Well, this week has been pretty cold and rainy so we have spent most of the time indoors. It's not a bad thing. It's been cozy. We turned the heater on for the first time this year, which temporarily permeates our home with a nostalgic smell of the accumulated dust of summer being burned away in the furnace. I actually really like it. We are also all acutely aware that rain at home means snow in the mountains not too far away, which means that ski season is just around the corner. We have already planned trips to Utah, and possibly Canada for next month.

Some of our favorite places are looking pretty good!

As for activities this week, the standout event has been Evelyn's work with her band. It's been a little bit of drama for the past couple of months, as a key member has dropped out, leaving a huge void. There was then some temporary turnover of members as they tried to put things back together, and it just now seems to be stabilizing a little bit. The reformed band is named "Retrospect," and they played their first gig over the weekend. It was an outdoor fall festival with lots of other groups and vendors, but unfortunately had a rather weak turnout due to weather. It was nice to see Evelyn back on stage though, and she said she had fun.

Also, Ev (drums) and Kloe (guitar) have been teaching each other their respective instruments, and it is fun to watch these two besties interact. Teenagers are cool :)

Enjoy the photos, and have a good week!

This is the only good photo I got at the fall festival they played at.

Drum practice

Guitar practice

She is surprisingly committed to this guitar thing. We'll see if it sticks. 

Rach had an impromptu overnight work-trip this week where she actually spent more time exploring new areas and climbing gyms than working. Sometimes I am a little bit jealous of her job.

We have been having the most ideal weather lately and we just had to get out and play. This week we have checked all the boxes. Family bike ride, beautiful hikes, a little bit of rock climbing, and even a ski event. It's been a wonderful week. The air is crisp and the colors are changing and it's just beautiful. I love fall!

Rachel, Addy and I went to the premier of Magic Hour- a ski film that got us all excited about the upcoming season.

This is from a little walk we went on near the river.

There was some old mining equipment we were looking at. This is a little air-driven train.

Just hanging out

We went up to the Trail of the Coeur d'Alenes and rode for about 8 miles. So refreshing!

Synchronized curb jumping! Addy and I decided to ride different toys besides bikes. I think we had the most fun.   :)

All the cheesy goodness of fall

Switching scenes a little bit here, we drove up to a cedar grove that is probably my favorite place to go in all of North Idaho. It's been a few years, but it was just as magical as ever. This place feels like a church to me.

It's Fall! 

Have a good week!

This has been a week of a lot of little things. Not little as in "insignificant," but little as in "not a big road trip." Actually, I'm laughing at myself a little bit as I write this, because a lot of these would have deserved an entire post on their own if they had happened, say, ten years ago. But now, with a growing family, it just seems very chill and normal. It's fun.

Let's do some photos:

Not much to say about this one. Rach and I went to see "Significant Other" at the civic theater. It is no secret that we both love theater, and lately I feel like we have been privileged  to some really good shows.

Rach, Addy, and Kristin ran a 5k together. Actually, I ran it also, to help pace Addy, but I didn't actually register for the race so I didn't get a medal. Some words deserve to be said here for all these ladies, but especially for Addy. She is doing really well in x-country this season. She pretty consistently turns in the fastest times out of everyone on her team, and she is generally in the lead pack of runners during district/regional races. She pushes herself hard, and she sees the rewards. For the 5k in the picture I challenged her to a certain time which she thought was at the very limits of her reach. In the end, she beat that time by 15 seconds. Go Addy!

Speaking of runners- this girl is really starting to come into her own. She is new to x-country and doesn't face the same sort of competition as her older siblings,  but she is absolutely killing it in her races. At the last one she got second place overall in the district, and she did it all while literally skipping- not running- skipping- across the finish line with a smile on her face. There is definitely some potential here if she chooses to go that route.

Homecoming! Ev and her group of amazing friends hung out most of the weekend together. They did the parade thing. They did the football game thing. And then Ev threw a big party at our house before going to the dance. This group is so fun, and it make me happy that "Moth" is right at the center of it. The Alice in Wonderland theme was pretty great.

During Ev's homecoming party, most of the others went miniature golfing. 

This was a fun day. We went up to the ski resort for a craft fair. After browsing the various booths, a group of us decided to hike to the top. 

A little rest along the way

We made it!

Just a fun little night out with the girls. 

Okay, this next one I am actually pretty proud of. We got this old radio cabinet for next to nothing off of Craigslist. It was in pretty bad shape.

I don't consider myself much of a wood worker or anything, so this was actually really intimidating for me.

And I'm so happy with how it turned out!

Just a close-up on the front.

I found these amazing antique figurines to put on top. That guy on the right- he has a tooth- a molar, to be specific- on a stick. A tooth! What a random treasure to come across!

I equipped the radio with some bluetooth speakers to give the illusion that it is actually functional. It's not- but it sure looks nice. Here it is in the rec room at our Wallace home, finished and ready for action.

Have a good week!