Break! what break?!
Okay, so our one trip during the seven week break, has turned into many. As Ella tells her imaginary friends, "our plans changed."
Instead of basking in the Rexburg sun, I remembered the big get-together that was in Oregon August 21, the same Saturday I had planned to be in Utah. Instead we unpacked, washed and repacked and the kids and I went drove with my sister and her son, a 13 hour drive, in one day...and we only stopped three times! Before I left a friend asked me if I realized I was taking another California-length drive. When she put it that way, I almost didn't go! But thankfully, compared to flat Nevada landscape, there are a few hours of beautiful scenery in the Columbia Gorge, the waterfalls, and the lush forests. And of course plenty of trains to entertain James.
We stayed with my aunt out in the country, fed the sheep, relaxed, and played with the dogs.
For two of the nights, our crew slept outside in a tent with my parents while other people crammed into all the available beds at my aunt's house.
I grew up camping all the time and I am happy to say, this was James first time in a tent and he loved it. This is only Ella's second time. (What can I say we haven't gotten out much in the last 2 years!) Well, they both loved it and were sad when we got to move back into the house for a night.
Another first for James: we went to the beach! It was pretty windy, but that's the ocean. Ella was there when she was 18 months old, but she didn't remember it. So it was kind of her first time as well.
Anyway, the main reason we went to Oregon is my Grandma turned 80 and my Grandpa will be 80 in December, so all my aunts, uncles, many cousins and they families came to celebrate, especially since Grandma wasn't doing so well in April (which is why we traveled down there then) and she looks great now. She really does. Grandpa looks good too, but he says, "looks can be deceiving" :)
It was so good to see every one and hang out. Ella met a new friend and they got along so well.
James was the little Druid that made everyone laugh. I got to catch up with cousins I haven't seen in forever, meaning four years.
While enjoying the fun, Bob called with some interesting news about our house. We have had a growing/shrinking bulge in the kitchen floor...and were informed it will be a week long job to remove the flooring and take care of the problem. So, hoping they would be on the ball and do it soon, the kids and I stayed out of town and swung up to Richland for a few days to stay with my parents. (Ella felt like such a big girl. She rode up with Grandma by herself. James did really good in the car...until he realized Ella was not in our car :( He loves his sister so much.
Back home, I was put to work: taking my brother's senior pictures. (and no, they don't all look this bad :) I have taken all three of my brothers senior pictures and both Adam and Dallin's eagle pictures (hopefully I'll take Jason's soon!) I love finding the perfect location and it was so fun to get out my old toy (SLR, film, zoom camera) and "play." I had an old roll of film in the camera, but unfortunately, Walgreens destroyed it and I have no idea what was on it. Oh, well. It's better that I didn't know. :) So because of that mishap, we decided to take MORE pictures the next day.
This one is my favorite
and Jason likes this one
Katie came to visit! The last time we were there we thought Bob might be getting a new job, and we should buy a house but that was over a year ago and we are still here. But Katie is there, and she bought a house! (Congratulations, hopefully I can get a house warming gift in the mail soon, since I have your new address and all.)
After three days of not hearing about our house, we came back to Idaho. Actually, we still don't have a definite on when they want to start work on the house...
Instead of basking in the Rexburg sun, I remembered the big get-together that was in Oregon August 21, the same Saturday I had planned to be in Utah. Instead we unpacked, washed and repacked and the kids and I went drove with my sister and her son, a 13 hour drive, in one day...and we only stopped three times! Before I left a friend asked me if I realized I was taking another California-length drive. When she put it that way, I almost didn't go! But thankfully, compared to flat Nevada landscape, there are a few hours of beautiful scenery in the Columbia Gorge, the waterfalls, and the lush forests. And of course plenty of trains to entertain James.
We stayed with my aunt out in the country, fed the sheep, relaxed, and played with the dogs.
For two of the nights, our crew slept outside in a tent with my parents while other people crammed into all the available beds at my aunt's house.
I grew up camping all the time and I am happy to say, this was James first time in a tent and he loved it. This is only Ella's second time. (What can I say we haven't gotten out much in the last 2 years!) Well, they both loved it and were sad when we got to move back into the house for a night.
Another first for James: we went to the beach! It was pretty windy, but that's the ocean. Ella was there when she was 18 months old, but she didn't remember it. So it was kind of her first time as well.
Anyway, the main reason we went to Oregon is my Grandma turned 80 and my Grandpa will be 80 in December, so all my aunts, uncles, many cousins and they families came to celebrate, especially since Grandma wasn't doing so well in April (which is why we traveled down there then) and she looks great now. She really does. Grandpa looks good too, but he says, "looks can be deceiving" :)
It was so good to see every one and hang out. Ella met a new friend and they got along so well.
James was the little Druid that made everyone laugh. I got to catch up with cousins I haven't seen in forever, meaning four years.
While enjoying the fun, Bob called with some interesting news about our house. We have had a growing/shrinking bulge in the kitchen floor...and were informed it will be a week long job to remove the flooring and take care of the problem. So, hoping they would be on the ball and do it soon, the kids and I stayed out of town and swung up to Richland for a few days to stay with my parents. (Ella felt like such a big girl. She rode up with Grandma by herself. James did really good in the car...until he realized Ella was not in our car :( He loves his sister so much.
Back home, I was put to work: taking my brother's senior pictures. (and no, they don't all look this bad :) I have taken all three of my brothers senior pictures and both Adam and Dallin's eagle pictures (hopefully I'll take Jason's soon!) I love finding the perfect location and it was so fun to get out my old toy (SLR, film, zoom camera) and "play." I had an old roll of film in the camera, but unfortunately, Walgreens destroyed it and I have no idea what was on it. Oh, well. It's better that I didn't know. :) So because of that mishap, we decided to take MORE pictures the next day.
This one is my favorite
and Jason likes this one
Katie came to visit! The last time we were there we thought Bob might be getting a new job, and we should buy a house but that was over a year ago and we are still here. But Katie is there, and she bought a house! (Congratulations, hopefully I can get a house warming gift in the mail soon, since I have your new address and all.)
After three days of not hearing about our house, we came back to Idaho. Actually, we still don't have a definite on when they want to start work on the house...
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