The short version:
1) The kids went back to school
2) We had a pretty good relaxing weekend
3) We bought a second home
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The long version:
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| Evelyn is a freshman. That is crazy to think about. She says she is nervous for high school, but she also asked me to drop her off forty minutes early today so she could have enough time to socialize with her friends. She gets straight As, likes to skateboard, draw, and make her own jewelry, is the drummer in a rock band, and is known more commonly as "Moth" to her peers. |
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| Adalie is going into 7th grade, and she doesn't want to grow up. She likes school for the academics and the friends and the cross country meets and the arts. Basically, all the things. But she doesn't want the school year to start, because that means that she is officially one full step closer to the responsibilities of adulthood, which freaks her out. This year Addy petitioned the school on her own accord (and won) to be able to do homeschool PE, making time in her schedule to enroll in both band AND drama. Yes, she is that kid. |
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| Jackson is a very confident nerd, a title that he wears well. He has a pet lizard, plays a lot of Legos and Minecraft, and loves chickens, which is why he refuses to eat them. He got into honors English this year based more on his writing and creativity than on his grades, which I think is cool. He is actually really excited for school, as well as for the after-school homework club thing that he is a part of. |
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| Maren is maybe the most kind and thoughtful kid I have ever known. She is constantly doing things or buying things for other people, just because she knows it will make them happy. She is quick to do small chores when asked, and is a reliable friend in times of need. She loves to spend time with her bunnies and is increasingly finding joy in the world of children's literature. For this reason, it's not surprising that she is most excited for English and Social Studies at school. Math, on the other hand, is a different story... |
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| Lindsey is a diva. That is all. |
*****
This last weekend, we had big plans. It was the last week of summer vacation, and we were going to go to the Pacific coast, or on a big backpacking trip, or something like that. We thought people would be stoked to end summer with a big bang, you know? That's what I would want. It turns out that we were wrong.
"Ok then- since it's the last weekend of the summer, what do you want to do?"
That is what we asked, and Evelyn didn't hesitate to step forward with ideas. She said that if she could have the same budget we would use on a backpacking trip, she would plan a weekend that the kids would appreciate more than anything the parents wanted to do.
"After all," she reasoned, "Our family does big things all the time. How about we take this last weekend to just relax around here for once?"
Fair enough. I'll admit that "relaxing" isn't one of my strengths.
The weekend she planned was actually a ton of fun. We went downtown and walked around the parks, got pizza, and saw a movie. The next day we went on a hike around Tubbs Hill, enjoyed a family bike ride, played at the beach, and then made ice cream sundaes. We finished it all off with a backyard BBQ, inviting some of our closest friends to join.
It has been a great summer, full of great things, but Evelyn was right. It is actually nice to stop every once in a while and just allow life to slow down. I'm glad she stepped in to do that for us. Also, I think it was good for the kids to have time to catch their breath a little before school started.
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| Who's kids are these?! |
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| Dancing in the park to a live band. Well, one of us was dancing. The other was trying to coax the family to keep walking. I'll leave it to your imagination to figure out who was who, though you might be surprised. |
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| The mastermind of our weekend |
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| Jackson and his Heelys. |
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| Sometimes I think of our family like the Breakfast Club. We're all pretty bizarre, and not one of us is alike. But it somehow works, you know? I like us. |
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| I love this picture of Lindsey at Tubbs. If you look at our blog photos, it's clear that someone knows how to use a |
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| Send off of summer, and a welcoming of a new year. Bring it on! |
*****
I'm a little bit nervous to share this because we don't actually close for another couple of days and it would be embarrassing if for some reason it didn't happen. At the same time, there don't seem to be any loose ends and I am impatient and excited.
Basically, in between all the other adventures of the summer, Rach and I found time to look at and buy a second home. I think we'll call it "the mountain house," or something like that.
We were originally looking for something a little more remote and "cabin-like," but in the end we were totally won over by the charming town of Wallace. It lies 15 minutes away from two different ski resorts where we get passes, one of which is expanding to nearly double the size this year. It is also right on the river, as well as on the Trail of the Coeur d'Alenes, a bike path that we find ourselves on a lot in the warmer seasons. The town itself has cultivated an artsy feel that draws on its unique mining history, and is a delightful place to just walk around, peeking in at all the little shops or restaurants along the way. It's a quirky little town that you will probably be hearing more about in the coming weeks.
As for the house itself, we couldn't have asked for more. The basic stats are that it has four bedrooms, two baths and is about 2,600 square feet. Of this space, only 1,900 is being used, which leaves room for some fun projects and customization (starting with the bonus room). A lot of modern updates and remodeling have taken place over the last few years, all to a fairly high standard, which makes it more than ready for us to move in later this month. The house sits on a hill with a stunning view of the Silver Valley, and yet is still easy walking distance (about two blocks) from all the offerings mentioned in the last paragraph.
In short, I think we'll make some great memories here. Some people have wondered if we'll make it into a short-term rental. Rachel wants to, I don't, so we probably will at some point as her hobby project. That isn't why we got it though. We got it because it sounded fun to have a place to get away, and a little bit because we had some extra money we could afford to risk and it seemed like a more fun and tangible way to speculate compared with other things.
Also, have you ever tried to furnish an entire house from scratch in two weeks? Holy cow! I can't even begin to think about how much stuff we will forget about until we need it!
Anyway, here's a real estate video on the home:
And here are some pictures that you won't see in the video.
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| Okay- this first picture is literally taken directly from the video, so you can ignore that last sentence. The house sits on a hill. I love the view from the upstairs windows. There is also a garage at the street level that you can't see, with a door that leads into the unfinished basement. |
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| The town of Wallace maintains these stairs that go up onto the hill. Our house is right by these stairs (It's the one on the left that you can see in the photo) |
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| This is just showing how close we are to the town. This was a major selling point for us, because it essentially turns the entire town into a "backyard" of sorts that people can walk to while others stay at home. |
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| This will be our first big project for sure. A full-height attic with easy access. Bonus room! There is so much space for ideas here! I think when we are all done, the house will boast 5-6 bedroom and two separate living areas. At least, that is the long-term plan. |
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| This is the basement that you walk into from the garage. It's more of a cellar, and will likely remain unfinished for some time. We'll improve this entry to be more inviting though. |
*****
One more thing- Football season is upon us. I got these photos of Rachel as she was doing her fantasy draft. She definitely takes this thing seriously!
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