Our Bumpy Road: On the Road to Idaho

I had this amazing idea in December that we needed to plan to go into visit Micah's family for the 24th of July which is a holiday (Pioneer Day) in Idaho. Micah's home town celebrates in style... more on that later.

We left on Saturday at 6am and drove all day. This was what the kids looked like driving. Everyone did so great, having a giant TV to watch while we drove had to be a huge factor in their good behavior.

Micah drove us all the way to Pocatello, and we made it to the hotel just in time to take the boys swimming. Micah got in the pool with the 3 boys and I wasn't sure that they were going to ever get out.

We made the short drive to Shelley, ID on Sunday and spent time with Micah's brother Cole and his family. Cole's wife Kate had found a Festival at Targhee Resort just below the Teton Mountains on the Idaho side. We ditched the older kids with a sitter and head to the festival. Where we met Kate's sister Erin and her husband Chad and their darling little man who is a few weeks older than Marley.

Brandi Carlile was the headliner and the she closed the show... we went to see just her! Her song 'The Story' has been one of my favorite songs for years, and I relate to her music in so many ways. She and the Twins were amazing and I am dying to go see them again!

After the show Kate's sitter Erin saw a small crowd formed to the side of the stage and say Brandi right in the middle signing autographs and meeting people. We hightailed it that to the fence and got inline. She signed everything that was handed to her, but Marley... I tried but she refused to sign my baby. I have a sick sense of humor! She posed for a picture and chatted with us about her little girl at home and being a traveling mother.

Holy neat experience!

Chad picked a great dinner spot, with this insanely yummy pizza! Erin and Kate are long time Brandi fans and they gushed over meeting her and getting to visit with her about babies and concerts. We chatted the evening light away and then headed to Rexburg to pick up Reese from her grannie Shelia's.

Marley cried from the restaurant all the way to Rexburg.. like an hour straight! I was ready to throw myself from the car!

Reese had been spending lots and lots of time with her Grannie who is an amazing horse woman, practicing barrel racing. She was also caring for Sheila who had just broken her leg barrel racing at Sandy Downs. Neither of them was ready to say goodbye and we got to hear about all their adventures on the way back to Shelley.

Monday we got to hang at the house and let the kids enjoy their cousins.

Then that evening we headed to Rexburg to watch Reese practice her barrels... she did so good!

it was hot and dusty, but watching all the Cow people ride was very cool for the boys and did you know that arenas have the best, the very best dirt to play in. Its soft and feels just like flour. The boys started building roads and mountains and the dirt started to fly... Mason accidently threw dirt on a lady that had set up her chair right behind all the city building... (what an idiot to set up with your back to little boys and gobs of dirt) Mason got chastised and he had to apologize for getting dirt on this lady... it went from a mistake to a full blown drama.

Mason and I went the rounds, and he begged to go to the car he was so embarrassed for throwing dirt... he then showed Micah and I what a great actor he is... he scream cried for 5 minutes and had us both feeling awful for all his angst. Poor Micah hadn't seen the show before, but I had... it gets old real quick and all my motherly love goes out the window and I feel the need to give him something to cry about. (I don't it would only make things worse, but dang it pisses me off)

Amazingly he recovered when Uncle Cole started to cool down the Reese's horse.