Halloween 2015...

I didn't take a bunch of pics this year for Halloween. Too busy having fun. We don't live in a neighborhood anymore, but our three neighbors pretty much insisted that we bring our kids around as their only trick-or-treaters and they got like wrapped gifts when they went. So nice. Then we went to the Benners to enjoy a bunch of tasty food and good company. It was a fun holiday, and didn't rain too much. Leo loved it so much, he devoured his candy and it was gone on the same day! Leo has a Thomas the Train costume under his Thomas the train raincoat. Betsey was a witch. I always manage to talk them into costumes that we already have. Win!

Alice was a zombie but I didn't get a pic of her all dressed up before she had changed. Ruby stayed back and passed candy out with Kiley.

Our house is for sale.

I'm pretty sure the last time my house was this clean was the day before we moved in eight and a half years ago. We decided to move. We listed the house before the Disneyland trip and I wanted it to sell that week while we were out of town so I never had to think about trying to keep it this clean again. Of course that was a pipe dream and now as I write this it is already August 1st and we have no takers. No offers, not even a hint that someone was actually going to offer. We get all good feedback, but the house is just really big budget for this county and it isn't selling. It's annoying because we have considered moving up north back to south Snohomish county and of course there, you can't buy a 2000 square foot quadrant home on a tiny lot for less than $500,000. But our house, a beautiful 4100 square foot house with some major updates completed and new appliances, water heater, furnace, kitchen, and a half acre in the best location possible isn't going to budge. It's frustrating, but so many things continue to change in our life that affect where we will end up moving and so we are actually grateful that we haven't sold because we don't know where all the cards will fall yet. Chris is possibly starting a new business and the location of that will determine where we end up. Anyway, a house tour for us to remember it one day when we are no longer living here...

Family room with entrance to the den.

Best backyard ever.

My office.

A bathroom we updated three years ago.

More backyard.

Toy room.

Pano of the kitchen.

My office built-ins.

Family room.

Toy room.

My office view from the family room with doors to the front/living room.

Betsey, Alice and Ruby's room.

Leo's room.

Leo's changing table.

Ruby's room where she never sleeps, only gets dressed.

Our room.

Entryway.

More December fun...

More December pics...Betsey keeled over in Chris' truck on the way home from a holiday party.

We got some serious stuff done on the kitchen in December, in fact...it was completely done before New Year's Day. Here is the open shelving area with the marble backsplash.

Here is my blue island with the last cabinet which had to be custom made and retrofit...twice. Just lacking some hardware.

My little buddy with is crossed ankles. I love how he always has his ankles crossed.

Gingerbread houses and cookies.

Betsey with her cute church class at church.

Tub time for Betsey and Leo.

I love the Ridgcrest Ward. I took this pic because I thought it was super funny that we had a black tablecloth next to a red and white holiday one. There are wards where they would have spent a week setting up for the Christmas meal and it would be super fancy and coordinated and look professional. Not how we roll in our ward. When I told them I was going to text this pic to my friends in the other ward, they were like, "We were so proud of ourselves for using tablecloths!" Well played, my ladies. I can hang with baked potato bar and mismatched table clothes every day of the week.

We find it difficult to find service opportunites in the community (plenty with the church) for the kids to help with. So we were able to sign up to take a meal to the homeless that eat at the local Armory in town I think they serve them like once a week there. So we made salad and collected food from other people who contributed and got to go down and serve the food. It was a good time. I took like five cute junior high boys from my neighborhood who live across the street and they were so sincere and interactive, sitting down with the people and talking about life. I seriously love that age. They are such punks and so endearing somehow. I'd venture to say that Chris hates that age. Anyway, I love it. They must have knocked on my door like five times wanting to help me assemble food and take things out to the car and carry things for me and they called me Mrs. Pierce and it was all just so much cute in contrast with their double pierced ears, mowhaks, Seahawks jerseys, skinny jeans and swagger.

Another super fun thing we found out about was going down to the Elk's Club and helping sort all the food that was collected around town at food bank donation sites. All the kids could do this and we just took shopping carts full of random food and dropped it all off in the right areas so that they can then shop for a complete meal. We went for short stints of like two hours twice and the kids loved it. They felt like they were grocery shopping and they were able to do it alone and we took friends so they would have two kids to a cart and get at it. It is a real need because otherwise it is all for these really old people to do and they claim they pull all nighters to get it all sorted in time for the holiday baskets to go out. It was neat because our local church donated 300 turkeys to accompany the canned goods. Definitely doing this again next year.

Ruby on the river...

I have had these pics loaded for eons wanting Ruby to write about her week long trip down the Salmon River with Sage and Mike's family and their friends. It was kind of a last minute thing. Sage and I had talked about their trip because they take out in Riggins, which is forty minutes from McCall and as it turned out they were taking out the same day I was planning to arrive in McCall...so we could see each other. Then it seemed such a crazy possibility for Ruby to go on this adventure with them and help them out and all I would have to do is buy her a one way ticket in SLC where she could meet up with Sage and Mike. In the end, a few days before the trip, Sage was aware that they had a last minute opening in their group and one more person could go...so she asked if Ruby wanted to do it and I ran around crazy trying to equip her with everything she would need. She was able to borrow some things, Sage found some things second hand and REI had the rest. The one way ticket was pretty pricey that late in the game but Ruby share of food and permits was less than $75 so the ticket was really the only expense for the whole experience. Anyway, she had the time of her life. She talks about it ALL THE TIME and always says only the best things about her time with them on the river. She made great friends with girls her age and bonded with Sage and Mike's cute kids and just came away from the whole thing with lifelong memories. We are so grateful that it worked out for her!

When I spent a month in the Wilderness of No Return on the Salmon River in college, I went to some of the same sights as Ruby did on this trip which made it extra cool for me. Here she is at Barth Hot Springs, which is a cool bath filled with natural hot water.

Sage and Mike and kids...

Sage and Mike...

Dinner?

I have to say that Ruby reminds us of Doug ALL THE TIME. This pic is SUCH A DOUG EXPRESSION!

The kids at the cabin in McCall at the end of the trip with Porter and Beckett.