School Time! Yip Yip Yippee!

Today the hubster went back to school! woohoo!!! yippee And next monday, the #1 son starts back. And that means I get my house back to myself! Can I hear an Amen, Sista???

I am so ready. Tho summer has been fun, and lots of memories have been made, its time to get back into the routine of life and that includes school for the male members of this house.

I am looking forward to doing some cleaning that got overlooked, some more decluttering and organizing, get back to my exercise routine i started last fall, and finding the rhythem of my life.

So in honor of this new school year excitement I just had to change out my blog background. I'm keeping my pic of #1 son for now, but that may change soon too.

So how bout you? What are you doing in honor of a new school year beginning?

Til next time ....

Did Me Some Yoga!

One of my goals for this past year has been to do yoga once a week. We've had our Y membership for a year now and I've known they offer yoga classes. but I never got up the courage to go to a class. Finally this week I sent out an email to my girlfriends and asked if anyone wanted to join me for the beginner's class. My friend Mandy wrote me back telling me she loves yoga and would love to join me.

So tonite, I entered the world of yoga! and it was great! It was challenging, and invigorating. I couldn't hold all the poses for as long as the instructor did, but I felt exilerated when I was able to even get into a pose.

It was a small class with just 4 of us and the instructor, so she was able to come over and help us with our posture and balance. Afterwards I felt like I had run a race, but was curiously relaxed at the same time.

Hubby encouraged me to go again! I think I'll take him up on that offer before he remembers that means watching our son for the evening =)

So how bout you? Have you tried anything new lately? Ever done yoga? Do you like to drag a friend with you when you try something new?

Back from Vacation or Boy, My Pants are Tight

We are back home, and I've almost caught up on my laundry. As you can see by the title we had lots of good times with good food to eat. Too much! So its back to healthy eating for me.

Pics are still in the camera waiting to be uploaded for your viewing pleasure--soon, I promise!

The hubster has all his classes set for this semester. He has bought all but one textbook. And classes start this coming monday. Unfortunately, 3 of his classes meet at night--yuk! But we'll deal with it.

Then a week later, the #1 son starts the 5th grade. Wow, where did the years go? We will be doing some school clothes shopping between now and then. Shoes are a must as his feet seem to be growing. Underwear and pants are also on the list. I found some great shirt buys at the thrift store while on vacation. Gotta love those bargains.

So how 'bout you? Are you gearing up for school? Or just looking forward to the fall season?

Vacation Time

We are heading out tomorrow morning for a couple weeks of vacation time. We will be visiting family, some old friends, and having some quality fam time. Most of our trip is planned, but we have a bit of an open agenda for a couple days.

Hopefully, I'll have some great pics to upload when we get back. And then we'll be talking about back to school. Til next time ...

A Day of My Own

Over a week ago, I planned and prepared my family for a day without me. I had my itinierary, my books, my journal, my Bible, my music, snacks, water and lipgloss. Can't go anywhere without my lipgloss, ya know.

I had decided to drive north to my fav spot by the river. While driving, I listened to a great sermon and had lots to think about. When I arrived it was already warming up, but there were spots left. Unfortunately there was a loud group of kids who were camping there, but I soon tuned them out.

I had a wonderful time of reading my Bible and praying. I took time to journal and plan. I had specifically wanted to spend some time thinking and praying over my priorities, my time and daily direction. Being a stay at home mom I wear alot of hats and juggling all the balls I have, I often find myself dropping one or two or all of them. By taking time to pray and ponder, I'm hopeful that I can tackle the needs of each day.

I'm hoping to take another day this fall, and encourage you to do the same. If its possible with your family obligations, it is a wonderful way to spend a little extra time with God.

Photos from Deception Pass, WA

I have some new photos from our trip to WA to share with you.






Joe at his favorite place: the shoreline.



Isn't this a great photo of this old shelter! I just love the old wood and stone shelter nestled in the trees.




Joe making his way to the shore with the Deception Pass bridge in the background.




Joe enjoying the sand of the west beach. We didnt' really dress for the beach, it was a really nice day there.



Til next time ...

