Yup that's right. I'm from the great potato state and proud of it. (I married into a family that resides 13 miles south of the Idaho border and still finds it necessary to mock the great state, to them I say "carrot snappers." :)
Eleanore I spent two great weeks with friends and family in Idaho and Utah this month, and while it was a long two weeks without Bryan I am glad we made the trip. It was definitely worth it.
On Sunday August 2 Eleanore and I left from Tampa along with our friend Isabel (one of my YW). Eleanore did great on the plane.
When we arrived my great friend Holly Merkley picked up at the airport. She should win an award for being such a great friend. Seriously. She's always been great but our short visit just reminded me how lucky I am to know her. Her hospitality was definitely appreciated, and I loved seeing her, her husband Ryan and their beautiful baby Ada Belle (why didn't I take a photo?).
Monday morning Holly and I took Isabel to EFY at BYU and then went a perused the University Mall in Orem before my step mom picked Eleanore and me up (she had just flown in from a Hawaiian vacation) and we headed up to Idaho, and that night we went out to dinner with two of my sisters (Miriam and Sarah) and their families.
Eleanore outside my parents house where I grew up.
Love that cheesy smile!
Tuesday morning my sisters and I took the kids to a fun splash park in Rexburg where we had a picnic and rode on the old carousel. Eleanore LOVED this activity. She was running around like crazy in the fountains and loved sitting down in the sprinklers.
Wednesday we went to the Idaho Falls temple grounds and visitors center, then to feed the ducks at the greenbelt and on to Reed's Dairy for some yummy ice cream (three Idaho Falls staple activities).
Eleanore with cousins Macy and Sydney Dean.
Eleanore's first ice cream cone of her very own! After ice cream we headed to Grandma Toy's house in Shelley for dinner. The kids loved playing in the backyard and picking raspberries from Grandma's garden. Eleanore was enamored by Grandma's cat, Shakesphere, who she lovingly nicknamed "Shapes." I have to say, I could live without the cat.
Thursday I got to go visit my best college friend and roommate Rebecca Pyper who now lives Pocatello. She has two sweet little boys. It was so fun to see where they live and to spend some time with them. We went on a picnic and played at the park. I have to say we loved being able to be outside so much -- a nice change from the hot Florida summer. It was great.Friday morning we got an early start and headed to my FAVORITE place in the world, Jackson Hole, Wyoming and Grand Teton National Park. We spent the morning and afternoon browsing town square and eating at Jedidiah's. That night we went to the Bar J Chuckwagon (where I worked the summer after I graduated high school) and stayed the night in a little cabin at Colter Bay.
Yippiyo Candy company. Eleanore was like, well, a kid in a candy store!
Eleanore and Grandma Toy.
At the Bar J.Saturday morning we explored Colter Bay where the girls loved throwing rocks in the the water. The view was so beautiful...oh how I miss the mountains. To me the beauty seen in the Grand Teton Valley is evidence that there is a God. That kind of beauty could not be made by any other creature or by coincidence.
After Colter Bay we went to Jenny's Lake where we took the boat across the lake and then hiked to the waterfall. After Jenny's Lake we went back into Jackson and ate dinner at Bubba's BBQ Pit before heading back to Idaho.
Sunday Bryan's parents came and picked me up on their way back from their summer camping trip to Jackson. Eleanore I went to Utah to spend three nights with them. It is funny that Eleanore felt so comfortable so quickly there. She loved riding in Grandpa's big red truck, being at Nana's house, playing in Nana's yard and basement and sitting in the special booster chair Nana pulled out for her to eat in.
Playing catch in the backyard.
Monday night Grandpa decided he wanted to take Eleanore fishing for the first time. It was a hit. Eleanore learned that you have to use "bait" to lure the fish in and was very excited when Grandpa helped her catch a fish and she saw it "dancing" all the way up as he reeled it in. She looked curiously at it in the bucket and even got brave enough to touch it. Then she was very excited to eat it the next day when Nana made yummy fish and chips for us for dinner. Isabel was with us again by this time, so she got to go fishing for the first time too. She also got a fish!
Tuesday we Robyn, Isabel and I went and explored a few craft stores (a much better variety than I ever see in Florida) and went on a picnic at Mack Park in Smithfield where Eleanore got to play on the slides and collect sticks and pine cones to throw into the stream. Then we went and got some Aggie Ice Cream at my almamauter Utah State University. It was a really fun, laid back afternoon. When we got home we had our fish fry.
