Every day

Every day at least once I look out the window and marvel at how beautiful it is here. Today it was several times.

Brent got home this evening and took the girls outside. Moments later he came back in. This is what they had found.



The kids totally got into it.







Oh Idaho. You are so beautiful. I know I haven't wintered though yet, but I still think people should shop shaking their head when I tell them they should move here.

I think I need to get some snow boots

When it snowed here the other day, Brent went into work and told some people at the office, "You know, in Washington we had this thing called Fall. It cooled off, the leaves got really pretty. You should try it some time."

Yesterday we learned that we were supposed to wake up to snow and he started in again. "You know, I think it was fall today and yesterday for a couple hours. I think that's how it is here. Fall tries to come, it just has to be sneaky about it."

I think he's right. It was fall for a few hours this weekend. Just long enough for him to get in a bunch of wood. I guess it's fair enough though. In Washington, I think it's winter for just a few hours. And everything stops for those hours because two inches of snow is paralyzing. Coming from Montana, that was always odd to me, but I get it now.

And now I think we might need a snow blower. Really, I think we do.

Anyway, today we did wake up to snow. About two inches of it.



The girls got all bundled up and are out playing in it as I type. It's perfect snow man snow, actually. I should go help them, but we're going to Oregon tomorrow and I need to get all my stuff done so we can get out of here.

I also need to get some snow boots. That is going to be an investment I will need to make pretty soon.

Yesterday it was clear and 65

Today it's snowing.



Yesterday I had to bribe my kids to go outside (we went to the park).



Today they were so excited to go outside that they barely ate breakfast.


Nothing like a little snow to change things up around here.


But next week, it could be sunny and 75.


We'll see.

Such a lovely homecoming

I love Yellowstone. We had a great time over the weekend. We've had a great time in Yellowstone all summer, but this trip was different. I think it was different because having hit all the major tourist stops, we started looking at the paths off to the side and took about three of them. And we found new treasures.

But when we came home, we looked across the fields of gold and Brent commented, "It's good to come home, away from all those people."

And then we walked around the other side of the house to this:



Yes. This is where we belong.

There's something about the harvest

I grew up on a farm. Farming is in my blood. The rhythms of the seasons, the smells, the sights, and the sounds. Agriculture is a great part of my life. And really it's a great part of what America is.

It's harvest season here in Idaho. The grain is ripe and the combines are churning though the fields of gold. The grain elevators in town have grain trucks lined up waiting to unload so they can go back for more. It's beautiful.



We moved to Idaho just as the farmers were getting ready to plant their crops. Then they spent the summer irrigating them. Irrigation is a great irritation in my life. Someday maybe I'll let you in on my experiences. But irrigation is necessary.

Last night the combines were churning away at the field around our house. And I'm the new lady in town who was out there taking pictures of it. I'm sure they all think I'm a nut. I wanted to holler at them, "I have a blog!" But I don't think they care if I have a blog. So I just smiled at myself and kept taking pictures.



It's mesmorizing.

Check out these camo grain trucks. Talk about repurposed.



Farmers are good at that you know. They have to be. There isn't a whole lot of money in farming these days. Seems they're too good at it for their own good any more.

But while we were standing on the road watching the sites, this comes our way.



Dang these things are big.



And they are EVERYWHERE!



Like giant bugs. It's almost as if there was a giant combine hatch around here.



For example, here are the two that were working on the field by our house. And if you look, in the background there's another.



Across the road there was another. And while we were standing there, TWO of them went by.

Brent even reported getting stuck behind one on the freeway one evening on his way home from work. You know it's harvest time here in Idaho when that happens.

Calla announced that she wants to buy a combine. Brent informed her that it probably would cost more than our house. I think he's right.



They harvest into the night, as long as it doesn't get too moist out.



And their wives let them.



Not that their wives are controlling. It's just that a farmer's work is never done.



And sometimes somebody has to help him draw the line.



Have I mentioned lately that I love Idaho?

Potato harvest is next. They are already preparing the fields. I'm excited to see this. We actually get two weeks off of school for the harvest. It's a lot of work apparently. Maybe I'll try to get in on it just so I can blog it.

