It was finally time! The highlight of the summer - our trip to Idaho. Bryan wasn't able to join us at all this year, so we didn't stay for quite as long. But boy did we pack it in! We did a few of the classic favorite activities, such as Wahooz and GNO/BNO, and we added a few new ones to the mix this year. And, well, I'll just let you look at the calendar we made! We were greeted by Callie, who looked quite different! It was all part of an elaborate prank by the Jensen cousins, dressing her up like that, and they certainly got us! I'm glad to say that we were too shocked and polite to say, "What happened to you??" Anyway, I'll give a brief run through of our activities and pictures so that you can get an idea of the craziness that ensued.
We tried a new activity this year - Babby Farms - which was a rural petting zoo and zoo. The kids had a fun time feeding all of the different animals!
This year my dad made the drive up to Boise for the weekend, and we had a fun time at dinner and hanging with him.
Chris, Brian, and Catlin all play on an indoor soccer team, and they needed an extra female player for their games. Somehow I got recruited! It was really fun and excruciatingly exhausting.
The big kids also went paintballing again this summer, and they loved it so much. I love the picture of them!
We went back to the roller skating rink this year, but this time we brought the boys. It was awesome, with the highlight being the girl that Spencer met. She was totally flirting with him, so I suggested that he just skate right up to her, grab her hand, and take her for a spin! He went for it! They skated hand in hand (hand in wrist) for the next hour or more. It was awesome!
We also checked out the Boise Aquarium, and the kids had a great time looking at the fish and sharks, and feeling the stingrays. Spencer bought some bird food, and got swarmed!
We ramped up the cousin campout this summer, since Chris and Donna recently bought a pop-up trailer. The kids took turns sleeping in it out in grandma and grandpa's backyard. The picture of Tyler, with half a mustache, is from a late night prank from Callie and Colbie. Hilarious!
Of course the summer wouldn't be complete without a trip to Wahooz. A SEVEN HOUR trip to Wahooz! We closed that place down, and the kids loved every second of it.
We also went to a cute public pool downtown, called Ivy Wild. The kids loved the big waterslides.
One of the long awaited reunions of this summer was that we were finally going to reunite with our old besties the Jensens, our good friends from Korea and Germany. They moved to Meridian this past year, and it had been 6 years since we'd seen them. We're hoping to marry off at least a couple of kids! Spencer and Sophie, the original betrothed, were hilarious. I don't think she's used to having a boy show up at her door, greeting her with hugs and "I love you's"!
We had our GNO/BNO again this year. The girls went to dinner at The Village, then shopping at Charming Charlie's. The boys went to Golden Corral and then went bowling and to see Captain America. From all accounts, Tyler had at least 6 cotton candies!
Have I mentioned that my mom moved into her new house 7 days before we arrived?? Yes, so we were in a very new house. With no grass! But lots of piles of dirt. The kids were covered in it almost daily!
This summer was also the long awaited day of the girls getting their ears pierced! Ella and Aubrey had been planning it for years, and this was finally to be the year. Ruby, without a girl cousin her own age, somehow weaseled her way into the fun too! Aubrey went first, and was very brave. Ella went next, and was terrified! She cried and cried, before they even did a thing. Afterward she cheered right up, although she said it hurt "way more than we said it would!" Ruby was totally fine beforehand - not hardly even nervous. But when the piercing actually happened, and it felt a little more painful than the 'pinch' she'd been promised, she burst into the saddest tears. It went on for a while. Callie and Colbie even got a new ear piercing, so our little girls were able to comfort them. We finished the day with school shopping and lunch, and it was an awesome day.
You may notice that there are no pictures of the beloved fake grocery store at the Discovery Center. Their prices went up quite a bit, and it just seemed like a waste, frankly. So, we appeased the little kids by letting them go grocery shopping by themselves at the real grocery store! They really did it all, including bagging, and we just waited from afar. They loved it!
We had another fun year at Roaring Springs, and somehow Mary, Stephanie, and I all got roped into going on the new terrifying waterslide. And it was a similar feeling to being flushed down a toilet, feeling like you're drowning, and then suddenly being spit out at the end. And this is supposed to be fun?? Oh well. We all had a great day!
Stephanie decided to finally put her new sewing machine to use this summer, and we made pajama pants with the little kids (and ourselves). We even made our own patterns, which is a laugh just thinking about. (How cheap are we??) Anyway, the kids pajamas turned out darling, and mine and Stephanie's? Well, we might have made the pattern just a wee bit too big!
We finished the trip with the annual fashion show of the the kids new school clothes, with even Spencer and Tyler getting in on it.
And then we took the little kids to to get their hair and nails done. Always a big occasion!
We always have such a great time in Idaho! And next summer, Masen will be back!!!!
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