Idaho was wonderful. It was full of adventure from sun up to sun down. We are completely exhausted from the endless amounts of fun, it almost seems like a blur. It was really great seeing everyone, especially those we hadn't seen since our last visit over a year ago. I never imagined I would only visit Idaho once a year, but it's actually become acceptable for me. I think it helps having so many people come visit us in Texas throughout the year, but regardless, travelling requires a lot of stamina. Airport life is ridiculous, especially if you have an extensive layover. I can still hear that airport announcement voice blaring in the back of my brain. Ahhhh! It's over now.
Anyway, I think two weeks is the perfect number for us. It give us enough time to see everyone at least once, but also extends just long enough to make us beg to be back home. It also gives Kirk a chance to remind himself why bachelor life is not as fulfilling as the family circus. I knew I was feeling homesick, but it was a pretty tough seeing the kiddos cry for their Daddy the last couple of days. We were over it. I was really wishing we could just click our heels three times like Dorothy. But in a round about way, the whole experience is humbling. It is a reminder of why there's no place like home!
My favorite part of returning to Idaho is sharing the parts I love with my kiddos! I drove around one afternoon just showing them bits of my childhood. Lyla seemed to appreciate it, but that's still a bit out of reach for Max. We have a giant family circle established there and it's so important to me for them to experience that. It was nice this round to bring mostly self-sufficient kiddos, instead of babies. I didn't feel like we needed to adhere to a schedule as much or feel the repercussions of moving our base camp several times. In the past, I always felt like traveling was overwhelming enough on them and once we arrived it was best to stay put. But now they are big and stuff. They can deal with change.
We stayed with Kirk's parents for the first leg of our visit. Max went to a car show with Grandpa. they enjoyed four wheeler rides, catching up with Ashton & Jarem, and playing with Scarlett. Ashton loaned a necklace to Lyla for church, and Lyla commented that Ashton was obviously her fanciest aunt. She also had a lot of wisdom to share with little Scarlett, who transitioned into becoming a big sister during our visit. It was such a treat to be there for the arrival of baby Mack. He is the sweetest little dude. I always stare at newborns in such wonderment. Their tiny existence is amazing. Mack probably makes a top three of this visit to Idaho. Max is still calling him "my baby" and insists we take him home to Texas. And I completely agree, but sadly this milk machine is retired.
We stayed with my Grandma Paula for a few short days. She always provides endless amounts of food and entertainment. I am continually amazed by how good she is at playing pretend. And she can play for hours. Boredom does not exist at her house because she is constantly stirring the plot of pretend. I love it. She is the best. We enjoyed time with my Aunt Kari and beautiful cousins. My cousins are transitioning into beautiful adult humans and I'm enjoying watching our relationships evolve. It doesn't seem like that long ago when I was changing their diapers. Now they get to embrace the energy of my kiddos, sometimes against their will...but that's okay. I think it's funny. Life is funny.
We were able to visit the Idaho Falls Zoo, always a classic, along with the local theme park --- Fun Land. I don't think it can necessarily be considered it a theme park, but I don't know what else to call it. Lol. Anyway, Lyla and I sat together on the ride known as The Octopus. And if you aren't an Idaho Falls native, you may not understand how terrifying this ride is. I still have traumatic memories as a child. But this time I was still the one who was more nervous about it, mostly thinking about how dang old the ride is. As we were going around in circles, I kept imagining the bolts coming loose and us flying off into the baseball diamond nearby. But we survived. And Lyla loved it, surprisingly. Usually she is just as anxious as I am! My Grandma Carter joined us on our day of adventure and we were able to sneak in one more day with her, including pedicures and lunch. That's one of the things I miss about Idaho the most. Grandma time!!!
I decided to accept the challenge and drive to Boise for a few days to visit my Dad & Shelby. I only note this as a challenge because driving with two little people without a co-pilot can be seriously dangerous --- like probably worse than drunk driving. Let's just say...it was nice when they slept. We had a fantastic time at my Dad's, which was actually relaxing like vacation is supposed to feel. That's the nice thing about visiting my Dad, no pressure to see anyone else. The Idaho Falls schedule runs from morning to night. That is not a complaint, just a fact. I love busy and always expect it when going to Idaho. My Dad entertained us with his usual delicious food and backyard antics. The kids are always easily amused by the doggies and hot tub time.
After Boise, we drove back to Idaho Falls to spend the remainder of the trip at my Mom's house. She was my rock the entire trip and always provided a home base when needed, but we finally got the chance to unpack for a few days. The highlight of my Mom's house for the kiddos is most definitely the plethora of neighbor kids. That neighborhood is swarming with children, it is insanely fun. My Mom also randomly purchased a bounce house, so that made her house pretty popular. We were able to catch up with Grandpa Rick, a few friends, and even Uncle Jake squeezed us in for an overnight visit. It was an exciting two weeks full of adventure. We are so blessed. Life is full of so much love.
I imagine the same time next year will roll around and I'll start missing Idaho again. I think it takes that long to forget how exhausting it is. Haha! My kids are becoming professional travelers though. They seem to understand the rush of the airport routine. They walk for themselves and their complaints are minimal. They even survived a ten hour layover! I'm proud of those little munchkins. See you next year!
