We enjoyed a two week vacation to visit family in Idaho. Our first stop was at Emigrant Springs where the kids played and I took a little nap after driving too long.
The first highlight of our trip was the Larsen Reunion. It was so fun to see cousins, aunts, and uncles that I haven't seen for years. I love my mother and her siblings! They are all wonderful, kind, caring, and exceptional people. I feel honored to belong to such a great family.
Erin Joy recited one of her Great-great Aunt Hazel's mother's poems which was very touching. I love my Great Aunt Hazel and I love Erin Joy!
The recitation earned her a extra special hug from Grandma.
I just have to include a picture of two of my youngest nieces. They are adorable and so cute together! The mud puddle was great entertainment.
My poor father has been fighting the starlings for quite some time. The birds kept making nests in his grill and he kept removing them. He took a trip to Kentucky and discovered the starlings had won the battle. All the kids were fascinated by the baby birds. I was too. It was kind of fun to watch them grow from little tiny birds with eyes closed to bigger birds ready to fly. At the end of our vacation the birds were big enough to fly away from the nest. It's kind of sad that they didn't make it very far before my dad's dog killed them. The kids don't know this. Hopefully, none of them read my blog.
The kids enjoyed roasting hot dogs and S'Mores over the fire at my parents' house.
We enjoyed a little excursion to our Aunt Becky and Uncle Doug's house to swim in a lake and look at beautiful Shoshone Falls.
My kids were fascinated by all the farming around Grandma and Grandpa's house. One of their favorite things to do is play in the irrigation water while my dad waters his garden.
We made a quick stop at Mesa Falls on the way to Island Park. It was raining and Rachel wasn't happy with me for making her pose for a picture....hence the happy expression on her face:)
We had a great visit with our Uncle Doctor Tom who checked all our eyes and gave Rachel contacts. Hopefully she wears them better than she has been wearing her glasses. She seems excited about them and has done a great job of putting them in and taking them out.
The other day, she came to me with a very red eye and told me that she had been trying and trying and trying to get her contact out, but she couldn't do it. Her eye was very sore and she was very frustrated. I looked in her eye and didn't see a contact. Sure enough....the contact was on the bathroom floor. At least we found it and it wasn't ripped or anything. I sure hope she can take care of contacts.
A week after the fabulous Larsen Reunion, we had a fabulous Simmons Reunion. It was so fun to cousins, aunts, and uncles that I haven't seen in years. It was especially fun to be in Island Park at the cabin my grandfather built.
My dad brought the little red wagon he and his siblings played with as children. It was fun to watch them play with it and reminisce about their childhoods.
My dad has traded his red wagon toy of his youth in for a 4 wheeler. He was happy to give his sister a ride.
An added bonus of the reunion, was seeing the birthplace of my grandfather in Tetonia, Idaho. It is a beautiful place.
We gathered to hear stories from a cousin on the O'Brien side of the family (my grandfather's mother was Mary Jane O'Brien.)
This house is on the property that my grandfather was born on. The cabin he was born in is no longer standing. There is a creek that runs on the property that was called "Simmons Creek."
And of course we had to go to Yellowstone....again.....
Erin Joy likes finding hearts in nature....do you see a heart here?
Erin Joy was excited to pick up this heart and show it to me. She was a little disgusted when I told her it was buffalo manure.
I like the face in the grotto geyser...especially the big nose.
Nature's teeter-totter...
I really enjoyed watching Les Miserables at the PlayMill Theater. It was an outstanding performance and I was happy to share the wonderful story and music with Rachel.
One of my favorite waterfalls....The Lower Falls of the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone. Beautiful!
We found snow on Dunraven's Pass and had to have a little snowball fight. We saw a grizzly from the distance too.
My nephew and my sister and I were the only ones with enough energy left to hike around Mammoth.
The Idaho State Bird....fun to see...especially for my nephew, Sean, who told me it is his favorite animal.
Beautiful Wyoming sunset at Norris....
Beautiful Idaho sunset at my parents' house...
I had fun taking my kids to the little amusement park that my uncle used to own and I used to work at.
I also took them to one of my favorite restaurants that I went to often while in college. Nothing like a great Buddy's salad! I could taste it all day and had heartburn well into the night. Perfect!
My sister made a cute star on Mallory's head for the Fourth of July.
We spend the Fourth at Doug's parents' house. The kids had a blast riding the four wheeler and tractor.
Erin Joy was exhausted and ended up sleeping a lot of the way home in her favorite position...folded up like a burrito.
Our final stop was McNary Dam.
Fun times with my kids and great family!! Hope to see you again soon!
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