This summer we were lucky enough to go back home to Bonners Ferry, Idaho! It was 3 years since the last time we were home, and if was a much need trip. We had not seen most of our family for 2-3 (and in some cases 5) YEARS! Of course, when I say we, I mean me and the kids. Kenny is in Houston for 3 months on a trama rotation. He left the same day we left for Bonners. We decided this would be the perfect opportunity for us to go home, as it would help the time pass when he is gone. And it did work quite well! Although we still miss him way too much:)
We left on June 28th. The kids were so excited to fly on an airplane! This was their first time, and I wish they would let you use electronics during the take off, because Katie & Cole's faces were priceless! We were lucky enough to have Kenny's parents with us on the trip to Idaho, and my parents on the trip back to North Carolina. I'm not sure if I would have braved it by myself.
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| Cole & Katie shortly after take-off |
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| Logan LOVED the Delta cookies! |
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| The kids during our layover- the DS games we bought them were so worth it! |
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| Although Logan did pretty good... there were a few of these moments:) |
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| Maddie- just chilling with her game |
For the most part the kids did really good on the flights. Katie and Cole complained of ear pain a little, but they were troopers and chewed their gum as best as they could. Logan was asleep for most of the take offs and landings. He started to get a little stir crazy and really wanted down to play some of the times. During one flight there was a little boy behind us and they basically played between the seat for about 30 minutes. It was fun watching my kids get to experience the flights, but I don't think I will attempt it again anytime soon!
Once in Bonners we spent our time hanging out with family, playing, swimming, just being lazy:)!
The kids were able to start swimming lessons at the city pool where I use to teach. It was so fun watching them swim with their cousins everyday for those first 2 weeks. They had so much fun and really did a good job at it too. Maddie and Katie were once in swimming lessons when they were reallylittle back in Portland, but other than that they have not been in any formal swimming lessons. Normally I just do a little teaching here and there in our friends pool each summer. This summer though while in swimming lessons they all learned alot! Maddie learned her strokes really well, Katie learn how to swim completely, and Cole learned how to start swimming! The teachers kept having trouble keeping Cole from going under the water and swimming since he loved it so much! It was awesome! I wish I could take them there every summer for lessons. I loved being able to sit with Sara and watch our kids +swim while the babies just sat and played on the grass! I think that was at the top of my list of the fun things I did this summer!
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| Maddie did amazing considering she had only taken swimming lessons when she was 3. She passed her level and learned all the strokes! |
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| Katie actually learned how to swim- she can now swim around like a little fish in the deep end:) |
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| Maddie doing the front crawl. |
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| Katie doing a back float. |
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| Katie- loved her teachers and was the star pupil. |
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| This was Cole's first time in swimming lessons. He was constantly being told to stay above the water- mostly because he like to go under and swim:) |
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| Cole also learned how to swim this year- now he's like a little fish and it's hard to get his attention because he's always under the water. |
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| Cole got to be in the same class as his cousins, Trav and Marty, and he LOVED that! |
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| He was highly entertaining to watch:) |
We had a blast celebrating the 4th of July with our family. Kenny's dad had a huge (and I mean HUGE) slip n' slide set up out by their cabin. It was like a regular slip n' slide times 100! The kids loved it, although Cole and Katie only went down once I think. Maddie was a pro and would keep going down over and over again. I went down a couple times, and decided that if I wanted to walk the next day I had better stop. Plus, my screaming was scaring Logan:)! I wish I had gotten better pictures, but it was hard when your sitting in the splash zone!
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| Katie- sliding in to the bottom of the slip n slide. |
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| Cousin Jacob landing in the "pond". |
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| The 4th of July 2010 |
We spent our 4th at the cabin and then down at the fairgrounds for the fireworks. My mom was offered to stay with Logan at home, which was nice because then I was able to hang with the older kids and relax with them. They had fun watching the fireworks and doing a few little ones with Grandma and Grandpa too.
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| Katie and Grandpa doing some sparklers. |
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| Logan during the fireworks- he didn't seem very interested. |
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| Cole and Grandma watching the fireworks. |
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| Getting their sparklers lit. |
Spending the summer in Bonners was great. It helped the time go by fast, and the fact that Kenny was gone, not so bad. It went by pretty fast- a little faster than we liked, but it was worth it! We went on so many little adventures and fun outings that we don't normally get to do. We went swimming in rivers, tubing down the river, hikes, bike rides, and trips to the cabin. We went huckleberry picking and fishing.
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| Fishing with Grandpa- didn't catch anything that night, but still had a good time riding in the boat! |
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| Trolling for fish:) |
We also took a trip to the big lake in Sandpoint one day, and I was able to take the kids to Silverwood Amusement Park for one day as well. Sara and Marla watched Logan for that day, and I was able to spend the whole day going on rides, playing in the waterpark, and just hanging out with the 3 older kids. It was probably one of the funnest days this summer!
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| Here they are at the end of the day- they look exhasted at this point, and we still went on a bunch of rides after this train ride:) |
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| Katie- waiting on the train, coming down after a suger high from cotton candy:) |
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| Watching the train getting high-jacked by robbers! (Don't worry- it's part of the show.) |
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| Maddie didn't have the energy to smile at this point- we had just finished with the water park and it had started to cool down and rain. I love this picture of them snuggling though:)! |
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| This was their favorite ride- they had so much fun! |
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| Maddie and Katie- I think they loved that they could ride these by themselves and feel like big kids:) |
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| One of the characters at the park- Garfield. He's no Mickey Mouse, but he'll do. |
I'm so glad that I was able to spend this day with them!
We also were able to take a 5 minute trip to the Canadian boarder and get some special "Canadian" candy!
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| The U.S. / Canadian Boarder |
Here are a few more fun pictures from the summer!
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| Cole as Alfalfa! |
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| Mommy and Logan |
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| Logan playing in the dirt |
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| Rocks became Logan's favorite new toys. |
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| Katie and her cousins- Marty and Sadie. |
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| One of my fav pictures from the summer! He looks like a little frog! |
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| Swimming in Grandpa and Grandma's hot tub with Aunt Corina, and cousins- Conner and Caleb! |
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| I forgot how much I missed the beauty of North Idaho! No prettier place in the world! Here we are at the lake in Sandpoint! |
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| Cole's favorite day- riding Uncle Izzy's motorcycle! |
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| Hanging out in the back of Grandpa's pick-up with the cousins. |
It was a crazy fun summer, and one that we will all remember for a long time!