Home Again

We got home from WA late last night. Always good to sleep in one's own bed.

My mother in law passed away July 2nd from a sudden heart attack. She was only 72. So sad to lose her so early. Tho she had some issues, no one expected to lose her like that. The funeral was precious and they did a slide show that was awesome.

So love on your special ones. None of us knows when its our time to go meet our Father in Heaven. Take advantage of the time you have here on earth to let those you love know that. And press in to the Lord when they are taken from you. He is the God of all comfort.

Til next time ....

Death in the Family

There's been a death in the family. We are leaving tomorrow morning to be with family. I dont' really have any words to say right now. Will update later. If you read this, please say a prayer for peace for all affected. Thank You!


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A Few Pics from This Summer

Here's a few photos from a few adventures we've had this summer. It's been fun to explore our new territory.


At the river ....



At Julia Davis park having a bar-b-q picnic ....




At Lake Cascade ....



Along another river ....

Happy Anniversary Babe

Twenty Five Years ago, I never would have imagined the journey our lives have taken. I'm so happy to have followed this path with you! To another 25 years ...

Looking at Rentals

When we moved to Boise last year, we told ourselves we would stay in the campus apts for the whole 2 years. That it just isn't worth it to move while Michael is in school. But with the economy taking a nosedive, and our budget always being squeezed, we have wondered if there might be a cheaper place to rent. Well, this weekend I did more than wonder ... I went on craigslist to see what was available. I found several potential rentals for $200/less a month! That's quite a savings. Joe and I gave Michael some alone time and did the drivebys yesterday afternoon. And today Michael and I are going to check out a couple more.

We have to really crunch the numbers to make sure we would actually save $$ cuz we get alot of freebies with this apt we're in now, but God may have a place for us. We'll see ... We're praying for wisdom, so if you would like to pray with us, we'd be so honored.

Til next time ...

Gas Prices Creeping Up

Have you noticed the price of gas lately? We used to be able to fill up our small tank with a $20 bill. But no more! Last week I put in $20 and it only went up 3/4 of the way----waaaaaaahhhh! No Fair!! And that was before the price crept up a couple more pennies over the weekend.

So how are the prices in your neck of the woods? Has it affected your driving habits? I know for us, we are not going for our fun weekend drives every weekend now. Have to spread them out over the month. We have been tossing around the idea of heading west to see family after Joe is out of summer school, but again, we'll have to wait and see where gas prices are at that time ...

Til next time ....
Happy Summer!

Help! My MP3 is Dead

One of the quirky things about my special needs son is that he LOVES to chew on hard plastic. The other night when he was in the living room watching cartoons, and I was on the computer. I went to check on him and make sure that all was well, and I found him chewing my MP3 player! Accck!

The next day I plugged it in and it charged up. I can put it on hold and it'll turn on, but there is no sound coming out and when I press the volume button nothing happens. Its been 3 days and still no change.

So, my faithful and treasured geeks ... um, I mean readers, is there anything I can do? Is it really dead? Its a sony brand, which I have liked. I had all my tunes on it and no longer have those tunes on my computer. What do you think?

And if I should have to buy a new one, which brand and model would you go with? I dont' need anything fancy, and a moderate to cheap price would be preferable. Let me know your thoughts

Til next time ....

Random Thoughts

I have been very remiss in keeping my blog up to date! Please forgive me.

First off, do you know about Pandora? I had assumed everyone was already up on that, but then I read a friend's blog and she had just learned of it. So in order to make sure everyone knows, go here. Its a great way to listen to music. And its free! (edited to add: oooops! forgot to add the link the first time!)

Today I dug out my sewing machine and mended some shorts of Joe's, hemmed his shorts that I had cut off, and hemmed up some of my pants that I cut off to capri length. Felt good to get back into the sewing realm. Of course, I have a shirt cut out that I want to stitch up, but that will have to wait for another day.

Did I mention I was getting some blood work done? I don't remember who I've told, and who I haven't. Anyway, I found out my blood sugar and cholesterol readings are too high, so I've been ordered to follow a diabetic diet. I've been reading up and figuring out how to eat and when to eat. Change is never easy, but I seem to be getting the hang of it. The hard part is finding good substitutes for my sweet tooth.

