There are only two things a child will share willingly - communicable diseases and his mother's age. ~Benjamin Spock, Dr. Spock's Baby and Child Care

Yep, fall is here and school has started. Me and Isaac and Zoey all have colds.

In the news: Isaac has learned to tie his shoes, by himself!! We have shown him how several times but often it is faster and more automatic when done by a parent. Last week I took a shoe and Isaac took a shoe. You should have seen the size of his eyes when he accomplished his feat. LeaAnn and Kaidyn came to church with us yesterday and the buz went something like "I can tie my shoes. I use two bunny ears." "I can tie my shoes too, but I do it like this." and it was a whole fancy 5/6 year old conversation.

Chris and I have celebrated our nineth wedding anniversary. Pretty amazing if I say so myself. I have known the man exactly half my life! Crazyness. Why put up new pics-when I can dig and find great ones like this.

I used to eat a lot of natural foods until I learned that most people die of natural causes. ~Author Unknown

The house came with a bunch of roses and they are still blooming!! Everything here needs great attention, but at least we have something to work with.

We have been pretty busy lately. Wednesday we went to a birthday party. Thursday we went to a magic show. Friday Sage came over to play with the kids after school. Saturday we went to the dog show with Solems and had them over for supper. Sunday we went to church and Sunday School. Today is picture day. I really hope that Isaac doesn't have a koolaid mustache for his pictures. You would think I would not have given him red koolaid today of all days. I guess we will see.

I have been baking quite a bit. I have found that I super love apple dumplings. Something about that butter and sugar mixture on soft warm bread I think. The massage biz is going very well. Not quick and speedy, just well. I also got hired by the Rec Center so that will help things out too.

The kids have been busy riding their bikes, playing kick ball (we just run in the yard and kick the ball) and batting the softball. Zoey is very proud. She is starting to ride her big girl bike. She can't touch the ground when she sits on it, so climbing up is interesting, but she has enough motion in her little ankle that she can pedal like her big brother. They both can hit the ball well and enjoy it so much. I was glad to see Zoey start kicking the ball around in the yard. Usually if we play that game, she stops the ball and lays on it and the game is over. She still runs like a girl and I think I will have to fix that soon. Considering that I am a girl, I can't believe how much that irritates me. But I have been teaching biomechanics for years and can't get it out of my system.

The other morning their was a butterfly in our house, flyin' around. I think it may have been a moth, but it was large and colorful. Isaac caught it and put it in a tupperware container. We showed it to the neighbor girls and kept it til Chris came home from work and then released it back outside.

Random Leftovers

I finally got hooked up! I now have Internet and all of the computer pieces to run my computer from home. So I couldn't help myself, but to post a few pictures from the summer that got stuck in my camera until now. We have had our first house guests. Ed and Bessie came for a quick visit and we had a great time with them. We took them through the black hills and stopped at a lookout. Zoey and Chris were the only ones daring enough to climb it and this time there was someone manning station. The kids got bags with all kinds of goodies with Smokey the Bear letting them know that only they can prevent forrest fires.

Climbing trees is irresistible.

Let's pile on Aunt Amy.

My crazy Zoey.

Isaac finally did get a hair cut after all.

Isaac's first day of school. And check out that matching backpack.

Let's just relax at the beach!! We went with LeaAnn, Kaidyn and James.

If you want to be happy, be. ~Leo Tolstoy

You know I don't read much just for pleasure. I read mostly about hydration and proper body mechanics and how stubbing your toe makes your back hurt. But the poem I posted is from a book called ten poems to change your life by Roger Housden. The title intrigued me and so I read. And cried. And just thought I would share. This book actually sits in my office. Yep, I have an office.

