Trip to Idaho

Heads up....This is going to be a long post!!

I mentioned months ago that we would be going to Idaho at the end of August for a fun getaway with some very fun people. Well, it was a blast!!! My dear friend Mandy invited us up along with another of our good friend, Julia and her family. Where do I even begin. Hmmmm.... we got there late Wednesday night.
Mandy's cute house. Loved it!

Julia's family got there Friday morning. On Thursday we drove to Rexburg to see my old campus of Ricks college (now it's BYU-Idaho). It was so fun for me to show my kiddos and hubby my old stomping ground. OH the memories I have of that wonderful school. I haven't been back since I graduated 10 years ago! Honestly, it is the most wonderful school on earth! Mandy was my roommate and Julia and I took a cross crounty ski class together. It sure has changed in the last 10 years, but there is still such an AMAZING spirit on that campus.
Mandy infront of our old dorm building.
Rexburg's new Temple.
kind of a neat thing that they used a "wheat" theme for this temple and in some of the stain glass windows is stalks of wheat.
School doesn't start for another week or so, so the dorms were locked. I climbed up on the fence of the dorm to get a picture of my old apartment, #232.

After our little walk through memory lane we drove up to Mesa Falls. Gorgeous!!!! Idaho has such beautiful mountains and falls. The kids were wiped out, so it was off to Mandy and James' house for a yummy garden dinner. Did I fail to mention that they live out in the country on 2 acres? So fun! I forgot to get a picture of their most impressive garden (shared between them, James' dad and sister). Behind their house is a giant barley field of which is used to make Budweiser beer. Unfortunately, no beer for us folks though! :o) It was neat to see the huge tractors harvesting all that barley while we were there.




The barley fields behind Mandy's house.


The rest of the time together was spent going water skiing,Nathan's first time on a tube.
If you click on the picture you can see that Nathan didn't enjoy this experience.
Hannah LOVES the water nomatter what she's doing in it. Just like her daddy.
Aaron did awesome water skiing and for those waterski bums out there, look at that gorgeous water!
Me knee boarding. I don't know how you crazy people ski, but I cannot seem to figure it out for the life of me!

BBQ/Zipline






Me harnessing up for the zipline
Here goes Hannah

Loved it!
Aaron was too fast that this is the best shot I got. Nathan was all good to go until we put him on the actual line and then he wanted nothing to do with it. Funny kid.

hiking around an old lava field

Julia, Adam, Brooklyn, and Jacob
Mandy, James, Corbin, and Grant
Going into a huge lava cave. Super fun!


Corbin, Hannah, Jake


Me and my bud!

Then we hiked up this mountain and the views were incredible!
Nathan, Brooklyn, Corbin ages 2, 3, 2










playing games,


lots of laughing, and yes, more visits to Ricks. We had so much fun. Good friends are rare to find these days, so we are all the more grateful to have them in our lives.

Happy Anniversary

It's hard to believe it's been 6 years! Life is grand with this man!

One Amazing Race

Roughly 40 crazy people swam in an open water race last Saturday at Deer Creek. Aaron was one of those crazy guys. He has been training for this since June. There were 4 different competitions: a 1 mile swim, 5k swim, 10k swim, and a 10 mile swim. Aaron did the 5k swim. That's 3.1 miles people! He swam it in 1 hour and 35 minutes. Wowzers! Now, as a side note, Utah has had some CRAZY weather lately and his race day was no exception. It was an overcast, cold, wet, rainy day. The wind picked up, so the water was choppy, making it ever so easy to glide through the waves. :o) The race committee took all the necessary precautions to ensure that this was a safe swim however. Each swimmer had to have a kayaker (thank you Bryce Johnson) and there were at least 3 boat rangers on the water for any emergency, should there be one. Once Aaron finished the race, not 10 minutes later, it down poured and the thunder and lightening moved in. The race was called at that point and they pulled the remaining swimmers out. There were several disappointed competitors. Aaron's boss was actually competing for the 10 mile race, so he was very bummed to say the least. Last year he competed and finished the 10 mile race in just under 5 hours. I can't even fathom being in water for 5 hours let alone swimming for that long. Anyway, it was super fun to watch, (from inside our car since we were freezing!), but more than anything we were so proud of Aaron's great accomplishment. Way to go!!!!

Aaron's little fan club

Seconds before the gun went off

His fearless kayaker- Bryce Johnson

Aaron is the furthest one away in the yellow cap.

Being goofy

On his stretch back to the finish line.

Coming in hard

Finished!

