Here is a glimpse into our Northern Idaho life.  Technically, we are living in Ponderay, ID, but it's a dot on the map and right next to Sandpoint, slightly more well-known.  Nick's office is pretty much just down the road here in Ponderay as well.  It's fantastic because he gets to come home for lunch everyday.  We are in a cute little 3 bedroom townhouse with plans to build a home just down the road in Sandpoint.  We have a lot, a builder and house plans, now we are waiting on the bank.  We've hit a few bumps, but everything has been working out so we feel like its meant to be.  Nick really wants to own something, and we can't agree on anything already on the market.  So we will keep you posted as the work progresses!  

Here are the kids blowing bubbles on our back porch one beautiful morning.

 

 And this is the rest of the backyard.  A little grass with a lot of forest.  It's beautiful.  And Nick is happy to have a break from yard work the rest of the summer.  Everything here is taken care of.

 A day after arriving in town, we headed to the one park we have been to before to let the kids loose.  And we found a turtle!

Owen was really excited, but Teslyn was mesmerized.  

I love how fireweed grows wild around here, just like in Alaska! One of my favorite flowers ever. 

 We have heard a lot about the city beach from locals, so the kids and I decided to check it out one day.  Sandpoint and Ponderay are right on Lake Pend Oreille, and there is a fabulous sandy beach right next to downtown Sandpoint. 

They loved it!  We have already been back there several times.  There are no city pools here, everyone just heads to the free beach.  There is also a beautiful grassy park with a playground and a little place that sells ice cream and sno-cones.  

The water is not as cold as I was expecting, either!  It actually feels really great on a warm day.

We thought living in Montana was a pretty outdoorsy and active place, but people here in Northern Idaho seem to embrace the lifestyle better.  And the fact that Sandpoint is a pretty touristy recreational hot spot helps.  The feel of the town reminds me of a mini Lake Tahoe or Park City.  We decided that as a family we will be more involved in fishing and biking together. Two easy things to pick up and do with little kids.

On the 4th of July we celebrated by our first fishing excursion!  There is a beautiful little family friendly area at a state park just 10 minutes out of town called Round Lake.  Owen was the most excited, especially when we let him pick out and organize the tackle box.  

The scenery was beautiful and so serene that morning.

 

Owen already seems pro at this.  He can cast his own line really well.

We didn't catch anything, but it was good practice!  Then we headed straight to the 4th of July parade.

This parade was alright, but not as fun or exciting as Great Falls or Draper parades.  After an hour the kids were bored so we took off.  The best float had to have been this one full of real snow and chairlifts from the Schweitzer Resort up the mountain. 

After dinner we decided to give fishing another try so we headed back to the same spot.  Others around us were catching, but we still had no luck.  I think we need to branch out from our worm bait.  

But it was still a good time!

We headed home to do the fireworks that we let the kids pick out at the firework stand the day before.

 

Then it got really exciting when our neighbor came out with the big ones!  We stayed up late and had a fun and memorable Independence Day. 

The Saturday after, we drove the 45 minutes to Coeur d'Alene to shop at Costco and eat at Red Robin.   

It's one of Owen's very favorite, so he was a very happy boy.  Same with Nick.

There is this cool bike rack outside the restaurant the kids really liked to play on.  30 miles to the west of Coeur d'Alene is Spokane, Washington.  That is were the closest temple is, so we plan to make another day trip within the next few weeks.  Our weekends are filling up with fun things to see and do!  I have made a list and can't wait to check everything off.  Soon we will check out Schweitzer Resort and find the local u-pick berry farms.  So excited! 

 Owen's knees were almost hitting the handle bars of his little old bike, so we upgraded him to this new one.  He is loving it, and feels much more confident than on his old one.  He loves cruising the neighborhood. 

So we gave fishing another shot last night, this time a bit closer here on Lake Pend Oreille.  And yes, we caught a fish!  A little rainbow trout.  The ladies next to us were using spinners as bait and kept reeling in big lake trout.  They were fun ladies.  We will be purchasing spinners and lures next.

 I also found these cute little kid chairs for Owen and Teslyn.  They love them!

Nothing like a relaxing evening on the lake!