We got up this morning and aimed to have our first day of something that might resemble a "schedule". Scott is still working on the bathroom project (but the toilet is in which we are all glad about)so he stayed behind.
I do have a funny bathroom story but you will have to promise not to tell Katie you know about it. The other night - Hunter was up crying and moved into our bed and then about 15 minutes later, I could hear Katie crying from the other room. It does get awfully dark out here at night and figured she was afraid. I went into her room and she said she needed to go potty. Seeing as we still had no bathroom in the cabin I asked her if she wanted to go outside or in the camper, she said outside and just took off down the hallway. As I followed her with the lantern I began to wonder if she was really even awake and got my answer when I got to the mud room and saw her with her jammie pants and underwear down, sitting on a white plastic picnic chair. I had to call out her name and shake her a bit to snap her out of it. She DID end up going in the camper and has no recollection of that moment, but loves me to tell her the story!
I took the kids and we walked over to the wash this morning, a ravine where the water flows down from the mountains. They all got to taking their hats off and collecting as many rocks as possible. My mom made them these cute satchels we will have to bring along tomorrow. We saw one lizard, one mule deer, and four hawks. Katie was positive she found footprints in the mud from a mother elk and her baby and she just might have been right! I carried Ben for much of the way back which I was fine with. I can tell that soon he will just want to do it all himself so I enjoy the moments when he feels like he needs me.
It rained today and was actually so cold up here it started to hail. I held Ben for much of the thunder but then Katie wanted to hold him too. Scott and Hunter were in town picking up more parts for the bathroom. Katie insisted on having a fire and it was actually a great idea as it is still burning!
We are all really at peace here (except for the moments I am hollering at Ben to stop whacking Hunter with the plastic bat) but overall, Katie walks around being overly helpful, smiling, and doing a lot of happy sighing. Hunter is completely in his element. I encourage him to use his "big sky mountain voice" as much as he wants and he does and when he finds his quiet place he seems content and truly part of his surroundings. Ben is happy no matter what (when he is not protesting something!) but follows along in his own time and is glad to be part of all the happiness. Scott and I are happy as we quietly watch our kids interact and love one another while we sit back and feel that love and happiness that we are such a part of too.