Week 3 - Sugar City

Being in Sugar City felt like being home. We stayed with the Youngs, and it was so fun. They basically evacuated the upstairs and let us take over, which was so nice of them. We had such a good time with the Youngs. I loved spending time with Janel in the evenings when she got home from work. We joked that I was like her "wife", having dinner ready for her when she got home. Wouldn't it be nice if we all had a wife!

Sunday we went to the ward, and it was funny to me that it just seemed like the right place. The boys went to primary and Braden even went to nursery. It just was so comfortable to be around these people that we love so much, and to feel their continued love and support for us.

Monday we played with the Kinghorns. We went to the park and had a picnic and it was so fun for the kids to play and for Debbi and I to visit. There is nothing so wonderful as a true friend.

That evening we went to FHE with the Bollars and Kinghorns to Sugar Hill and went ice blocking. It was so much fun. Tanner loved it and did it over and over again, Colty went down once, but then just wanted to spend time with Emmie, and Braden loved the cookies. I went down a couple of time, and Brady went with me, but somehow I happened to crash every time. My sweatshirt has grass-stains all over the back and shoulders.

Tuesday I worked at The Legacy Network, and the boys played at Bollars that afternoon. Colty was so excited to be with Emmie, but when I got home he was in tears and said "Emmie told me that she doesn't want to marry me anymore."

Wednesday we spent the day with Taylors. Again, it was so nice to be somewhere where we all felt comfortable just being ourselves. We helped pick raspberries, and played and had a wonderful time. Jenn and I went to Deseret Book and the BYUI bookstore together. The boys and I agree it just is so nice to be with your best friend. That night we invited Suzette over for dinner with Janel and I. It was fun to be with her. Just being in her company rejuvenates my spirits and lightens my day. She is wonderful.  That night I highlighted Jerika and Janel's hair. 

 

Thursday we visited our grandma neighbors, saw other wonderful friends, and played with Kinlee. She and the boys played with their "buddies" and pushed them in the strollers and played on the tramp with them.

Braden also loved having Kinlee push him in the stroller. She was such a good sport and walked up and down the street over and over.

Thursday night we took the boys to "the old sugar factory" and took their pictures. It was a cool place just outside of Sugar and we got some cute pictures. We went as dusk and the mosquitos were out, but we got good pics anyway. I will do a post of them alone.

Friday we cleaned up and spent some time visiting with the Bollars, then went to Arctic Circle with Kinlee and Jerika. We then finished getting our stuff together while Braden napped, then we went to Taylors to play one last time. My cousin Jake got married on Friday so that evening I met my parents in Archer at the reception. I then left the boys with them to go back to G. Grandma Peterson's and I met my friends at Applebees for dessert.

Saturday we played at G. Grandma's house, of course with the "crane truck" and legos and other fun old toys that grandpa liked when he was a little boy too.

That afternoon we went back up to Sugar City to put a For Rent sign in the yard and Dad worked on the garage door because it was having issues. We took (hopefully) the last pictures in front of the house.

Then we headed to Rigby for cousin Eric's wedding open house. It was so fun to see Aunts and Uncles and Cousins that I don't see often enough. Then we all drove back to PG. We got home at about midnight. Mom and I drove my car with the boys who fell asleep (blessed day!). It was so wonderful to visit with Mom. I love her and am so grateful for the friend that we are to each other.

Week 2 - Pleasant Grove

Playing at Grandma's has been so fun. On Tuesdays in August it is $2 Tuesday at Thanksgiving Point, so after naps we met Aunt Dawn and the girls there and enjoyed the Dinosaur Museum. It was really cool. There are awesome fossils and hands on stuff everywhere, and I don't think we saw a "Don't Touch" sign in the whole place.
Tanner and Colty posing with the foot of the "Supersaurus".

In fact, there were little signs everywhere saying "touch here" or "feel this". It was neat. We saw some cool dino fossils and even got to dig in the sand to find our own.
The kids could create their own dinosaurs with stuffed parts, and Braden loved the head.

They also got to play in the sand and water and create flash floods and canyons, etc, ways that the best fossils are preserved.

The Dinosaur Museum was a really fun place, and the best part of all was that we only paid $2 each.

We have also had a fun time playing in the backyard. Grandma bought a little swim pool, and it has been so nice to just send the boys outside to play. We miss having a back yard!!

Friday night I got together with my old roommates from College. These gals are still some of my best friends, and it was so fun to be together. We had such fond memories of our college days, but we were sad that Jenn and Jami weren't able to join us. I have been thinking a lot about friends, and there are just some people that uplift you and make your feel better about yourself and your situation just by being with them. That is how I feel about these ladies. We had dinner at Olive Garden,

then walked over to the Hilton Hotel and sat to visit on the soft couches at the Hilton Hotel.

The whole evening was so delightful! Saturday afternoon the boys and I loaded the van and drove to Sugar City to spend the week with our friends there.

A Very Long Vacation - week 1

We left on July 23 and headed to the land of the taters. We drove as far as Declo and stayed in Dave's sister's house. They were on vacation, so we took over the house and it was fun. The next morning we got up and drove to Sugar City. As we drove through Idaho Falls, it just felt like we were coming home. Tanner looked out the window at the familiar scene that we have seen dozens of times, and was surprised to notice that "there are storage units in Idaho." Our first stop was at the house. It made me cry. The poor yard looked like nobody lived there. Sure, it has been cared for, but nobody makes it look like someone lives there if they don't. Then we drove to Green Canyon and said hi at the family reunion we were missing out on. Then we drove to Island Park to spend a few days with my family. The boys were beyond ready to get there, and truthfully we were all glad to be out of the car with Braden!

Island Park was so fun! We were there Saturday through Wednesday, and all of my family was there on Saturday, then Mitch had to leave. Tanner and Colton learned to knee board and we had so much fun playing and relaxing!!

On Wednesday we headed back to Sugar City to spend some time working on our house. Dave tilled the garden and adjusted the sprinklers and I worked in the flower beds. The boys played with friends or in the sand box. We stayed the night at Ronnie and Carol's who were also out of town, so it was again, nice to take over someone's house. We had dinner with our friends the Reynauds and enjoyed their company and kindness. It rained like crazy and was sort of fun to watch.

On Thursday night we headed to Rupert for cousin Joelle's wedding on Friday. It was so fun to be with family.

Saturday was a Mills Reunion with Dave's siblings and we had a blast. We went to the Burley boat dock and visited and the kids played in the water and Uncle Klade pulled them behind the boat. Then we went to an awesome place in Raft River called "Steadmans". It is the home of this awesome family who had turned their yard into a playground. They have water slides and picnic tables and a volleyball net and playground equipment and firepits and on and on. They don't charge anything, just make a reservation and leave a donation. It was fantastic. The boys loved it, and Braden simply couldn't get enough. We were so glad that Mandy and Ike were there from North Dakota and that Russ and Janelle came during harvest, and that Melissa and Klade put it all together during their craziest week ever. We knew it wasn't convenient for anyone, but it was wonderful.

Then we drove back to Corinne to stay the night, went to church the next morning, then drove Dave to the SLC airport so he could fly home to work while me and the boys went the PG to continue our fun vacation for the whole month of August.