Trip to Idaho

We loved every minute of our trip to Idaho. We did so many fun things, spent lots of time with family, and made lots of memories.

After the Smith reunion on Wednesday, we went down to Utah to visit Sharolyn and Tyler and see their new house (it is gorgeous!). We had lots of fun with them. I read lots of books, we had a lot of fun playing hide and seek, and enjoyed having dinner with them before driving up to my parent's house.

Thursday was our recovery day. We of course had to start our day with our some baby kitten love. They are just so ADORABLE and the girls loved them and we played with them every day while we were there. 

The girls also fed the chickens and then we met up with Amy and the girls for one of our must go to places whenever we go to Idaho- Mr. Pizza in Shelley. Their lunch special is a killer deal and it is always so good. We then went to their house and Paige had fun playing in the pool and Baylor was happy to play inside the air conditioned house.

Friday we started our day off by riding some horses. It was pretty hot but the girls sure had fun taking turns and even got a little roping lesson.

We then went into Idaho Falls to get some ice cream and see the animals at Reed's Dairy.

Charlotte, Juliette, and Emily then came home with us to play for the rest of the afternoon. They always have so much fun with each other. It was more kitten time, crafting, and Baylor played out in the little pool for a little bit.

Derek and Amy joined us for dinner and it was fun to visit with them while the girls played. I love the evening in Idaho once it has cooled off. Emily and Baylor were having lots of fun together and after awhile we hadn't heard from them for awhile and we found them getting into mischief and they were playing hair salon. Emily gave Baylor some bangs! I never imagined Baylor's first "hair cut" being like that but it sure made the night memorable.

Saturday we spent a lot of the day in Idaho Falls. We picked up Juliette on the way up since the other two girls had some things going on. 

Baylor's new bangs :)

Our first stop was the Idaho Falls Temple. The grounds were gorgeous and we enjoyed going to the Visitor Center.

Then we drove down river a little to see the falls.

Then we found a new spot in Idaho Falls that we had never been to called Gem Lake Recreational Area. It is at this dead end and has a nice picnic area with a sand and swimming area on the Snake River. Amy met up with us with the other two girls and we enjoyed some lunch and some water fun.

Then our family, Mom & Dad, Derek & Amy's family, and Karlton & Michelle's family all met up for a BBQ and then drove up Wolverine Canyon to hike up to 40 horse cave. The hike is super steep and so we all had to help the little ones up but it is always worth it once you get to the top. The view is incredible and being in a cave is always fun.

We then had some fun in the stream at the bottom before heading home- stick races, skipping rocks, and splashing in the water.

Back home for some more kitty time and visiting! Derek and Amy's girls spent the night with us since Derek had a race the next day and they would be in Utah. The girls had fun sleeping in a fort that Nate built for them and we stayed up late and watched stars from the deck. We even saw some shooting stars!

Sunday we had all the girls so we went to sacrament meeting and then went up to Rigby. Before going to Grandma Walker's house we drove through Rigby and my mom showed us the house she lived in when she was born (top picture) and just around the corner was her grandparent's house (bottom picture-Grandma and Grandpa Hall).

Then we had a relaxing afternoon and dinner with Grandma. It is always so good to see her and feel of her love!

When we got home Paige did the animals chores. She has been loving doing the chores almost every day in the evenings.

Monday we spent the day with my parents doing some new things and seeing new places that we have never been to in Idaho Falls.

Our first stop was Friendship Garden. It is right on the river and on this little island that used to be a fish hatchery. There were lots of little streams and waterfalls and fun paths to explore.

Then we stopped at my dad's law office so the girls could see where he works and we picked him up to join us for the rest of the day.

Pretty close to my dad's office is Pugss Lane. It is an alley that artists get to paint. It was pretty cool to see and Paige's really enjoyed it.

Then for lunch we went to another must stop for us when we go to Idaho- Arctic Circle (mostly for their fry sauce!)

Then our last stop for the day and one of my favorite things we did our entire trip was to the aquarium.

There were lots of different kinds of fish to see and one of the first things you see is this big open tank where you can hand feed the fish. Both girls had fun with it and Paige really enjoyed it and kept wanting to do it.

There was also a big shark tank and a big pool of small sting rays that you could feed.

Paige attempted to feed one of the sting rays but got too scared and ended up dropping her piece of food. It was pretty entertaining to watch her try though. :)

There was more fish to see, a couple of big tortoises to pet, and a small tank of fish that eat the dead skin off your hands. I'm chicken when it comes to this kind of stuff and it took me awhile to put my hand in the tank but it was pretty cool to experience once I did.

There was also a small bird area. Paige got some food and got to feed them out of her hand. At one time she had three or four birds on her. It was one of her favorite parts of the aquarium. She said she felt like the bird woman on Mary Poppins (one of her favorite movies).

Then Paige got extra brave and fed some iguanas. She only did it after one of the workers said it was one of his favorite parts and that they are super friendly. I went in the caged area with her to take pictures and I even fed one a little piece. We went back and did some of the things more times. It was such a cool thing to experience and the girls, especially Paige, loved it.

Tuesday we drove up to Rigby to grandma's house. Amy and the girls met us there along with Michelle and her kids and Erika and her kids. It was fun to see all these cousins having so much fun in the flooded yard just like we did when we were little with our cousins. They had fun doing relay races, chasing each other, and some dancing/gymnastics.

We are all so lucky to have Grandma Walker in our lives!

Tuesday evening we had a fun bridal shower for Ali (Chandler Williams is a family friend and we thought it would be a fun way to introduce her to all of us.) I planned it and we all brought some food. We played some fun games and it was such a fun evening with the adult women (there was Ali, Shel (Chandler's mom), my mom, Erika, Michelle, Amy, myself, and Sharolyn attended via Zoom). 