Joe spent his first week at summer school and seemed to really enjoy it! He comes home for an hour and then goes to his afternoon program. He has time to chill between school and his afternoon gig which I think helps alot.

Earlier this week, I found the latest copy of "The Voice of the Martyrs". Anyone else read this? I read the main article to Michael about the persecution in North Korea, and I couldn't complete it without getting choked up. The horrendous torture and persecution the christians endure, because they will not bow to the dictator, but instead worship "the God of heaven" (their term, isn't that a wonderful description?)

The director of VOM also has a wonderful opening letter about evil in this world. Well worth a read if you can get your hands on a copy of it.

On the summer front, the hubster is still at loose ends at home. This must be how wives of newly retired husbands feel. I feel like I keep tripping over him. But hopefully this will change, as he has a potential interview next week. We're just waiting to get a call from the boss who is out of town this week. Prayers would be appreciated.

Til next time ....

Have I Told You Lately ...

.... how much I love freecycle? Well, I love it alot!

This week, a member offered a king size comforter. I jumped at it. Our puppy daisy, remember her, had chewed her way thru our last comforter and when we moved I threw it out. I have priced king size sheets and comforters this past year, but they just aren't in our budget right now. Not only did the member allow me to come pick it up the next day----yipppeee!!! but it is a wonderful celery green/sage color with a beautiful lace overlay in the middle. And it is warm! It was so nice to snuggle under the comforter last night and feel all cozy and warm.

Over the last year I have recieved: cute shoes, pants, tops, fabric, toys for Joe, clothes for Joe, t-shirts for Mike, and lots of other stuff from freecycle. Members usually are just wanting to find someone else who can use what they no longer need. And they don't want to fill up the landfills anymore than we can help it.

I have also donated to others outgrown clothes of Joe's, stuff Mike and I no longer want or need, and toys. Its a win-win situation. So check online and see if there is a freecycle in your area.

Til next time ....

Does the Learning Stop When School is Out?

Ola! Como esta? Queremos visitar Brasil!

Did you understand that? Basically, I was trying to say: Hello, how are you? We want to visit Brazil.



The hubsters and I have been teaching ourselves brazilian portuguese. We haven't gotton very far, but we're having alot of fun with it. We got a book appropiately called "Portuguese in 10 Minutes a Day" Some of the pronunciations give us trouble, but we muddle thru it and laugh a lot.

Someday we'd like to visit Brazil or even live there for a short time and I figure if we learn the language we'll be that much farther ahead.

So what are your summer plans?

Why is May Such a Busy Month?

Busy, busy, busy! Not only here at Challenges & Adventures, but I notice it around other blogs as well. For me, we have several family b-days, plus there is Mother's Day, Memorial Day and Cinqo D'Mayo! There is the end of the school year activities and baseball heats up. Plus with spring solidly in place the call to be outside beckons us.

Which is all great, and family memories have been made, but it really sucks where blogging is concerned. I know you understand.

I have been loving my bike rides and have been exploring parts of the trails I haven't known about. I really need to find a bottle holder for my bike so i can carry my water bottle. And I can't wait til my hubby and son can get bikes and join me on my outings.

We took the Joe-boy to see Night of the Museum 2 yesterday. It was cute and he loved it, but for us adults it wasn't quite on par with the first one. We then went over to my brother's for a bar-b-q. My sis-in-law made yummy chicken shikabas.

On Sat the same sis in law and I went to the city farmers market. What fun! The booth that took my breath away was the gal who was selling peony blooms! She had hundreds of light pink and soft white peonies for sale. Did I mention that peonies are one of my top 5 fav flowers? I have had wonderful peony plants at a couple different homes we've had and I miss cutting bouquets of peonies every spring. Alas, I didn't buy any as I knew by the time we got home they'd be wilted. We had lots more shopping and fun. We checked out the Idaho Shakespeare Festival outdoor theatre. We are deciding which play we want to see together and when. And then we ended up at Barnes & Nobles to check out the latest mysteries and the sewing/crafting magazines. And of course, we didn't walk out empty handed.

