't feel quite so bad when we stop school for the summer in April and I turn my kids into slave laborers.  I have been doing some packing and painting.  Trying to "stage" the house as best I can.

Dasiy has had the most trouble with it and in the first couple of days was lamenting over "never seeing her friends ever again"...I reminded her we weren't moving to Kansas just Sandpoint.  So when I was looking in here sad and sentimental face I caved and told her she could have one of her cousins puppies!  She was thrilled and seems to be fine with the move now.  It is amazing what an animal can do for your heart!

Things are crazy and busy and I am overwhelmed most of the time.  This is my busy season anyway so I feel a little like I am on the crazy train.  Woot woot...all aboard!

These photos are not super recent but I just thought I would add them anyway!

Soooo busy...

But isn't everyone?  I mean really.  Who isn't busy?  Do you know someone who talks about how they  need to get out and do more stuff?  I want to know if you do know someone like that, because I sure don't.  I have really been doing a lot of things lately.  But mostly just trying to get myself back in order.  I have been trying, successfully most of the time, to get up before the kids and read and exercise.  I don't always get my reading and exercise and shower in but I have really been trying to do it at least 4 days a week. 
School is always a time consumer between just trying to keep up with planning and then doing the lessons themselves.  Although Jack is ahead and will finish his math before spring break!  We are just always moving it feels like.  Casey just put up a show at Life Center Church which is amazing and you should go check it out sometime! 
I have been really enjoying using my oils and can't believe how much they help!  Some lavender oil cleared up some really bad diaper rash on Hank the other day overnight!  I am so glad to have something that helps my kids and doesn't have any side effects.  Seriously, these things are amazing and if you have any questions about them I would LOVE to share.  My aunt started taking the supplements that have oils in them and it is visible from just watching her walk that she has had improvement from them.  I am thrilled for her because she really suffered before. 
Anyway, just wanted to give an update and say I didn't drop off the face of the earth!

Soap box...

I have become a person obsessed with food.  Not totally like a foodie though.  I do love to eat it and I do love for it to taste good...obviously.  However, in recent years I have learned A LOT about food.  And I just wanted to take a minute and just vent a little...here it goes.

There was a Stanford study done and it reported that organic food was the same as conventional!  Crazy talk!  Conventional foods are covered dare I say infested with chemicals.  They will make you very sick and cause your body to fall apart.  The research is out there and you don't have to look too far.  There is a great website naturalnews.com that can give you complete information about food.  The pesticides on these foods will stay in your body because you can't break them down and then it will start to disrupt what your body needs to do.  So, be careful and look into it.

Also, on the same note California did not pass the GMO bill in November(to label all products with GMO), which I have been wanting to rant about but was keeping my cool.  I can no longer because I just can't believe how many people don't know about this.  Genetically modified food...it means just what it sounds like.  They alter your food in a lab.  Animals that are tested on this stuff die and grow tumors and more and yet they can feed it to us.  The US and Canada are the only two countries that allow GMO.  Corn is the worst offender and you should never buy corn or any corn product that isn't organic.  But again just look into it.  Especially if you have kids.  Their bodies are so vulnerable to these things.  By the way Safeway and Starbucks put money towards defeating the GMO bill...hmmm I wonder why they would do that?