Our Ultimate Life: Equinox Redfish Trip

We did an overnighter at Redfish from the 20-21 after finally getting our camper back. I couldn't let summer end before one more trip. Going this late in the season made for a quiet campground. We were at Mt. Heyburn campground this time and it was us and only one other camper in the entire loop. The weather was partly cloudy and windy, so we were pretty cold but still managed to get some fish tacos and ice cream at the lodge. We did our usual bike ride and had a sleepless night between Colby and Beckham's crying. Logan and Emmett are little champion sleepers even when their brothers are melting down. Justin eventually drove around with Beckham in the early morning and did some work in Stanley before returning to make breakfast for the rest of us. The heater went out in the night but thanks to the cloud cover it didn't get terribly cold. We knew there would be rain in the night so we put everything under the truck or camper to keep things dry, but it was still a very cold morning! Once the fog burned off we hiked around for a while on the trails near the lodge and then let the kids fish on the docks for a while. We went back to the lake after lunch but it was too cloudy and windy to spend much time there so we headed to camp, packed up, and headed home. We went in the middle of the week which also helped with the traffic. Another perk of homeschool! We came home to snow on the mountains! I can't believe it... summer was so fleeting. Hello fall!

Speaking of: homeschool is going well. I'm grateful to take this time to create a family culture. We start our mornings with a Come, Follow Me lesson before jumping into Reading. We have some morning play/free time and then it's math for Logan and lunch. We enrolled Logan into afternoon Kindergarten because he really wanted to go, and I decided if we end up doing this lifestyle in the future, I will want him to have had the Kindergarten experience. He was definitely feeling sad about missing out on making new friends which is fair since Emmett had that experience. So! We shifted and here we are: still homeschooling with reading and math at home but letting him enjoy afternoon Kinder. Emmett and I do Math and then some kind of science, art, or whatever we fancy in the afternoons just the two of us while the babies nap. So far I like the balance we've struck.

Landscaping is taking a loooong time but there is hope. Clint texted that he will be here next week to do our concrete. Once that's laid there is no excuse for the landscaping so I'm hoping they get this sod laid out pronto. We shifted from hydroseed to sod when Tim told us it was too late in the season for the hydroseed to take. It will be nice to have instant lawn when they finally get it done! The nursery delivered plants and they did get the majority of those in the ground which is a relief. I've been watering twice a day every day trying to get them established. We aren't set up to use the sprinkler system even though it's all done... yet another reason all this time it's taking to finish up has been annoying.

Aside from that: we went to Cress Creek for a homeschool field trip to explore all the nature there. We all loved it! I've been taking Emmett to the river to explore all the life we can find there while it's still running. Emmett and Logan are doing flag football. Justin and I are coaching Logan's age group so we don't get to see Emmett play, but Logan is so fun to watch. He dives trying to pull people's flags, and he runs a touchdown nearly every time it's his turn to run the ball! Emmett tells us he hasn't scored a touchdown yet, but he pulls lots of flags.

Yesterday we went to Idaho Falls so I could get the last of the Elberta peaches plus get some new fall decor for the house. I've canned two boxes so far and have a third box that will be ready in a couple of days. Here's to hoping that a week from now we have our concrete pad in the backyard plus grass!

my setup the night before

Cress Creek

Colby is 9 months! 7 teeth, army crawling (he started crawling for real on the beach at Redfish), says mamamama, babababa, etc.

Took the kids to the Blackfoot Fair! I haven't been since I was 15.

It wasn't long ago this was Emmett and Logan at this age... I'm so lucky to get to do this phase again

Logan's first day of Kindergarten with Mrs. Reynolds

Emmett found some kind of leeches/worms on the rocks in the river

Homecoming fun

Dad has the magic touch

Beckham loves to jump right in with the kids while we "do school"

Friday the 22nd: such a rainy day!! At least the sod and new plants got a nice drink of water without my help (it takes 45 minutes - 1hr to water everything). These rain suits came in handy