Rewind to October.

 We got Boris the kindergarten bear for a weekend and showed him a good time - lucky bear even got to help with the chores.

                                                     Tim had a birthday (the big 35).

                                           Eve and I went with friends to Disney on Ice.

 Eve got to invite a few buddies over for a Halloween party.  The donut on a string game - always a big hit.

 While Dad was at the priesthood session of General Conference, the girls and I stayed home to style hair and rock out on the karaoke machine.  I had to promise not to post video.  :(

               Only Rachel would like to be flat for an altruistic reason.  Only Rachel.

 It had been a few years since we'd carved pumpkins as a family so we resurrected the tradition.  It took almost two hours-we've got some serious perfectionists in this family!  Not me, of course.

This was the first year that Anna wanted to go trick-or-treating with friends so we were left with these three cuties.  Lucky for us, they tucker out a lot more easily than their older sister.  We actually hit the hay early that night.   Once again, we offered to buy back their candy and ended up about $30 poorer.  Totally worth it - for the second year in a row, no one got sick the week after Halloween (or for the next two months, for that matter.)

The piano girl.

I realize we Latter-day Saints aren't supposed to aspire to callings but, if I did, I'd like nothing more than to spend the rest of my days as the Primary pianist.  From behind that piano, I can giggle at the antics of children whose parents' reminders of reverence get thrown out the window from the moment they enter the chapel doors.  I can sneak gum and snacks(and a bag of popcorn) while I sit back and watch the kids deliver talks, some breaking down into crying before they even begin, others shouting into the microphone like we're all attending some sort of revival.  I can relive my own precious days of primary, soaking in simple gospel truths taught by loving teachers and inspired music.  Indeed, it is my favorite place to serve at church.

But alas, we don't get to pick and choose where we serve.  In fact, we are most often called to serve in capacities that stretch us, that give us the greatest opportunity for humility and growth.  Which is precisely why I was called to serve as the president of our Ward Young Women's organization a couple of weeks ago.  Don't get me wrong, I LOVE serving with the Young Women.  I'm just more comfortable coasting along as the Laurel Adviser than handing out orders as the president.  I have no doubt I will be reminded of my biggest weaknesses, be forced to my knees in prayer for the welfare of others, and expand in my understanding of Jesus Christ and his atoning sacrifice.  For that I am thankful...and a little bit apprehensive.  Where much is given, much is required.  But where much is required, much is given.

A few summer pics that slipped through the cracks.

Idaho Shakespeare Festival - never disappoints.

 We missed a few pics from our trip to St. George - as always, we had a blast with the cousins and Amie.

 We bought a bike rack in June that holds five bikes so we are no longer relegated to biking only the paths in our neighborhood.  Here was our maiden voyage on Boise's greenbelt.  We've spent plenty of time there, over the years, and it was fun to experience it on two wheels.

I wonder if the backyard pool will every get old.

 This was the year we decided to erase "get snow cones" from the annual summer bucket list.  Might as well flush money down the drain - they NEVER finish them.  Not even close.

 We had a fantastic summer rainstorm and I managed to coax the kids out in the rain by taking the lead- reminding them that I'm not just a taskmaster.  I actually have fun once in a while.  No pics of me, though.

Living simply.

This summer Tim and I concluded that life would be easier on us all if we eliminated one of our two mortgages.  Simply put, our rental property will not be the college fund it was intended to be until we actually OWN it.  We've been throwing a little extra cash it's way for some time now, hoping to make some more headway but decided we needed to go full force on the thing, Dave Ramsey style, and live bare bones for one year.

To be sure, it's not as if we were living high on the hog in the first place.  I mean, the fact that we are in a position to pay off a mortgage at our age is evidence of our frugality(and a consistent salary-thank you Tim!).  Still, as we started tracking our spending more carefully, we noticed just how comfortable we had become with not sticking to the shopping list at Target(dangerous place, I tell you), falling back on eating out when I had a wringer of a day, and paying for our entertainment rather than enjoying the many free things Boise has to offer.


