Condo

I think it was when I was in the sixth grade, one of the first days of middle school, and I made the biggest slip up and when telling my classmates about what I did over the summer. Instead of calling my family's time-share condominium the "condo" I called it the condom. I'm not sure I even realized yet what a condom was, so you can imagine my horror when I finally figured out the reason behind the looks I got from my class and teacher. :)

Since I was a wee one my family has been spending the same week in July at a timeshare condo in Island Park, ID. This was the first year Darius and the boys were able to go, and the first year I've been back for probably close to around 8 years or so.

The entire time I was there I kept thinking to myself, how the hell did we fit as many people as we did in that little unit for all those years!? It wasn't just my family of 10, it was my aunt and uncle and 5 cousins...and some years an extra friend or two. Chaos...and bodies everywhere, but it didn't feel like that when we were younger. It was just fun.

I'm happy to report it's still fun. Since we've all grown up, the condo week is now rotated each year between siblings. Since we've lived out of state for so long, Darius and I missed out on our turn so we weaseled in on my parent's year and enjoyed a great week with them.

I love the reason behind their smiles in this picture. Inside joke. :)

Our trips into Yellowstone never get old, and I think this year and the route we took was one of my top favs. We saw tons of wildlife...a lot of them up close, and just the drive itself was gorgeous. 

Can you tell Zach has to pee really bad in this pic!? :)

Much to Darius' delight, Ben and I took up golf while at Island Park. I played my first few rounds of golf and really enjoyed it. Come next year, D and I will have a fun activity that we both enjoy. :)

During all our years going, I don't ever remember going to a rodeo/bbq (probably would of cost an arm and a leg for all of us to go) so going to one this year was a big treat. We visited the Meadow Vue Ranch, and from late June to early August, they host a rodeo/bbq on Wed & Sat nights. What's unique is that the rodeo involves all the youth that come to participate in the ranch's Summer Youth Camp. It was awesome to see all the kids riding horses and showcasing skills that many of them had only just learned within a week or two. And the bbq afterwards....so yummy!

My dad's birthday has always fell on the week of the condo, so to be able to share his birthday with him at the condo again was special. What a great opportunity he and my mom have given us to be able to spend time with family, connect, and enjoy a beautiful part of the world for all these years. Thanks Mama & Papa!

I can't express the emotions behind looking at photos of these two guys in places I spent time at when I was their age. There's something really beautiful about being able to revisit these places all over again for the first time and see it through their eyes...even with all the complaints and whiny moments. I hope they're able to look back on these trips with the same great memories as I've come away with. 

Rounding out a fun week, we were joined by James and Brooke's family for the last couple of days, and on Friday we all met up at my Aunt Elaine's cabin not far from the condo, and enjoyed the company of my favorites cousins who we just don't see nearly enough of. :) It was an afternoon of fun that was over far too soon. How awesome it was to see all their beautiful faces!

Can you believe that gorgeous person driving is the same lovely baby I was lucky enough to take care of nearly 20 years ago!? Holey Moley! Seated behind Riley is her lovely mother Jerilynn and a very happy Zach. And in the background is the reason behind my love of Shelties, Rocky. I threaten to steal him and take him home with me every time we see him. :) 

I'm sure there were plenty of years (probably much of my teens) to where I didn't appreciate our yearly trip to Island Park, Little did I know how lucky I was all those years to have that time with my family and in such a beautiful place too. I'm beyond grateful that I have the opportunity to visit it still with my own family in tow. Good times. :)

AK to FL - Day 6

We made our way south on I-15 today passing through Montana, Idaho, and into Utah. We're definitely glad for the break in our road trip! Ben and Zach are super excited to be visiting all their relatives, and going to Grandma and Grandpa's house has been the topic of conversation for the last several days.

Darius and I have been so impressed by how well the boys have done on this trip. Day after day they keep behaving better in the car, and considering how long some of our days have been, we're simply amazed. Their good behavior has been a significant part of why our trip has gone so well.

We watched some beautiful scenery out our windows today. The closer we got to Utah, the more I started to recognize the familiar landscape I grew up with. With so much family in Utah, it always feels good to cross the state line. It was kind of fitting that after a mostly cloudy day with intermittent rain, our last photos of the day were of a partial rainbow just minutes away from our stop.

Our stay will probably only be for a few days, but we're looking forward to making the rounds to visit with everyone before we continue on with our trip. Lots of sincere thanks go out for the prayers from our family and friends. I'm sure those prayers helped us get here safely!

It's about time!

We're coming up on 3 years since we moved to Alaska, and in the land of moose-a-plenty I have yet to see a single moose....until today! This morning on our drive out to the airport to drop off my parents we actually saw 3. Darius tells me that he sees them all the time on his drives to and from work. The picture is a bit blurry, but I wanted to document the sighting. Maybe it's a little silly, but I was very excited to see them! I was squealing and the boys were squealing too, although I suspect they were only doing it because I was.

I was beginning to wonder if I would ever see a moose in Alaska. If I remember right, the only other time I've seen one in the wild was on a hike in Idaho during one of our Island Park summers at the condo. There was a group of us and we came up on a mama and her calves across the river from where we were hiking. It looked like the pair in the photo could have also been a cow and her calf....little hard to tell.

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!!

Utah to Idaho

Friday was our last day in Utah. Connie had been busy during the week with finals, but came over Thursday night. It was good to be able to spend a little time with her before we left. It's rare that all of my sisters are together for a picture, so I thought 4 out of 5 was pretty good.

Joy and I stopped in Brigham City to see Grandma Ruth one more time. She was happy to see us and the boys, and we all went to Taco Time for lunch. I don't think our trip to Utah would have been complete without eating at Brigham City's Taco Time. It was sad to say goodbye to Grandma, as she stood in the driveway and waved to us as we left.

We drove up to Rexburg, ID to stay the night with James and Brooke before our flight the following day. They made dinner for us which was really yummy! They have a great place right next to the BYU ID campus. They have a huge backyard with this awesome free standing brick fireplace/stove in the middle of the yard. It looks like it was used to cook with (who knows how long ago), and James got a fire going in it for marshmallow roasting.

Brooke and James have a friend with twins that are a few months away from turning two. They came over to play and have smores with us. The kids had fun watching the fire, playing in the leaves, and playing with the wheel barrow in the yard.

After the boys were asleep we played a few games of Bang! and I finished packing. What do I find in one of the boy's diaper bags as I'm packing? A pewter figurine of a stinking clown. James knows how much I dislike clowns, and I'm sure he thought it was just hilarious to not only hide one in the bag, but also on the pillows of their guest bed I was sleeping in. I guess he's getting back at me for all the years of abuse he suffered from me when we were kids. Or, maybe it was payback for the insanely early ride he gave us to the airport the next morning.

We have such an awesome family! It was great to be able to see everyone! Thanks again to all of you that gave us a place to stay, fed us, drove us around, helped with the boys, met with us to do fun stuff, shopped with us, etc... Love you all so much!