a quick week in idaho

About a two weeks ago, we jumped on a plane and headed back to Idaho Falls for a quick visit.

And boy was it great.

We needed a little vacation.

You know, to rest some bones and tired souls?

While Tyrel and I planned for it to just be our family {thanks to Southwest and their sweet 40% off tickets deal}, two of his siblings and their families were able to make the trip out as well.

It was fun to get together and play games, cuddle babies, talk about babies, wish it could be easier to have babies, and let our manly men go shoot guns {because that is fun, I guess?}.

We had big plans on dropping in on old friends to say hi, but then when you realize you have no car because you came in on an airplane, we didn't get to see hardly a person.

Next time, guys!
I promise!!

It was also insanely cold {which temperatures we apparently brought back to Minnesota with us, golly gee}, so we stayed inside as much as possible.

We caught a few movies, ate lots of food, and laughed like crazy.

It just makes us that much more excited for February/March when we head to Arizona {helllllooooo warm weather!} for Tyrel's brother's wedding.

He was the only one who couldn't make it, and, since he is getting married and all, we have plenty of things to do to him so he feels loved  ;)

 With toddlers throwing up, toddlers having fevers, babies crying, and babies fussing, these are the only pictures I got.

But at least the kids are cute?

Now that we are home and and settled {almost} back into our normal routine, we will hopefully have lots more posts coming your way!!

guess where we went today...

That's right.

Kemry's first visit to the East Idaho State Fair.

Blackfoot rocked our socks with 5 hours of food, magic, sunshine, interesting people, and farm animals.

I was with my entire family.

And I loved every minute of it!

More to come later...with, of course, tons and tons of {and way too many} pictures!

a lesson from idaho {that would make my mom ashamed}

After my husband decided that it was okay for his family to know we were dating {and see us hold hands, even}, we began spending a lot of time at his house {because any excuse to get out of Rexburg, ID is a good one}.

Most of the time we just did a lot of homework.

One day, while in the basement, I went to plug in my laptop behind their couch.
Tyrel looked up and said, "Don't plug it in back there. That's where I just killed a hobo."

He then casually turned back to his homework.

Waaaaait.

Whaaat?

You killed a homeless man!?!?!

And you are not even concerned about it?

{Now, I didn't really think my husband had killed someone, but play along with me.}

A few weeks later, we were talking about the change in weather, and he said, nonchalantly, "I guess it will be time soon to put out the hobo traps."

What is it with you Idahoans and these poor people?

What did they ever do to you?

And what is a hobo trap?

A cage with a Big Mac dangling from a string?

"Why do you have to set out a trap?"

{Still honestly confused}

"Because they will chase you. And if they bite you, you could die."

Man. I wouldn't want to live in the city.

"Do you want to see one?"

Well, shoot.

I guess.

We go back downstairs, and Tyrel pulls out a piece of white paper.

And I see something like this:

 Eww.

Apparently, a hobo isn't a man named Hank, but rather a disgusting spider.

Google them.

They are nasty.

And huge.
And, yes. They do chase you.

From experience.

 

I wasn't ever scared of bugs.

In fact, I grew up with a freezer full of them {that sounds gross?}, thanks to my Mom's degree.

I remember going fossil hunting as a family {and, yes, my family is much cooler than yours} and my mom sending us running for our lives after another crazy insect, Bell jar in one hand and the lid covered with a paper towel in the other.

We caught the coolest bugs.
And then my mom would freeze them {or send them to a different agonizing death via alcohol-drenched-cotton-ball in the jar}. 

After they had bid their fond adieus, she would carefully press the wings flat and pin them in our bug collection.

We would get out the insect guides and figure out exactly what we had caught.
Eventually, our collection looked something like this:

...except bigger.

With more bugs.

{The best part about this collection, by the way, is that while all of my friends had to catch bugs for their High School Biology bug collections, I relaxed and just took our collection with me the day the project was due. with me to school. A+? Yeah. Definitely.}

Thus, bugs never scared me.

But now.
Oh gee.

I jump every time I think I see something dark across the carpet.

And I'm scared that now I might be a little scared of bugs.

Sorry, Mom. 

Idaho corrupted me.

deepest thoughts from my husband

As we were driving to Blackfoot to pick up my stranded, car-broken-down little brother today, Tyrel and I were enjoying a few moments alone.

Just us.

No baby.

It was a quiet drive. 

Also nice.

But quiet.

And pleasant. 

And rather quite.

After a few minutes of silence, Tyrel turns to me and says,

"I think potatoes are really cool."

I turned and looked at the happiest, most serious but extremely bright eyes.

And burst out laughing.

I think this seals the deal.

I married the cutest Idaho boy ever made.

slushy accumulation?

Whaaaat?

I thought spring was supposed to be creeping in?

Oh wait.

I live in Idaho.

Winter lasts for another 6 months here, changing itself just in time for winter to start again.

Luckily we fly home {holla South Dakota!} a week from tomorrow where the weather looks a little more favorable...maybe Kemry won't grow up thinking it is cool to be a hermit after all.