Wednesday morning we headed back to Idaho so we could attend cousin Sydney's third birthday party, which was a circus party complete with a bounce house tent that Eleanore really enjoyed playing in. It was fun to be back since my sis-in-law Nancy and her little boy Gabe had arrived by this time.
Thursday morning we got to see my brother Josh and his wife Miri for breakfast. We didn't think we were going to get to see them because they couldn't miss work to come to the reunion, but then Miri's grandma passed away so they came for the funeral. Sad circumstances, but I am glad we got to see them at least for a little while at breakfast.
Eleanore and Milly thought they owned the place when they took over a table of their own. I think I see trouble on the horizon as these girls get bigger. They are quite the duo.
That afternoon we went to Heise Hot Springs with Nancy and Gabe, Sarah and her kids and Mims' family. It was fun. Eleanore and I went down the water slide and she enjoyed relaxing in the pools.
Friday the official Toy family reunion began. We met Dave and his family at Tauphus Park in the morning and then when out to dinner at Johnny Carinos with the WHOLE family that night.
Saturday and Sunday were spent at Grandma Toy's house where we had a baby shower for my sister-in-law Audrey who is expecting her first baby in October, the cousins got to play a lot and we had lots of yummy food to eat. My sister Kim planned an "unbirthday" party complete with musical chairs, pin the tail on the donkey and birthday cake. It was really a fun get together.
Zach, Allison, Jude, Lucy, Milly, Eleanore and Gabe playing in Grandma's basement.
Sunday night we headed back to the Buckley's house for one last night before they took us to the airport Monday morning. Eleanore and I had a really wonderful visit with lots of family and a few friends and I am so glad we went. We appreciated everyone who let us stay at their houses (Holly, mom and dad Buckley, Sarah and fam) and drove us around (Grandma Toy, Holly, Sarah, Mims) and I love that Eleanore got to know her grandparents and cousins a little better. Not a day goes by that she doesn't talk about them. We love you all!
I have to admit though, that more 17 days was too long to be away from Bryan. Eleanore missed her Daddy and I missed my husband. I don't think we'll do that long of a solo vacation again...we'll have to save up some vacay time for the next time around. :)
10 comments:
Wow! WHAT A TRIP!! I am so glad we got to see you for the time we did! I just love being able to chat with you - I think we are so much alike- it's almost crazy! I'm glad you had a fun vacation and are home safe again (I take it Brian did survive?!)
Well I was sad that I wasn't around to catch up with you in person for a little bit of your vacay, but it sounds like you were quite booked. WY, UT, and ID, all you needed was WA :-) I am glad you survived without Bryan. It's so hard to do all that with out the hubby! And that is a long time for sure.
I've been waiting for this post. I'm glad you had a good time. You have some really great photos of everyone.
Well, I'll just say I'm pretty impressed- you managed to snap of picture of me AND get it on your blog (not an easy feat with this camera shy sis')! It was SO fun to have you here... I know it was long without Bryan (you're a trooper!)...& of course, now I am sad that it will probably be so long before we can do it again. Thanks again for making the effort! We love you guys!!
PS- I stil gotta get some of those pics from you... esp. those ones at the temple- I think I'm going to make a book with the primary temple song- and I don't have that many pictures to match it :) Those would be fun- with El in them and everything...
Double ps- I've never thought to take a pic of my kids in front of the "house I grew up in"... guess that's what happens when you move away! It's still not too novel to me... :)
SPUD! I am glad you had fun at home (Idaho and Utah) but I am glad you are back in Florida!
I still can't believe all that you managed to fit in those 17 days without a hubby...when I was around you it didn't seem so busy but reading about your trip it seemed as though you were always on the go. Eleanore seemed to love being around family...El just handeled it well - what a great travel buddy! It was great to see you both and hope to see Bryan in the near future!
Sheesh, that was a big trip. Sorry Bryan couldn't be with you - what a bummer. Your baby has turned into a blondie, she is so cute. I love the ice cream picture.
I have been waiting for your post on Idaho and was so excited to see that it is here. Now I know why it took some time to get it posted - what a busy vacation! Don't blame you one bit on feeling like it was too long - It is hard for us for even three or four days! But we do it so the kids can be with our families!
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