Nonny and Papa rented a big cabin in Stanley, Idaho for the whole family. What a treat it was!
Sunday, we were up BRIGHT to catch our first flight out of LAX. Navigating that place is an adventure, but I kept reminding myself that it was better than driving to Phoenix or driving all the way to Idaho. The kids did great, as always, traveling and were even troopers through a very long grocery haul.
Once everyone was at the Cabin and unpacked, we spent the evening just catching up and soaking up the beauty that surrounded us.
Monday morning, we went on a 4 mile hike at Fish Hook Creek. If you are ever looking for refreshment, go for a walk among pine trees while listening to the river flowing.
Colin was all about hanging out with Uncle Jordan and Aunt Amanda.
And these two girls quickly became two peas in a pod. Rayna was such a blessing to have on the trip and we all enjoyed watching them enjoy being together.
We learned this trip that rice crispy treats make for great hiking motivation. Thank you Alison for requesting them and then buying a GIANT box of them.
What better way to recover from a hike than an afternoon in the hot tub.
We all took turns cooking dinner, which I think made for a great vacation (i.e. you only had to cook once and then the rest of the week you were free to just eat).
The cabin was amazing and the accommodations were comfortable, but we still lost a lot of sleep staying up too late talking and looking at the stars. We could see Jupiter through the telescope at the house.
Tuesday, we went kayaking!
Colin went with Nonny and Papa and they stopped along the river to get pictures. We missed him, but once we got on the river, we knew it was the best decision that he stayed on land. AND we realized that we probably should have started on a lake, where the water isn't moving, to get a refresher on the whole kayaking thing.
Alison and I started off together, but once I realized that I didn't know how to teach her how to paddle so we don't turn in circles, we switched things up.
Eli was with Ben and Ben thought it would make him feel more comfortable if he talked him through everything he was doing. Eli took this is as "Daddy is teaching me how to be the navigator".
We switched kids and Eli was acting nervous about the whole adventure. He would say, "Okay, paddle to the left. Now a little to the right. Ah, there's a big rock coming." Nonstop chatter about what direction we should go and what to watch out for. He eventually said to me, "It's okay momma, Daddy taught be all about being your navigator so I can help you."
The river was a little more intense than we anticipated and there was one point that Eli and I got stuck away from everyone. I sat there for a moment, catching my breath before I pushed us off the rocks, and he said, "You can do it mommy! You got this!". I've never heard him be so encouraging and it just made my day. Funny note about the day, pretty much all of us had burnt shins from having our legs straight out. I will never forget to sunscreen my shins again.
I think we crashed after that. We played Yatzee
snuggled by the hot tub
guessed how soon Alison will pass Nana
played outside
played LOTS of pool
and enjoyed another wonderful evening on the deck.
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