THIS IS BY FAR THE LONGEST POST I HAVE EVER CREATED IN MY HISTORY OF BLOGGING! I DO REALIZE THAT NOT EVERYONE CARES ABOUT EVERY DETAIL-BUT I WANTED TO MAKE SURE I WROTE IT ALL DOWN TO REMEMBER OUR FUN TRIP TO IDAHO!
We just got back from our trip to Idaho! We love it there so much during the summer and always have such a fun time! This year with Jonathan's schedule we were only able to stay for a week which was WAY too short so we jam packed it all in! Here is a breakdown of our trip... ************************************************************************************* On Saturday night we drove from Provo straight to Bone, Idaho where the annual Holley Family Reunion was going on. Josh and Joni (Jonathan's brother and wife) were SO nice to pack us all the stuff we would need to camp for the night. It was so beautiful and had the most awesome lodge with nice bathrooms(my way of camping)! And although quite a few people had already packed up and headed home it was still so fun to see a few familiar faces that we hadn't seen in a while. Our kids got to see most of their cousins and aunts and uncles there-which of course is always the highlight! That next morning we got permission to have sacrament meeting-which was so special! It was so much fun and I'm so glad we got to go! Then on Sunday afternoon we drove back to Idaho Falls to Josh and Joni's house (where we stayed), got all showered and cleaned up and then got together with most of Jonathan's brothers and sisters and their families-which always consists of LOTS of kids and LOTS of laughing!
************************************************************************************* On Monday we met my mom at the ISU extension in Idaho Falls where she teaches all sorts of science classes. She had the microscopes all set up for the kids to look at all sorts of cool and gross things. They soak up every minute with her and love to learn all the "stuff" she teaches them. Isaac told me that he LOVES science and wants to do it everyday! 
After "doing science" we went to lunch with my mom and then we were off to the river to feed the ducks with Josh and Joni, their kids and Kelly and her girls. 
After feeding the ducks we drove to Shelley and ate dinner with the Anderson's-who are some of my very best friends and who I actually lived with for a while in high school. It was soooo nice to catch up and watch our kids play together! I wish Melissa and her family and Katie could have been there...hopefully we can catch them next time! 
************************************************************************************* On Tuesday we went to Ross Park in Pocatello. The kids LOVED swimming and going down the water slide with their cousins. 
Then that night we met up with 3 of Jonathan's best friends from high school and their wives-Kyle and Odelsa Taylor, Ron and Katrina Jensen and Ben and Holli Ritchie. We didn't take any pictures, but had the best time talking, laughing and of course eating! After we got home and rounded up all of our kids to go to bed, we quickly remembered that they had long naps after the water park. So we decided to put on a movie and see if any of them would fall asleep. Jonathan and Josh were in charge and I went to go feed Isabel and get ready for bed. When I came back, some of them had fallen asleep...but as you can tell from the picture...it wasn't any of the kids :)!
************************************************************************************* Wednesday we drove out to Shelley again to see my mom's new house and eat lunch. She had a whole box of special crowns that she let Ally choose from-she even let Ally pick one for Isabel and one for me-I think that I liked trying them on more than Ally! After we left my mom's we drove straight to the movie theater to see "Kung Fu Panda" (I seriously LOVE this movie!) with a few of the cousins. After the movie ended we went to the county fair to see a few things our two nieces (Bailee & Macee) had entered. While we were there we also walked through the cow and pig barns-it was hilarious to watch all these little kids plugging their noses and screaming "EWWWW" the whole time. After the fair we met up with my mom again to go to the zoo-she's been volunteering there for the summer and so we were excited to go with her. The monkeys were by far my favorite part! One of the monkeys love our brother-in-law, Brooks-it was the funniest thing ever! Everywhere Brooks would go, the monkey would follow and if he ever turned his back the monkey would hit the glass and scare everyone. One time Jonathan the monkey hit the glass really hard right by Jonathan and it scared him so bad that he jumped and somehow really hurt his toe in all of the commotion. We were all laughing so hard. 
After the zoo I got to go out to eat with one of my very best friends, Michelle Ball. She is one of the most amazing people I've ever met and I love seeing her when I come to town. Jonathan says it always recharges our whole family when I visit her! 
While I was at dinner Jonathan's brother Jeremy and his wife Kelly had a hot tub party at their house. They sure know how to have a party and when I showed up late after dinner-it really seemed like an amusement park-everyone was having the BEST time! Then that night Isaac and Jaden decided to sleep in the "fort" while Jonathan and Josh slept outside under the stars. Surprising enough..they all made through the whole night-through the rain and all!! 
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On Thursday we had a picnic lunch at Tautphaus Park. We met up with Josh and his kids, Jeremy and Kelly and their girls, Betsy and her girls and Mattie and Colby. The kids just loved playing. This is a funny picture of Ally in a swing made for a disabled adult. She had no idea what it was-but thought it was very, very cool! We also took the kids and their cousin Jaden to "Funland" to each go on a ride-it's certainly no Disneyland-but the loved it anyway!!
After the park we went to my aunt Janelle's house to visit her and my cousins. It's always fun to show off my 4 cute kids to family who don't get to see them very often!! Then that night we enlisted some of our nieces to babysit while all of Jonathan's brother's and sister's and their spouses (except for Jason and Jen and Jamison) went out to a yummy dinner at The Sandpiper.
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Friday was Jaden's 5th birthday party. We were so excited that we could be there this year!! Jaden is Isaac's best bud in the whole world-he's lucky that he's also his cousin-and we never get to be there for his birthday. We were so glad that Joni planned it a little early this year (Thanks!!) so that Isaac could be there. Jaden got to come all the way to AZ for Isaac's birthday this year also-how lucky they are! It was such a cute little party for a bunch of scurvy pirates!!
After the week we had...we were all completely BEAT!! But knowing that it was our last day in Idaho-we had to go out with a bang! So Josh, Jeremy and Jonathan all loaded up the jetskiis and took them for a spin. Then later that night we all got together again for one final goodbye party! I LOVE being married into a family that has so many "party animals"-there is NEVER a dull moment!
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Early Saturday morning we loaded up and drove to Provo to spend the rest of our short trip with my Grandma Mary. Our kids love visiting her house and playing in her yard. Ally especially loves her flowers and they all love to pick apricots in the church yard behind her house. She'll be 89 years old this month and she still managed to get out some of her old things when she use to teach school and play with my kids!
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By 6am on Sunday morning we were on the road back to Arizona. We had the BEST time! We love our families and friends and cherish all the times we get to spend with them-it was way too short of a visit and went by way too fast! We can't wait until next time!!
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