Let's Wrap this Up :: Idaho/Canada Vacay, Part 4

We started our drive from Canada on Tuesday, July 29, around 9 or 10 in the morning.   Before leaving the plains of southern Alberta, we HAD to stock up on our Canadian candy, easily spending over 50 (Canada) dollars.  Worth it, I'm sure.

Once again, the boys didn't want to ride with me and Matt.  So our car (out of the 3) became the "needs a break from kids" car, and "I need a nap" car, for any of the adults.  It was really easy for me to drive and listen to a pod-cast via one ear bud, while a passenger took a nap.  Matt rode the last half the drive with Tyson to help with kids and such.  Me and Marcie had a fab time in our kid-free sharing tunes. She has really fun music and I do not.  But that wasn't a great surprise, was it?

Our last full day in Boise was spent having some park-time with a great friend and her awesome kids.  I've been very fortunate to make a good buddy or two where ever I've lived.  But why do we all have to live so far apart?  That's frustrating.
We spent the last half of the day with Boise family, swimming and talking and eating and having fun.  Seriously, Matt has some cool relatives!  And there was cake and ice-cream to celebrate Matt's upcoming 31st birthday, along with an aunt's and a cousin's too.

We woke up bright and early Thursday, July 31, and headed for the Boise airport.
It was a long day full of travel.  Once we made it across the country via airplane to Atlanta, we had to drive to our home which is 3.5 hours away.  We didn't make it back to coastal GA till like 10 at night our time.

We were ZOMBIES the next few days.  However, we couldn't be totally lazy since the boys were starting school on the following monday. PLUS Matt had to pick out a birthday gift!  Since the "going shooting" with the boys back in the first part of the Idaho vacation, Matt had guns on his mind.  I was like, "whatever, man," so he picked one out and bought it.  Apparently getting a new gun for a birthday is really fun?  He's very happy bout it, so I guess it is.

And then Monday happened and the boys started school (a post to come) and Matt had to go back to work, and our vacation and our summer officially ended.  WOW!

John Denver Always on My Mind :: Idaho/Canada Vacay, Part 2

Oh man.  Yeah.

Just a few days in Boise, and then we were off to eastern Idaho to see Matt's brother Chase graduate from BYU-I.

It was a long and awesome day.  We left around 9am, got to eastern Idaho around 2.  We were able to see my sister Madison and her husband Spencer for a bit.  It was the first time Matt had been able to meet Spencer face to face--since Matt was deployed at the time of their wedding last August.

After the visit with my sister, we got all spiffed up and headed for some good pizza with Matt's family, and afterwards headed to BYU-Idaho's campus.  Me, Matt, and the boys were a bit early for the graduation ceremony so we walked around some of the new buildings/expansions.  Man!  The campus is awesome now!  An enclosed walk-way between the student center and the library, that's just genius! (Cause it's so bloody cold there 9 months out of the year, with snow and ice and crap like that…. Haha, don't miss that part of BYU-I in the least!)

Eventually we made it down to the graduation ceremony, and were able to watch him walk across the stage.  (Me and Matt ended up running into a few people we had known!  One person from our first congregation, the other an old family friend of mine from Bama.)

After the ceremony we got some JumbaJuice, said our goodbyes to Chase and Jenese, and went back to our hotel rooms.  For the next morning we started our drive to Canada!  Alberta, Canada, that is.  It was a long drive through the west, but I loved seeing it all!  Of course none of the children rode with me and Matt, since being with either Marcie&Tyson&Jackson or Nana&Mume was must more exciting.  Hey, Matt and I didn't complain.  Actually, the rest of the trip none of the boys rode with us, haha.

Anyway…. Loved driving through the west.  I had A LOT of John Denver songs in my head, so at one stop I downloaded John Denver's "essential songs" album.  It's VERY essential ;)
Feel free to click any song to hear (cause I know you're DYING to):
Wild Montana Skies 
Annie's Songs
Country Boy
Rocky Mountain High
Country Roads 

We made it to Canada that evening.  Crossed into a new country for the first time for Eli and Titus.  Then settled down at Deanne's Dad's home.  
And Post Number 3 will go over our adventures from there!

And It Came to Pass: We Went to Idaho! (Part 1)

Like a month ago! 

Phew!  Sorry I'm so behind.  It's been a whirl-wind of a month.  August, man, not a month to take lightly.

Here's the deal:  Yes, we went to Idaho.  But we also went to Canada.  So in the two weeks we were in the West, a lot of it was traveling and recovering from said traveling.  HOWEVER! All the traveling was well worth it.

::The first 6 days of our trip:: 

So, we arrived in Boise LATE Thursday (July 17th).
Let me paint our travel day for you:
- We wake up Thursday morning in Savannah, GA
- We finish our packing, then get in the car
- We drive 3.5 hours to Atlanta, GA air port
- We fly across country for like 7.5 hour (with one lay-over)
- We arrive in Boise, Idaho a wee bit tired

**But let me put a really good, and a really positive spin on that epic day:  MATT FLEW WITH US.  Freak out, I know.  This, ladies and gentlemen, was the FIRST time Matt has flown with me and the boys since Isaac was 3 years, Eli was 9 months, and I was 4 months pregnant with Titus.  Yeah, I loved having Matt's help!  (I've flown 4 times across the country with boy by myself.  Boo!)**

Our first days in Idaho were spent hanging out with family, and doing a lot of fun things.

For one: going to one of Boise's community pools which has an AMAZING water-slide.  Like, it's really cool, people.  Called the "Natatorium".  I don't get the name, by whatevs.  It has a waterside that all the grown-ups loved, and the kids loved even more.

For two: Matt and the men of the family took Isaac, Eli, and Titus shooting. Yup, shooting.  Isaac really loved it.  I'm pretty sure the other two thought it was okay, didn't hear much from them.

For three: We ate at a lot of good places.  We're all pretty much in love with the New York style pizza joint that's downtown.  It has a bit of a racially slurred name (Guido's), but if you can get past that, you'll devour their amazing slices.
Plus Cafe Rio, duh!

For Four: Nana and Mume watched all the grandkids so that the grown children could go see a movie together.  Now, that's just super nice! The newest Planet of the Apes.

For five: I revisited my favorite walking/running trails, and a deer walked with me for a bit!  (A bit = two seconds.)

For six:  Just lots of good family time.  Twice the family went and did some home-run derbies at the little league baseball fields.  And jumping on the trampoline with cousins is just too much fun for these boys.

For seven:  Mine and Matt's family + Nana and Mume went up into the mountains to enjoy some hot-springs.  Really a good time.  The last time we had went, Titus was 2 months old.  It's been a while, to say the least!  And with the boys older, we were able to do more.  They really had a good time.  It's nothing like hot water coming out of the earth and pouring over a cliff into a glacier-cold river!
I tired to go into the cold river, and that lasted less than walking with the deer.  Holy crap, it's cold!  Matt and Darren both jumped into the river (cause they're crazy!).  The boys really had fun exploring the rocks, and doing little jumps themselves.
Only scary part was when Titus was sitting on his hunches, lost balance, fell backward, rolled once complete, with the roaring glacier-river yards away.  He was fine, didn't fall into the river, but that 1.5 second of him rolling seemed like eternity!  Ah!