As Promised...

Here's a quick glimpse of our current transportation method...Mags on bike, River in buggy, Mommy happily moving at a quick walk/jog pace. I am usually a patient mother, but I can't even begin to explain how incredibly happy it makes me that we are no longer moving at what felt like the speed of a snail.

Enjoy.

Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday

Fairies Live Here

Everyday Maggie escapes outside to play...she writes her very important words with chalk, she plays with imaginary friends, she admires and tends carefully to the flowers in her garden, she jumps, she runs, and all with a big smile on her face. She knows she can't go down to the lawn without me because of the creek, so most of the time she plays on our very large patio right off the house where I can watch her through the window. She patiently waits for me to come join her during River's naps so we can explore outside...

On warmer weather days a sprinkler and a couple chairs can keep these two busy for a very long time.

I absolutely love watching a child uncover the power of the written word. Those symbols take on a whole new meaning when you can put them together to make something meaningful. 

This girl's motor skills as of lately have completely stunned me. No longer do I have that completely cautious, often clumsy little lady...now I have a daring, balanced and coordinated mover. 

Zac and I sit back in shock watching it all, especially how well she rides her new balance bike...will post a video of that soon!

Magnolia finds so much joy in the beauty of a flower. Maybe this is just expected of a Magnolia. 

You should have seen her at the garden shop making her choices! Of course, most of the blooms are of a pink variety, but there was some purple thrown in too. She of course has plans to pick and press flowers to make all sorts of cards for her loved ones. The purple flowers will of course be picked and pressed first to make a very special birthday card for her best pal here shortly.

A piece of Paradise Creek runs right through our back yard. On our walk yesterday evening along the Carol Ryrie Brink nature trail (just right below our house) we found moose tracks, saw a beaver swimming down the creek, and watched tadpoles jump. 

Daily, we watch pheasants strut through our yard (the bird dog is actually starting to take notice), and this evening we found a baby rabbit in the yard...nature at it's best!

Dandelions are among her favorite "flowers."

This part of our yard she informs me "is where the fairies live."

And one more of the hopscotch queen...

Hellos and Good-Byes

This weekend we headed to Boise to visit with family and to say good-bye to Papa before he leaves on another 6 month deployment, this time to Afghanistan.We had a nice get together at Zac's parent's house. It always puts a smile on my face to see all the little cousins playing together, and Maggie enjoys time with family so much.There's always that moment though, usually late in the evening, when my children realize just how much fun they've had, and how extremely exhausted they are; melt downs are inevitable. 

To top it all off, Papa and Grandma had a nice surprise for Maggie---a baby doll changing table/bunk bed. Ever since Papa made Maggie her dolly high chair she's been thinking of new projects for him. A changing table/bunk bed...just perfect for our little Mama.

We're moving along with the sale of our house in Boise, but...the inspector discovered 3 inches of water in the basement on Wednesday, so Zac spent all day Friday pumping water from the basement and replacing the hot water heater. With all the hassle of owning this house, trying to sell it, etc. I still absolutely adore it. I adore our great neighbors there, the beautiful back yard, and the life in the Northend. With a close date coming soon I was a little sentimental during my last stay at the house. It will always be Zac's and I's first "real" home, and it was Maggie's first home as well... 

2201 Sunset Ave.

A trip to Boise always means lots of time in the car.

 We had to make a stop on the way back to Moscow for a little fresh air, and a visit to the River.

Obviously my blogging time has been a bit limited, but it is now summer break, so hypothetically if you keep checking back more should be coming soon!

Although if you're like us you may be outside soaking up this beautiful weather!

Moving

Oh MY! This last week, and probably more weeks to come, have just been completely crazy. The lack of posts is an indication of just how crazy. We are now in our new house and getting settled in though. I got Maggie and River's rooms all put together first in an attempt to add some normalcy and routine back into their lives. Maggie is loving her new room, and asked that we share some pictures for family and friends to see...

We are working on making the rest of the house (indoors and out) "our" space. We have a very big back yard with huge cottonwood trees, a canal with a bridge across, and lots of garden space. It will be nice as soon as we put in the time to get it all ready, we wish of course we had more time. I've even promised Magnolia her very own flower garden.

We are enjoying the neighborhood, an older established neighborhood, which is quiet and peaceful...except for the call of pheasants and the sounds of children playing, which we can get used to.

It feels like we have a lot more work ahead of us, but we're getting closer to being settled in. We even took a break from the moving chaos to enjoy Renn Fair this weekend, one of our favorite Moscow traditions. Auntie Julie made the trip north to help us cook, clean, pack, unpack, take care of children, paint, do yard work, and more. We are so appreciative.