I'm sure they'll think I'm a total nut then.

Frog Princesses

Shortly after we moved here we met a family that has girls Grace and Calla's age. We met at church and now, after our move, Grace and Calla are going to school with these girls. They are sweet girls. And their mom is nice, too.

Their mom called me on Sunday and asked if we might like to go up to the river past our house on Monday, since it was Labor Day and all. There's a set of falls there, and before this winter, there was a cave that was pretty fun to play in. Unfortunately the cave collapsed over the winter, but the falls are still pretty and the river is fun.

Here are three of the four girls we took to the river. (Daddy stayed home with the napping baby.)



What better fun than a peanut butter and jelly picnic on an island?



Frogs of course!



Grace was walking up the river bank and was startled by the big one. Then they decided to build a mud castle. She was getting mud and was surprised by a tiny one.



Turns out there were about ten tiny ones up and down the shore. And I love catching frogs. Yes, I'm the mom who tells her kids to catch the frogs. And if they don't, I will.

And yes, I did.

Because their castle needed frogs.



The little buggers kept jumping out. Apparently that's what frogs do.



A nice few hours with new friends. And some frogs. Frogs that we left in the river, because that's where they belong. Not in my house.

Life in small town America

I grew up in a small town. I taught high school in a small town two states away from the one I grew up in. My conclusion is that all small towns are the same. The people just have different names.

Brent called the local Electric Co-op a couple days after we moved in to get our service switched, and they knew all about us. "Oh, you're the family that moved out to . . . and your wife used to be a school teacher . . . " Yup, that's us! It's good to know you know we're here.

And I'm glad I have nothing to hide.

Yesterday Grace had a fever so I kept her home from school. And like the good mom I try to be, I called the school to tell them she was home sick. The school secretary asked if she was "pukey sick, or just a fever?" I told her just a fever.

Oh, that's been about a 24 hour bug.

Good to know! Do you really keep track of all the bugs going around school?

It's always good to be able to tell a parent what they should be watching for based on what's been going around that classrrom.

What would that school be without her? What would this town be without her?

Why on earth did it take me this long to get back to my small town roots? I must have lost my mind living in urban America.


So yesterday I got a call from one of the ladies I've met from around here. She invited us to the homecoming parade. Just the fact that this town even has a homecoming parade makes me all fuzzy inside. I told her I'd come if Grace felt better.

This morning Grace did feel better, so we packed into the car and drove to town. What fun it was.

To start:



Okay, so that picture was taken after the parade went past, turned around and came back up Main Street. But still. It's cute.

We saw not just one, but FIVE football teams in the parade.

High school varsity team:



High school JV team:



Middle school team:



And the 4th and 5th graders:



This information I got from the lady standing next to me. Turns out she is the wife of the football coach. And he's a state trooper. Fabulous.

Something else I got from her, the high school got a new music director this year. And this banner was found in the back of a closet somewhere.



The banner may not have been used in about 20 years--way back when they won that state championship in '89. Those guys were in the parade, too! They were the fifth football team, if you were counting earlier.





And of course each high school class gets to make a float.





This one may have traumatized the little kids.



They were throwing teddy bear parts, since the game tonite they are playing the bears.



I remember as a freshman we won because we made a giant toilet--FLUSH THE FALCONS!! If I remember correctly, I don't think we won a single homecoming game when I was in high school. Made for a bunch of sour guys at the homecoming dance after the game on Friday night. Ah, the memories!

So then there is the homecoming royalty. And oh boy did they look thrilled!



One lady standing next to me commented that at least this year they are dressed up.



I commented that I always felt like they would slide off the hood of the car and get run over.



The cheerleaders, too.



To which another responded, "Yea. At my school we never would have been allowed to do that. We had rules!"

That is still making me giggle. Seems to sum up everything I love about small towns.

She also told me that when the FedEx guy doesn't know where to deliver a package, he stops at the electric co-op to figure out where they live.

Awesome. And if they don't know, they probably call the school and ask the school secretary.

And they could probably also find out if they've been puking or had strep in the last couple weeks.

Idaho spuds

Living next to a potato field means fresh potatoes.