I am employed again and with great joy. I am a massage therapist for Touch Stone Massage Therapy. I share a space with an exceptional lady-Rachel Nava. I specialize in pre/post event massage, sports massage and therapeutic massage. I also work by appointment only. This is a great set up as I no longer wake up at 5:30 am! I am also hoping to be able to do some personal training at the Rec Center, keep our fingers crossed on that one. So far so good--I do feel a bit liberated as I am doing exactly what I want and for now it seems that I have time for my kids, my husband, my job and EVEN ME. I am so not used to this, but I think I can adjust.

Isaac is loving school and meeting new friends. Zoey is doing well at day care, but having a harder time warming up. We are definitely in a season of change. The weather has quickly cooled off and I image the leaves will change soon. It was still super hot over the Labor Day holiday so we went to the beach with Solems and played in the sand. I think we have shoved everything into our summer that we possibly could have and now moving on to family time at home. We moved at a crazy time so we missed out on free gymnastics, swimming lessons and soccer registration. But I think we should be fine for the time being and we will see if we need any extra curricular activities come winter.

The Journey

By Mary Oliver

One day you finally knew

what you had to do, and began,

though the voices around you

kept shouting

their bad advice--

though the whole house

began to tremble

and you felt the old tug

at your ankles.

"Mend my life!"

each voice cried.

But you didn't stop.

You knew what you had to do,

though the wind pried

with its stiff fingers at the very foundations,

though their meloncholy

was terrible.

It was already late

enough, and a wild night,

and the road full of fallen

branches and stones.

But little by little,

as you left their voices behind,

the stars began to burn

through the sheets of clouds,

and their was a new voice

which you slowly

recognized as your own,

that kept you company

as you strode deeper and deeper

into the world,

determined to do

the only thing you could do--

determined to save

the only life that you could save.

Who says nothing is impossible. I've been doing nothing for years. ~Author Unknown

Ups and downs. This and that. I have been cleaning and scrubbing the new house so that I can slowly move everything into its new space. Our house will take a while to transform, but eventually it will be home. I had a bout of missing Montana. People in Gillette will ask where we moved from and then look at me with a very troubled look of confusion. It is football season. I miss my athletes. I miss my friends. I miss the beauty of Montana and the convince of the backyard river. It doesn't help anything that I can't get Isaac off his bike. He hasn't been able to ride it all summer and he is making up for lost time. But we are now raising city kids and he can't just ride where ever, when ever he wants. But then today came. Isaac had orientation for Kindergarten and Zoey had her first day back at daycare. I am so glad we are close to his school (which is going to be a great school) and I will be available to drop him off, pick him up and be there for my kids. I spent most of the day with him and he is so full of energy and happiness that it just spreads from one person to the next. Most moms cry when their kids go off to school, but really its just like dropping him off at daycare or IEC. But then I drove him there, and walked him in, and talked with someone in charge. Very soon Isaac is going to want to walk or ride his bike to school and that for me, is much more difficult. He is not ready today, but we are practicing so that he remembers to watch for cars and can find his way home. We even bought batteries for his walkie talkies. Zoey on the other hand has decided to become nervous. All summer she asked about having a new class. Today when I asked her if she was excited about her new class it was very short "NO". I received several hugs before she let me go. When I picked her up, she promptly grabbed her backpack and out the door she went--ready to go home. She didn't have a bad day, but it takes her longer to warm up to new people than it does for Isaac. By next week when we have a schedule and she knows more people I think she will be more excited.

Things are going well. Hopefully this time I will just stick to one plan, decide what I want to do and stick with it. But who knows. What's life without a little change?

The course of life is unpredictable... no one can write his autobiography in advance. ~Abraham Joshua Heschel

Not sure if I have ever gone that long without posting. It feels great to be back in Gillette! It is the very opposite of moving to Columbia Falls. I don't have to find a new doctor for my kids or a new eye doctor, my kids already have friends (as do Chris and I) and I already know where everything is. My kids are all set for the fall, I just need to find a job. The house is coming slowly, but surely, so blogging will still be slow as I do not have my own computer hooked up yet. The library can really be a wonderful place!