The kids have been begging to go to Idaho to see their grandparents and cousins and who am I to turn them down! We all know I love a good road trip! And since I made the drive to Utah solo, I knew driving up to Idaho by myself would be a piece of cake. And it was!
We left on Saturday and made our first stop at Spencer and Mona May’s in Vegas. We love seeing them and catching up. They got a cute, new dog and the kids were obsessed. I just love how warm and friendly Spencer and Mona Kay are. We’ve been friends for so long with not 1 quarrel and every time we see them, it’s uplifting. They are truly cherished friends!
We had plans to stop by Andrea’s Mom’s house to swim and play for a few hours before settling down in St. George. But a huge monsoon came blowing in! The rain was torrential and there were flash floods every where. I began to panic thinking of what would happen as I traveled through the gorge. Would I make it? Would there be accidents blocking the road? I called Andrea and decided to power through and out run the storm. As it turns out, the storm went a different direction- a total answer to prayer. But I was bummed I didn’t get to see Andrea and play at her Mom’s gorgeous house and the kids were super stir crazy when we got to St. George with nothing to do.
The next morning we hit the road to Idaho. I was able to tune into church via ZOOM and we stopped by to see Kass and Bridger at their new house in Ogden! Bridger is flipping houses and is doing really well! Their house is beautiful and I’m so excited for them to welcome their first baby in just a few short weeks! It was so fun seeing them and the kids loved running around. We got to Idaho right at dinner time and met Kim, Monte, and Travis and Nicole’s family at the church for dinner. The kids were so excited that all they wanted to do was run and play which was fine with me! But it kinda stressed out Monte. That being said, the dinner was lovely and I was very grateful to have made it to Idaho safely. After dinner, we went back to Kim and Monte’s and the kids once again ran around and played. They were a little wild but that’s to be expected. We all slept SO well that night! Ella and I took one room down stairs and Rayleigh and Jack took the other while Parker slept on the couch.
Monday, Kim and I took the kids to Bear World and it was so fun! When my mom and sisters dropped me off at college, they visited the park but I had never been. The kids loved seeing all of the black bears and the petting zoo was a hit! Who gets to pet a deer?? We rode the ferris wheel together and Rayleigh and Jack braved the "roller coaster" but Jack was NOT into it. We also went to the butterfly exhibit which they loved. I let them each choose something from the gift shop assuming they would all pick out a teddy bear. No way. Rayleigh went straight for the rainbow colored snakes! What!? Um no. Ella picked a little polar bear which she already has and Rayleigh settled on a deer. Parker got a shirt and Jack got a hat. Whatcha gonna do?
After Bear World, we met up with Kaitlin and Nicole at Jensen’s grove for a giant slip n slide! The kids absolutely LOVED this and it was the perfect activity to get some energy out after a few long days in the car. They went up and down that thing so many times while the girls chatted and Monte gave me a shoulder rub (quite possibly the best experience I had on our trip) After the slip n slide, we took the kids to get these YUMMY snow cones and ordered pizza for dinner. Idaho evenings are my favorite. It rained a little and we got a big kick out of the amazing summer storm.
Tuesday, I left the kids with Monte to play while Kim, Kaitlin, Kassidy, Nicole and I did Barre and went to brunch! Nicole is now certified to teach Upbeat Barre and I LOVE it! Way better than high fitness and we got a super good work out in that felt soooo good. Then we went to Abracadabra’s for brunch and I don’t think I’ve ever had a better breakfast. The French toast was amazing and we were all starving so it tasted soooo good and we had so much fun chatting and being together! Then we went back to Kaitlin’s house and I was able to scan her and Kassidy and see both their babies boys kicking around and being adorable. Kaitlin’s baby was completely folded in half which was so funny and Kassidy’s baby was moving his chubby cheeks and lips. I love scanning!!!
When we got back to the house, Monte said the kids were bored. Ha ha Not much to do in Idaho but he tried his best with 4 wheeler rides and such. I did some laundry and Ella took a glorious nap on me (another highlight) and then I took the kids to Nicole’s for dinner. They played and we ate the best chicken sandwiches. The kids love being with their cousins and I love hanging out with Nicole! Not sure how Travis felt about us being there, though.
On Wednesday, I took the kids Zip Lining! I was a little bit nervous about taking them by myself because I didn’t know where to go or what to expect. But at the last minute, Monte said he’d go with me and that made me so happy! We got to Heise and got all geared up and we were stoked for this adventure! Jack went first and he did NOT want to go. But we encouraged him and pushed him and after the first line, he was hooked! Rayleigh and Ella went together and while Rayleigh was level 10 ready and excited, Ella was NOT. I’m glad they were able to go together though because Rayleigh helped Ella to be brave and she did great! But the end, she was a pro. She was a little bit of a sassy pants the whole morning but I think she was just hungry and feeling that adrenaline. The instructors were phenomenal and I loved them so much! They were knowledgeable and caring and so fun! They told me how great a mom I was and how awesome the kids were doing. That made me feel so good. Monte and I had so much fun, too! And I’m so grateful for this adventurous memory together that we’ll share forever!
After that, Monte went home and I met Nicole up at Rexburg Rapids- the new water park up there. It was crowded but the pool was nice and it was SO hot so the water felt amazing. We stayed until it closed and then once again, went to Nicole’s for dinner. She’s the best! The kids played and ran around outside and were soooo good and well behaved.
I’m so proud of them! They were troopers the whole week! They were patient and chill in the car. They were fun and adventurous when we went exploring. They ate well, they slept well. They never cried or complained (aside from over coming zip lining fears). They really are the BEST kids ever and I’m so lucky to be their mom!
The next day we loaded up and drove to St. George. We stayed with our old Bishop’s family and Kim was so awesome to make us a delicious dinner. The kids were STOKED to have so many kids to play with, especially Parker who cruised the hood with the big boys and crashed a pool party. The kids and I swam with Kim and her littles and I was also able to scan her- she’s trying for 1 more and having a very hard time. We slept so soundly that night that we got a later start than we were expecting. And Ella got car sick driving through the gorge. Poor little thing. We made it home in one piece, though. Got the car unloaded, bags unpacked, laundry started, took Parker to the orthodontist and to a game night with friends… Tanner brought me dinner but was on his phone working the whole night. And the whole next day. Poor guy. I hope things start rolling more smoothly with his building and staff! No one in America wants to work right now! There is a staffing shortage which is driving up wages and it’s just so so bad for the economy. But I believe in Tanner and know he will work it out.
We had a good talk on Saturday and he shed a few tears. It’s been a rough summer for us. But we’ve booked 3 tropical vacations for the next 12 months and we are finally connecting.
I'm so thankful for Idaho and family and safe travels and road trips with my kids!
Where to next?!
We will forever and ever love this family.
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