A fun trip

Waiting for a firework. And the only picture of my side of the family...goal for next trip, actually take pictures of my family.

We had a pretty good trip to Boise.

Zeke eating with Destiny (who he is related to in a rather convoluted way....we will call it cousins), and Sammy and Lexxy who truly are cousins in the traditional way, or at least 2nd cousins.

Zeke especially enjoyed himself, I think. At least at dinner last night when we were praying he had to add that he was thankful for "papa and boats and uncle Shane".

Zeke, Destiny, and either Sammy or Lexxy (I cant tell them apart).

Every time we go back to visit we get asked if we will ever move back. And I have to admit that this is the first time that when considering it we thought that given the chance we really might. Family is a strong strong pull. It would be beyond wonderful for Zeke and Mal to get to play with their cousins all the time. It's funny because both Josh and I agree that we love Spokane. Hands down, 100%, Spokane is the better city. In every way. We like the community better, we like the weather better, we like the local government better, we like the schools better, we like all the great festivals in Spokane, we like that not everything is 4,000 miles apart, we like the amazing network of friends that we've created here. When getting right down to it the only thing Boise has to offer us...is family. So it is beyond strange that family all alone on its side of pros can threaten to outweigh all the rest in our minds.

Zeke and Uncle Shane. Zekey knows all his uncles now, but Shane is his favorite.

Not that we regret moving to Spokane in the first place. Josh and I both have said that it has strengthened our marriage, our parenting, and even our faith. With our nearest lifelines a little over 300 miles away we have had to learn to rely on each other. When we were fighting, there was no one to turn to. When we didn't know what to do for our kids, we figured it out for ourselves.

The only picture all trip that included Mal. Dont blame me, half the time I wasnt aware of where the child was, only that SOMEONE was surely holding him.

And know that none of this actually matters, don't any of you get excited or disappointed unduly. Josh has poked around the job market in Boise off and on the last 2 years and nothing has ever come up. The argument is fairly mute. We live where my husband can make a living.

Way too funny to not include.

Anyways, we returned Sunday night to more peas than even Zeke would shell (and he sat happily shelling peas for over an hour) and enough strawberries to satisfy him for once (the first time Josh and I have gotten strawberries). So the garden survived our absence. And I return with a new sense of energy to go about our daily life. Which is good, because I had written myself a note that the baseboards need washing...