Yes, we have permission to dig some.

The girls thought it was great fun.



And all three of them got in on the washing action.



Really, Violet just wanted to play in the water.

The bounty.



The dish.



The verdict.



Yes, she's licking her plate.

I think she likes Idaho, too.

In the last two and a half weeks

It's been nuts around here. Really.

We have:

*Spent the night in the hospital with a baby who had a fever that reached 104 and a white blood cell count of 30,000. Turns out it was only a nasty virus, but babywearing in hospital with a sick baby is the only way to do it. And the 3-year-old got it, too. But she didn't end up in the hospital. And she only threw up once at the hospital. And then she ate pizza and drank some Sprite. Believe it or not, she didn't throw up again.

*We have moved every one of our belongings and even some junk from point C to point D (because we've already moved them from A to B, and from B to C) and it actually went rather smoothly.

*Watched sadly as our oldest said good bye to the sweet neighbor girl who became her friend.

*Seen our oldest off to Kindergarten. So far, so good.

*Watched the baby make the transition from a crawler to a walker. And watched the baby toddle around the house so proud of herself and her new upright position in life.

*Listened to the middle child ask at least once a day when we were going to get a new house. And smiling and telling her hopefully not for a REALLY long time.

*Scoured two bathrooms from top (literally the ceiling) to bottom. I even ripped carpet out of one of them. And found pink tile. And under the carpet in the rest of the house?? Hard wood floor. We might have to come up with some plans for that.

*Organized a new kitchen, living room, bedroom, girls' room, laundry area, two bathrooms and a heap of toys. Still have a few more rooms to go through, but the pile of still-packed boxes is getting smaller.

*Discovered that old houses sometimes have lots of flies and earwigs. But I'm okay with that.

*Found a raspberry patch and rhubarb plants that with a little transplanting and some TLC promise to be a great part of summer for many years to come.

*Decided that when the time is right, the overgrown bushes and other plants around the house will have to go and be replaced with new plants and bushes. May take a few years to make that happen, but then I can get it done how I want it to get done.

*Realized that everyone in this tiny community know we're here and are talking about the new family that lives in "Ila's house."

*Been told that since we live here, I can join the local woman's club. But I will need to know how to play Pinochle. I might just do that.

*Vacuumed so much dust and dirt out of this old house that I am beginning to wonder if the people who lived here before believed in vacuuming. But the carpet is not grossing me out. It doesn't stink and it doesn't feel gross. It's just old. So for now, it stays. Until we come up with a new plan.

*Realized with glee that we live next to a potato field in Idaho.

*Fallen head over heels in love with a house that feels like every grandma's house I've been in. Plaster walls. Shag carpet. Knotty pine. Built in dressers and closets all over. Original fixtures. Modern appliances. Salmon counter tops in the kitchen. Mirror wall that is too cool to get rid of. A solid structure that could use some cosmetic work, but that stays cool in the heat and holds the heat when it's cold outside. They just don't make them like this any more.



I feel like I'm living in a dream. I've realized that since I was old enough to understand houses, I've wanted to live in an old farm house. And here I am. And it's mine. I feel so blessed to be here with my husband and my girls.

Life is just good sometimes. Really good.

Did you know . . . ?? Part 1

We went to Yellowstone last weekend with my parents. It was trip number three of four for us. So instead of telling you all about it, we'll do a little Yellowstone version of "Did you know . . . ?" Yes, I'm making this up as I go along.

So, here goes.

Did you know that melted Hershey chocolate on a Triscuit will keep a one-year-old who is tired of riding in the car entertained for a good 15 minutes?



And did you know that after said 15 minutes, said one-year-old is covered in melted Hershey chocolate?



Did you know that a Scootababy makes a fabulous hip carrier for the ring-sling challenged?



(Said Scootababy was sent with us with above assignment by Idaho Babywearers. Did you know Idaho Babywearers will be hosting the International Babywearing Conference in 2010?)

Did you know that daddies are even more handsome when they wear their kids?



Did you know that grandpas wearing babies while waiting in line to buy his grandkids ice cream are pretty darn handsome, too?



Did you know that the sky is incredible around here?