Oh the Bliss!

We have been in Idaho just a few days shy of 7 months. That's over HALF a YEAR, people. MUCH has changed. Our daily routine? Changed. Weekend plans? Changed. People we call when we're in a jam? Changed. How we're being fed spiritually? Changed. (But not TOTALLY, because we are still being fed hearty meals from the truth of God's Word, only our "server" has changed, essentially). How we function as a family? Changed. Everything has changed.  Half a year in a new land, with new people, and a new EVERYTHING will change you. And we are okay with that. Matter of fact, we're better than okay! We scorched our way through a brutal, smoke filled August, and we are GOOD! We tip-toed into the school year in new schools, with new teachers, and new everything , and we are good! A couple kids even won awards! (She's one ...  the oldest was another, but conveniently ducked the camera >insert eye roll<). We mercifully made new frien...

How is it going in Idaho? How are we are settling in? The first 2-3 months here I'd say it felt like an extended stay at an Air B & B. One with fantastic accommodations and an epic view, I might add, but I'd say it didn't really feel like home. It felt like a vacation. A few reasons came into play for that conclusion, the first being that it was summer the first three months we were here, so anything NEW felt exciting and momentous and Summer Bucket List worthy. For example... Taking a drive to the grocery store felt like an adventure, not an arduous task. Farmer's Markets came across as an epicurean day dream, not a weekly routine to purchase necessary produce. Laundry was put off until absolutely necessary. Oh... wait. That's just life. We've had a healthy amount of guests with us since our arrival in Eagle, Idaho, five months ago. Our daily life hasn't exactly resembled an actual daily life . Many mornings I'm cooking for 10 or 12....

Our family has partially or full time homeschooled for eight years. And, getting really technical, if you think of the years per kid, that's 22 years of homeschooling ! I think it's safe to say we are homeschool fans. Our decision to homeschool, initially, came from three factors: 1. Mark is a big proponent of using time wisely, and neither of us were thrilled with the use of time in our local schools. 2. We don't vaccinate, which wasn't a big deal in the beginning because BACK THEN we could just sign a waiver and it was no biggie. Then CA went all - well, Californiaish- and basically it became impossible for us to legally enroll our kids in a public school. 3. What brought homeschooling to our attention was when a family brought us a meal after Mia was born, and in walked this 8 year old boy who was kind, polite, helpful, genuine, respectful, patient, and more. I asked the mom, "Where does this kid go to school? He is incredible! What are you doing??...

I love learning about prayer! How different people pray, how to pray differently, what God's word says about prayer. A Praying Life is one of my favorite books about prayer.  Valley Of Vision  is one of my favorite books of prayers. Oh and then there's THE BIBLE , ya know, that's a pretty stellar book about AND of prayers! ;)I could go on and on about awesome books about prayer and containing prayers, but sometimes, just talking with godly friends is what my soul needs. It refreshes my resolve to not just maintain but strengthen my prayer life. MANY times I've left conversations thinking, "I would've never thought to pray about THAT, or pray THAT way." Leaves me encouraged and spurred on every time! About a month ago a sweet young lady asked if I'd share some advice on how I prayed through being able to leave our home (and family, and friends, and church, and basically everything I've ever held dear - besides my man and kiddos - obvs .....

Well, I suppose, after three weeks, it would behoove me to write down some thoughts about THE MOVE. (Behoove is one of the coolest words ever, and we should all work together to bring it back into daily use.) Back in late April, we loaded up a Pod - in order to make our house in CA appear clutter-free, and on May 14th Mark and our oldest kid drove to our new home in Eagle, ID where said Pod eagerly awaited them. This was a grand idea because the two of them were tasked with all the duties that come with moving into a new house - making beds, setting up the kitchen, making sure all the water and plumbing and INTERNET are running properly - I was a big fan of this plan from the getgo. :) On the flipside, this left me with all the "final days" duties, (which stink, FYI). Boxing up the house turned from color-coded tape, with coordinating Sharpies, to "just put it in a box!" reeeeeal quick. If not for my insanely awesome, hardworking, task loving, A-type personal...

There's this really interesting thing that happens when you dedicate yourself to something that hasn't happened yet. Like a wedding (engagement) or a baby (adoption/pregnancy)... You're kind of in this ZONE where you don't quite fit in with life as you know it, and you don't quite fit in with the life as you will know it.  You're neither here, nor there. The Middle Lands. That's a little how the FitzFam feels.  We are days away from our move to Idaho. But first, there is our house, here , to ready. Clearing out, cleaning up, packing this, donating that. We are still welcoming people in. "Pardon the mess," we say. "Excuse the boxes," we blush. We are obviously on the move, but we are still 100%  HERE. Then there's the house, there , to think about. Trips to be made, inspections to be had, papers to e-Sign. (Remember back in the day when it would take like, SIX HOURS to sign property papers?! Technology for the win!) And sh...

If you find yourself planning a trip to the beautiful state of Idaho, and I hope that you do, you might want a few recommendations of places to go, food to eat, coffee to drink, etc.  Unless you want me blowing up your phone with Google Map pins, which I'm totally down to do, I thought I'd put my list here, for you to browse at your leisure, or on your (absurdly long) drive... whichever the case may be. Things to keep in mind: 1) My breakfast recommendations are largely swayed by how amazing their biscuits and gravy are, based on a scale of "Excellent: Tastes Like Grandma's" to "NASTY: Tastes Like Milk w/Pepper In It". (Or, the dreaded "Not On Menu",  in which case I wouldn't know how they'd even call themselves a breakfast establishment, and I'd sit in a corner, fasting in protest.) 2). I've only been to Idaho (in recent history) TWICE. So, though I have opinions, I'm no local - yet. 3). It's common courtesy that...