A remarkable little girl

I knew Hannah was no ordinary 3 year old, but I just wasn't certain how above the curve she is. (Am I sounding a little too proud here?) Months ago I showed Hannah how to make her own bed and today, without me asking her, she made her very own bed. Take a look at how good it is.

I want you all to know, I did not help her one little bit.

I was so impressed and told her what a great job I thought she did that she decided to go make Nathan's bed as well.


Now, if I could just teach her how to make my bed I would be made!

Abigail is 8 months

So, on the day Abby turned 7mo. she got her first tooth. Over the next 4 weeks until she would be 8 months old, she got 3 more. Four teeth in 4 weeks. Ouch!

My 1st Triathlon

I've always wanted to compete in a traditional triathlon. (I say traditional because I did a winter tri years ago). Anyway, 2 months ago a friend of mine told me that I should train for a triathlon this year. I really thought there was no way, but she assured me I could do it. I knew I could do the running and the biking, but I am not a good swimmer. However, I just happened to be married to a man that swims and is a dang good swimmer I might add. (stay tuned for his 3 mile open water swim this weekend). Anyway, long story short, I had such a blast competing in this race and really look forward to doing some further races in the future.

For those who care to know the distances of the 3 events:
Running: 5k
Biking: 11.3 miles
Swiming: 1/4 mile

The 24th of July

I'm beginning to love any holiday nomatter when it is or what it is. Everything is so much more fun with children. We escaped to the mountains for Pioneer weekened. For those of you not from Utah, the 24th of July is a state holiday we celebrate to honor our pinoeer ancestors who settled this great state. It was such a blast! We tagged along with 2 of my brothers and one sister. What fun we had! We went to Hunnington Lake, rode the 4-wheelers, swam in the lake (well Aaron did), hiked around, played games, ate smores, watched the kids get dirtier and dirtier. It was great! I'm telling ya, the mountains just call to me my friends. I LOVE to be in them anytime I can.









Aaron swam across the lake and back. My brothers were a little less than pleased I might add. There was a fisherman than followed him. I'm sure he was nervous himself. I must say, that Aaron swam it just fine.

Kill me....Kill me now!

Sorry if that title offends anyone, but those were the words I was saying when I walked in on this..........






I mean, come on! This is only the 3rd, maybe 4th time they have done this in my shower!!!! Honestly, I only left them alone for a few minutes. Long enough for them to make SUCH a mess! I post this because someday I'm quite certain that I will find this funny. And yes, that is a combination of shaving cream and hair conditioner. Grrr!

Abigail is 7 months....and a half!

I've been meaning to post a picture of Abby at 7mo., but time seems to be slipping by me quickly lately. So, what does 7 months bring you ask? Two teeth! Poor girl has been a little cranky lately, not that I blame her. Breaking in teeth is a painful thing. I unfortunately have failed at my attempts to getting a picture of her little beauties, but just know there are two little pearly whites in that sweet little mouth of hers. Oh, some of the things she's doing....babbling like crazy. It's just adorable really. Rolling around, but mainly just onto her tummy and then screams like crazy. Says dada, but I must say she is connected to her mama. This one is certainly attached to me and I just LOVE it!

She says Princess, I say Queen

Hannah had a little birthday party this week. The girls invited were asked to dress in their favorite princess dresses. Well, we don't have any princess dresses, but I forgot that Hannah has this cute dress that looks more like a wedding dress. I think she looks like a little queen.

This NEVER happens

I told Hannah she could have a popsicle if she ate her sandwhich all gone. (That girl LIVES for popsicles). I guess it was just too much to ask and it wore her right out. She rarely gets tired during the day, although I have no idea where she hides all of that energy because I'm literally EXHAUSTED just watching her. She finally pooped out, of all places, on the kitchen counter.

Stewart Falls and a beautiful hike

I just love to be outdoors, but I have to admit that it's challenging with 3 little ones, so it rarely happens. Yesterday, we ventured out with our great neighbors, on a fun little hike behind Sundance. It was so nice to be out and to enjoy the beautiful mountains. Hannah had a ball, and I must add did super well on this hike. She did most of it on her own hiking in, but we had to carry her out as we were rushed on time to get back. She was very disappointed to get in the back pack.

a fuzzy little caterpillar that Hannah calls a "boy treasure". She asked if we could keep it.



Toni and Shaila with Abigail. They are the worlds best neighbors and friends.

Abby was so happy to be in her little pack that I carried her in.
Guess I should mention that Nathan opted to stay and play at home, but that was just as well since I don't know who would have carried him and I don't think he could have walked for very long.