Craters, Cousin, Balanced Rock

After leaving the cabin, we drove across ID to visit my brother James' family in the Twin Falls area. Our drive took us by the Craters of the Moon National Monument. Now I know I've vacationed in Idaho growing up, but I don't think I gave the proper respect to the rest of the state. After this trip I must say that I've had Idaho pegged all wrong. There is a lot of diversity throughout the state.

I'm not even sure how to describe Craters of the Moon, but it was really cool! You almost feel like you're on another planet. A loop through the area takes you on a drive through fields of lava rocks. I don't even think I had heard of the monument before. There was an area just inside the monument open for camping, and if you're ever in the area and want a totally different camping experience...this is your kind of place!

The boys' word of the day along the entire drive was "Jaydaka." They were psyched to be going to her house to play with her and all her toys, which Zach somehow believed would include robots and Transformers. I would say it's safe to say that we must of heard, "We're going to Jaydaka's house" dozens and dozens of times. The boys were very happy when we arrived and promptly invaded her pool and played while Brooke and I packed up a picnic for dinner.

Once again I was impressed by Idaho and what their neck of the state had to offer. Not only do you drive over the awesome Snake River crossing on the way to their house, but you can see a crazy rock balancing act in the Salmon Falls Creek Canyon. Balanced Rock is 48 feet high, 40 feet wide, and the base which it balances on is only 3 feet by 17.5 inches wide. There's also a great park nearby, which is where we enjoyed our picnic dinner.

Yup, I thoroughly enjoyed our time in Idaho. James and his family live in a really nice little town which in some ways reminds me of the area in Sanpete where we grew up. They even have this great antique shop across the street. Mom and Dad found a little something there and so did I. It was a fun trip, just what summer is all about.

Lincoln Log House

Before I was even 1, my family has spent a week in Island Park, ID during the last week in July. The week was spent at a timeshare condo with my aunt, uncle, and cousins. After all the additions to the family, there were 17 people sharing the unit which consisted of 2 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. We all loved it and have the best memories of our summer vacations there. The timeshare is still in the family, and we take turns every year. Not far from Island Park is a wonderful area in which my aunt and uncle bought land and built a cabin on, which definitely puts the condo to shame!

My parents had plans to spend a few days at the cabin with my aunt and her husband, and the boys and I rudely crashed the party. I'm fortunate to have a rock star aunt that graciously put up with our noise. I'm glad she did because I think the cabin is like a bowl of yummy soup for the soul. We had such a fabulous time while we were there.

One day we rode ATVs up a mountain coated with wildflowers in which a natural spring sat that you could drink from. Stunning views....you could even see the Teton mountains in the distance.

The following day we celebrated my dad's birthday. We spent the day driving through Yellowstone Park. It was a beautiful day and we saw a lot of wildlife including bison, elk, and a mother bear with her 2 cubs. It was a great day to spend with a great man!

Our last day we relaxed and fixed a big dinner for family and guests. My sister Carrie, her hubby Bobby, and his family were up to spend time at the condo and came over to eat and visit. Zach was very excited to get in his Uncle Bobby time! 

Zach told me the first day we were there that the cabin was a Lincoln Log house and that he so loved it. Even a 3-year-old knows what a special place it is.

Collecting Marbles

I think I've got about all my marbles back in my bag of a brain. They were scattered for a bit. Usually I find winters tough to deal with, but this time I found myself struggling through a different season and it threw me for a loop. It's all good now though...my sanity has been saved by a very sweet and understanding spouse and by lots of time with family in Utah and Idaho for a couple weeks. Growing up I sometimes thought being in a big family had some drawbacks, but as an adult I'm so happy I have the love and support of my big ol' family. I wouldn't want it any other way. Thanks go out many times over to every one of them for the lift they gave me and the boys. We're headed home tomorrow, but we're already looking forward to our next visit...my family rocks!!

"Berry"

For a couple months now Zach has been referring to his brother as Berry. The funny thing is that before this all started he was clearly calling his brother Benny. It's getting to the point now where it's beginning to rub off on me, and sometimes I find myself calling Ben "Berry" too.

I thought at first that it was just a fluke, but since Zach has kept it up for this long, I think Ben's nickname is going to stick around.

Eyak Beach

It was such a gorgeous day yesterday! Darius had his day off from work and took me and the boys on the boat down the Eyak River. We found a nice "beach" area to park the boat, and the boys and I enjoyed playing on the shore while Darius fished in the river.

The boys had fun playing in the sand and water, and they got a chance to fly their new kites. Unfortunately they learned the hard way what happens when you let go of a kite and lost one in the river. Darius tried his best to fish it out of the river but it got away.

The weather was only in the mid 60s, but it felt hot by our standards. The sand further back from the shore was even too hot to walk on.

I got a little closer to a moose sighting. I think I'm probably one of the only people living in AK that still hasn't seen one in the flesh. There were some mama and calf tracks in the sand, and I even saw a nice little pile of moose poop near some bushes while I was untangling the boys' kite. Maybe it won't be too much longer before I actually see one.