The Hike

I haven't had a "By myself, just me (um, and Adelle) and nature" hike since the baby was born. She gets to come along since she nurses, but she just slept in the wrap. Yesterday was the day. I went up the path to Mud Lake since the trail is close.

Insanity! If you look at the mountainside from our back porch, it doesn't really look that bad. Well, looking at it and actually hiking it are two very different things. What ended up being about halfway up (though I didn't know that at the time) I was about ready to quit. But I kept thinking, "Certainly I'll be at the top soon". Around every bend I would figure (hope, pray) that I would be at the top. And finally, with quite a bit of stopping to breathe and a fair amount of muscle burning, I got there!

One of many steep bends of the trail. The picture doesn't do it justice.

We made it! I was so excited that I took a picture even though I was very sweaty, unshowered, hair undone under a ball cap. Adelle was asleep.

I have a thing for pictures of long roads/trails, especially if they have trees on each side.

Mud Lake

I stood in this group of Aspen trees for a few minutes, feeling the breeze, the warmth of the sunshine, the smell of life all around me. Adelle snoozing on my chest, air in my lungs. One of those moments where I felt really happy to be alive.

In the Aspens

Views of the Valley. I was pretty high up, no wonder my legs were burning.

8 years

Almost every other day of the year, when I remember her, I can just be happy and think of the good memories. But once a year, on this day, I indulge myself and allow myself to really miss her. To think about what it would be like to have her around, what she would think of me, how much she would enjoy my children. I think the worse part is that it now feels so normal to not have her around. The first year, when the grief was still fresh, her absence was felt so acutely. So much time has past now, however, that it is all just a distant memory to have her around day to day. It is healthy to move past that part of the grieving process, but I feel like I lost something when I moved on. She was such a beautiful, gentle woman, although imperfect (who isn't though?) and I am thankful that she was my mother.

Visitors!

We have been fortunate to have the opportunity to have a whole slew of visitors this summer! At the end of July, my Dad and niece came to visit. Here are some pics of their visit:

At the top of the ski lift at Grand Targhee Ski Resort, which is relatively close to our house. It has such a beautiful view!

They decided to brush the dogs one day, which was awfully nice of them, since I hate doing it and the dogs are shedding. I captured this kindness on camera :)

We purchased Adelle a bouncy seat with some money we had been gifted. It arrived when Dad and Teresa were here and she was trying it out for the first time. It also gave me the opportunity to get a group shot of the five of them together.

A summer hike.

Isaac picked some wildflowers. And if they didn't come easily, he yanked them up by the root.

Ice cream at Yellowstone while we waited for Old Faithful. Which was not very faithful- like thirty minutes late. The following pictures were taken by Teresa:

The boys climbing a dead tree.
Liam fell asleep in the car with the water bottle on his lap on the way home from Yellowstone. This was not a good day for Liam- he was very tired and grouchy. Very grouchy. I can't overstate how grouchy he was that day.
Sometimes my kids do weird things. I like it- it keeps things interesting around here. This evening, they were dressing the post by the stairway as some sort of princess.
Teresa got one of Sleepy Delle.

It is about school time again!

A few weeks ago, we went and bought a couple of bookshelves, a lamp and a remnant of carpet to put in our Learning Room. We got everything all set up and ready and the kids looooove it. They can't wait to spend time in there every day!

We have already started on what we have available of our homeschooling materials. Issy is continuing in Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons and we started at the beginning of that with Isaac. I got Liam a couple of workbooks so that he can have his share of "school" time. I am getting ready to purchase Math U See and a few books for our art, science and religion. We will get started on that whenever it arrives.

Our shelf with all our books and the Reading Corner.

Working on a puzzle. You can see our shelf that holds our homeschooling materials in the background. I would like to add another couple of smaller shelves too.

Sweater progress

Last week, upon my return to the yarn store, I started Wicked by Zephyr Style, as mentioned in my last post. It is relatively uncomplicated thus far, so I have been working diligently (well, as much as one *can* knit while taking care of a house, husband and four kids) I am loving it! I also finished a soaker for Adelle because she is outgrowing her newborn ones, and have started a pair of longies for her, since the ones she got handed down aren't going to fit her right away. I am making a grand knitting comeback!

Last week (blame my younger son for the dirty mirror)

Currently

The little dude is three!

Moments after he was born. His birth was an exhausting journey, but oh sooooo worth it.

And he grew...

... and grew....

.... and here he is now.

All I will say is that life with Liam is never dull :)