Next up, the Joe-boy has 2 more weeks of school and then a half day of summer school for 6 or 7 weeks. There are more kids movies coming out and I'm sure we'll see a few of those. "Up" from Disney/Pixar looks especially delightful.

So what was your May like? And what does June hold for you and your family?

A New Bike for Moi

I have had on my wishlist a new bike to ride ever since we moved to Boise. Boise is one of those bike-friendly towns (it even has a sign that says so) that has bike paths all over the place. So when we moved here I just knew I wanted a bike. But being poor starving students, I knew that there were other more pressing needs. But recently we had a bit of a financial blessing come our way, and after spying a great deal at a local store, I decided the time had come. The hubster was all for it, esp since I think he has grown tired of hearing how much I want a bike. We picked it up and brought it home. I rode it around the parking lot a bit, but it wasn't til the next day that I was able to take it out on its maiden voyage. I crossed the street to the college, I wound around the students and other bikers and finally made it to the greenbelt. I tested the gear shifting, shook my long, glorious brown hair in the wind and was lifted to new heights of ecstacy! (how's that for exaggeration?) But seriously, it was great! I love biking and it felt so good to be back. I went farther up the trail than we have been on it by just walking. I stopped for a breather on the way back and forgot how sore my palms can get from pressing down on the handlebars. But I'm confident that my palms with toughen up even as I find time to ride longer and longer rides.

Now the hubster is talking about getting a bike for himself. And we still have on our wishlist our desire to get Joe his special needs bike that I can hook up behind mine. Maybe this will be the year of the bikes? Who knows!

School's Out!

Hey treasured readers---

Michael's last final was last night! Woo hoo!!! School is officially over for the next 3 months for the hubster. And because, the Joe boy isn't out of school for another few weeks, that meeans some "you & me" time for us together during the day. Yes, I have a honey-do list for the man, but I also have some fun date afternoons planned as well. All work and no play does not work in our house!

We still aren't sure what the summer holds. The hubster is still looking and applying for that elusive internship. The economic slump doesn't help. He would consider going to summer school, but the university isn't offering anything in his field that would be beneficial.

The Joe-boy does have morning summer school for 6 weeks. And it actually starts earlier than the regular school year--what's up with that??? I am so not into getting up early in the summer! But we will make up for that the last 6 weeks of summer by sleeping in as long as we want.

I would like to do some traveling this summer, but that is doubtful at this point. Maybe next summer .... We will definitely be spending a bit of time at the pool and lake and river, for sure. And I'm sure the library will see our faces every week.

So what's on your summer agenda? Any travel plans, or are you doing a stay-cation?

Til next time ...

Going Back to School Part 2

hello treasured readers,
thank you all that gave me such great encouragement to go for it! when I shared my interest in going back to school. It encouraged me to hear of your stories, your families stories and others that you knew that succeeded in going back to school.

Today I was able to tour the school and talk with the financial aide person, a wonderful woman named Lori. We hit it off right away, partly due to finding out that we are both Seattle transplants to Idaho. The school is called Oliver Findley and the 5 month program I'm looking into is ....

drumroll please ....

....

....

not yet ....

....

....

yes, i'm irritating this way! ....

....

A NAIL TECH!!!!!

If you want a manicure, a pedicure, or a set of acrylic nails I would be the one you would want to come to. I am really, REALLY excited about doing this! In fact if you could see and hear me, you'd see me squealing in my mind right about now.

What I found out today seems promising. The Pell grant would cover about 80% of the cost. So I would need to find another scholarship or get a student loan for about $700. There are 2 upcoming sessions, one in August and one in October. I'm trying to figure out what our summer will look like so I can make a decision whether the August start date is doable. Josiah doesn't go back to school til the last week of August, so that will impact my decision. Mike and I will be discussing this over the next few days and weeks. So I would appreciate your prayers as we make decisions. I hate making mistakes and will agonize over things for a long time, adding unnecessary anxiety to my life.

I'll keep you updated as time goes on. Until next time ....