Instead of the old-fashioned spreadsheet we'd been using to track our spending for years (a method which was so laborious we sort of abandoned it a few years ago anyway), we invested in a budget software that includes apps on our cell phones(and other devices) which allows us to enter in amounts on receipts real-time and bills we've paid automatically.  I can see how much we've got left in our grocery budget while I'm at the store and can modify my spending accordingly.  It's awesome, even for an already budget-conscious person as myself.


The three categories we've cut back significantly are: travel, kids activities (gymnastics, swimming lessons, etc.), and entertainment/eating out.  As always, I expect we'll enjoy far more benefits than the ones seen in our bank accounts.  Healthier eating, more quality time together as a family enjoying simple pleasures, and plenty of time "roughing it" together in the wilderness instead of waiting in lines at Disneyland.  That is, if I can get past my irrational fear of bears.

Ongoing sex ed.

Hopefully my blog post title didn't send everyone's Internet filters into a tailspin...

We're pretty open with our children around here.  Scratch that.  I'm pretty open with the kids.  Tim just pretends he can't hear them when they asked pointed questions about somewhat uncomfortable topics. My favorite questions this week occurred when birth control suddenly became a hot topic for discussion.

My top two from this particular conversation:
"Mom, why don't you just keep your clothes on?" and "You mean, you and dad want to do that?"
All in a day's work, folks.

Lazy days of summer? Not so fast.

Summer started off with a bang - meaning we jumped right into summer orchestra for Anna, rock-climbing lessons for Lily and Anna and gymnastics (continued) for Rachel and Anna.  Add in summer cooking classes for Rachel and Lily an awesome trip to Southern Utah and bam!  There went June.

Tim's token Father's Day gift.

Just one day's harvest of strawberries.

July started out a bit more slowly and we tried to fit in the usual trips to the park and pool (and beach, and aquarium, among others: see below). 

That is, until our family reunion at Aspen Grove Family Camp rolled around.  Tim was skeptical that the cost of this particular vacation would truly reap the benefits I had promised but, in the end, he was sold.  There was endless fun at our fingertips, plenty of time for building family relationships, gospel learning and delicious food - all in the picturesque setting that is Provo Canyon.  None of us wanted to go home.

The official winner of the horseshoe tournament.  That's my man.

Hike to Stewart Falls.

All you can eat at every meal.  Yeah, baby.

Love my family.

This is how Eve spent almost all five hours of the drive home.

 In August, we had Lily's cooking class, a few more trips to the pool and park, a bit of school shopping and BAM again!  End of summer.  Just like that.

Anna claims she is in grade 6 1/2, owing to the fact that she goes to the 7th grade math at the junior high before heading over to the elementary for the rest of her day.  She even has a locker so that makes her OFFICIAL, I guess.

Lily got her ears pierced.

So did Rachel.

 But first, the weekend before the official start of school,  it was off to Sun Valley for Tim and me to celebrate our anniversary - Lucky 13.

We ate at several of the local's favorite restaurants.  I even got Tim to use chopsticks - a true moment in history.

Did I mention it was August?  It rained almost the whole time.

That didn't stop us from scaling Mt. Baldy. 

Five miles up on foot.

A quick jaunt down on the chair lift and gondola.  We deserved it.

Bright and early at 7:30 for Anna.

My baby - off to kindergarten.

The towering second-grader.

Off to fourth grade for Lily.

Look at those dolls!  (They dress themselves and don't care about their hair - just like their mother, in fact.

Not a tear for this girl.  She's been waiting for this moment forever, it seems.

A couple of days into school and we had a few meltdowns from the schedule adjustment.  Tired enough to fall asleep in the bathtub, even.  What some people will do for a little "alone" time - jeesh!

I haven't wasted a precious bit of my "alone" time.  38 jars of peaches later....

The weekend after school started, we woke up early (again) to catch the Spirit of Boise Balloon Classic.

It rained - no balloons for us this year.

 This blog post took me almost a month to finish.  Ever since getting an iPhone, I find that since my pictures are scattered between several camera/devices, it's that much harder to post them with any sort of order or organization.  But I'm committed to blogging, so I'll keep at it.