Wednesday morning the cousins had fun playing at the house in the morning which of course equaled more kitten time.

After lunch we all met up at the Butterfly Haven in Pingree. This was another one of my favorite experiences of the whole trip.

It was such a cool experience to go in this large greenhouse and just walk around while butterflies flew all around. A couple of times they would land on you and it was so cool to see the different kinds, the caterpillars, and the chrysalis. 

The kids had fun walking up and down the rows and just seeing everything and it seemed that every time you went back down a row you would notice something different and new.

Also running around were these small birds that each of the kids got food so they could feed them. They also had the most tiny, cute little babies that would follow the around and we also found lots of eggs hidden in all the plants.

We stopped at Walmart on the way home so I could pick up a few things and these two got the camera and had some fun. They were inseparable and wanted every moment possible to be with each other.

We took advantage of being at my parent's house and in the evenings once it cooled down and the girls were in bed, Nate and I would go on some walks down the country roads. It is one of Nate's favorite things to do when we are in Idaho.

Thursday was our Rexburg day. Our first stop was BYU-Idaho. We loved walking around campus. We started off by walking through the gardens and then we walked in the different buildings and reminisced and told the girls some stories about the fun years that we had there. 

We also went through the BYU-Idaho Center. I really wanted to show Paige where they do devotionals but it was all locked up for summer break. The track was open so Paige and Baylor had fun running around it.

Then we met up with Michelle and her kids and Erika and her kids and my mom brought Emily and we had lunch at Porter Park and Paige got to experience the splash pad there for the first time and absolutely loved it! She had so much fun going down the slides over and over and running through the water and waiting for the big bucket at the top to fill up and run through the falling water as it fell to the ground with lots of squealing with cousins. It was so much fun to see all their happy, smiley faces and to hear their laughter.

Water slide fun!

Baylor was not a fan of the water. She didn't mind the little fountains that she would put her feet in. She is not a fan of getting her face wet and doesn't like to be around a lot of people. She played on the playground some and enjoyed snacks with the adults.

Also at Porter Park they have a carousel that is only $1.25 to ride. This was Baylor's favorite part. She was in absolute heaven. Nate went with her the first time since I don't like spinning and she would wave at me every time she came around with the biggest grin on her face

The kids played on the playground for a little bit and then everyone went their separate ways for a little bit. 

Before we left the girls got one more ride on the carousel. They went together so Nate and I watched as they waved to us and smiled every time they saw us. Baylor has recently learned to wink and every time she came around she would wink at us. It was the cutest and funniest thing to watch!

We then had dinner with Karlton and Michelle. Erika, Grace, and Parker also joined us. The kids had fun playing together while the adults visited. We had a delicious dinner and it was a fun way to end our fun filled day.

We stopped in to see Grandma Walker one last time before we go back home. It is always kind of sad when we leave. She is one of the reasons I would live closer. I wish I could visit with her more, take her out to lunch, let her see my girls grow, and have family dinners with her. I don't know how much longer she will be on this earth and it breaks my heart that I can't see her more.

Friday was our last full day and we wanted to just relax and not do much before our big drive back home. During the day we spent it at Derek and Amy's. We first met up for lunch and went to Rupes in Blackfoot (another one of our favorite places to go when we are in Idaho). Then we went back to their house for the afternoon. Paige had fun in the pool and Baylor had fun playing in the house. I also went through Amy's closet with her and got a bag full of clothes. I think this should be an annual thing that we do. :)

Then we one last big family BBQ before we leaving. The trip went by way too fast though we definitely had it jam pack full of fun things and I loved every minute of it. Derek and Amy and their girls and Karlton and Michelle and their kids came down. We enjoyed dinner and then enjoyed being outside together.

One of Paige's eyes was red so I suggested putting a cucumber on it and then it turned into some fun for these three.

We started our outdoor fun with some friendly baseball. It is so fun to play with the kids in the backyard. It was Grandma and Poppy with all the kids against Nate, Amy, and myself.

Then it was one last kitten time. They all got lots of love. Bria especially just loved them so much and was in tears when we put them away.

Paige and Juliette were giving swing shows to anyone that would watch. They would swing up really high and then jump off and do some gymnastics at the end.

Dessert time

Then it was croquet time

The adult kids played a friendly round of cross country croquet. Nate smoked us all and Amy was not at all amused coming in last.

While we were doing croquet, Paige and Juliette set up an obstacle course that we all had to do. It was a lot of fun! It was fun to see how everyone did it differently and it was fun to watch and laugh with and at each other. I was super impressed with how agile and flexible Michelle was at 8 months pregnant!

Saturday morning we left to head back to Washington. It was sad to go and Paige was in tears. Every year it is so hard for her to leave. I understand the feeling and we both feel so torn where we have friends and family in Washington that we love but we also have family in Idaho that we also love.

Our first leg was to Hermiston, Oregon. We made a stop to see Shoshone Falls and it did not disappoint. It was incredible to see and such an amazing view!

We also had lunch at the Garden of Eden gas station. It was always a stop when I did track and cross country in high school and it was fun to show the girls.

We made it to Hermiston and went to a thrift store and got a pizza to take with us to our hotel. We had fun in the swimming pool and enjoyed watching some of the Olympics before going to bed. It was a nice relaxing way to spend our evening after the long car ride.

We made it home Sunday afternoon and we are happy to be home but it is also kind of weird. We have been gone for three weeks! We loved all the family time the most and already can't wait until next time.