A new year, a new blog.

Dear friends who still read my blog:
I've switched over to a different blogging platform in the hopes that it will be more conducive to expanding my blog beyond the journal that it currently serves as.  Though I will still post plenty of family updates, I also plan to include some of the family systems, lessons and mothering tools I've acquired over the years on the off-chance someone out there could use them.  I've found that I don't need to reinvent the wheel when it comes to life and have relied heavily on the wisdom (and Pinterest boards) of mothers like me.  Now it's my turn to give back.  At least a little.  You can now find me at susieofalltrades.com

Christmas 2017.

We rang in the holiday season with infusions.  Jack is getting more mobile but he still takes it like a champ.

Throw in a little baking, tree-decorating, and gift-giving and we had a typical Egbert Christmas.

Christmas was on a Sunday this year, my favorite because it meant we could hold the kids off from opening presents until AFTER church.  Yay!  No 5 a.m. (and 6 a.m., and 6:15 wakings)!

Visit to Utah and our little monster turns one.

Look closely - that's Studio C.  A family fave.

Pretty hesitant, if you ask me. 

But he still earned himself a spray-off in the sink

Aunt Renee spoiled him with his very own Santa suit.  The perks of having a December birthday.

Double digits times three.

Third kid to hit double-digits.  Rachel turned ten and invited a few friends to go to Boise Escape to celebrate with her.  These little smarties got stuck but the owners were incredibly impressed by the aptitude of these little puzzle-masters.

Happy Birthday beautiful Rachel!

Sunday walks and other fall fun.

Occasionally we squeeze in a Sunday evening walk by the river.  This fall, with its endless warmth provided many.

We also picked, sold, and canned hundreds (maybe thousands) of homegrown peaches.

Tim and I attended our fifth and final Idaho Shakespeare Festival performance.  I loved these regular date nights of ours.

Jack mastered the stairs.

And is so proud of himself

He is the luckiest boy alive to have four other people in addition to mom to push him in the swing.

Monster Eyeballs for the bake sale at our school Halloween dance.

Creepy girls.

Examining all the loot.

Jack and I in costume.

38 and feeling great.

Birthdays get pretty mundane as you get older.  For Tim's birthday - we got family pictures taken.  Cause, why not?  Admittedly, it was a little weird, but it truly was the only day we could fit it in.  They turned out pretty great, overall and the weather was fantastic, as September should be.

We didn't leave it at that, though.  We still fit in a delicious dinner, dessert and presents.

You know you've arrived when your birthday wish list consists of four pairs of jeans.  Happy Birthday honey!

The torture has begun.

There haven't been any hair bows or painted toenails yet, but apparently swimcaps are all the rage.

Jack started pulling himself up on furniture during our trip to San Diego.  Earlier than any of our kids.  We are so grateful that he is meeting his milestones, though, admittedly, it freaks me out a little bit too.  I'm starting to embrace my inner-helicopter mom cause with this guy we might have to hover just a bit more than with the others.