Family Vacation

This past week our family went on our family vacation! We headed up To Idaho, Oregon and then to Washington. It was a lot of fun, but also very exhausting at the same time! Sarah and Jonathan did surprisingly very well in the car overall!

Wednesday night we headed to my great Grandma's to help with the drive to Boardmen OR. It was nice to visit with great grandma and Connie. We enjoyed enjoyed a hot breakfast, thanks so much Aunt Connie! And then we were on our way! I am not into watching lots of TV, so I really didn't want to get portable DVD players esp since Sarah won't even watch it. But they pretty much entertained themselves one way or the other. Jonathan loved to try to make the trucks honk, and would remind me when we passed one. Sarah enjoying fidgeting with blankets or anything she could get her hands on. We stopped for a picnic on the boarder of Oregon, it was nice for the kids to run around and be out of the car. Then we got back on the road, it was long and hot and not very exciting scenery. We enjoyed Le Grande nice pine trees, we stopped to play at Mc Donalds and get some ice cream. Then off to Pendleton OR, we stopped at the Pendleton Wool factory, but we missed the tours to see the factory (I was sad).

Then we finally got to Boardmen that was right on the Columbia River. We loved our lodge, it was nice and spacious, and the view was great! When we got there we went down to the river, and Jonathan loved throwing rocks! Then we Grammy Papa, Grandma and Grandpa got there we went to a Mexican restaurant, it was a very small town about three places to eat! But the food was great and it was a good choice. We went swimming that night, which cooled us off!
Our cute family at the lodge.
The next day we decided to go the long way to get to Yakima Wa and decided to do a little site seeing! We headed to the Multnomah Falls! We loved that area it was so beautiful! We stopped at a little waterfall first and then the big one! We saw the Dalles, Mt Hood, Went through Portland, saw Mt St Helen, and Mt Rainer on the way to the Reunion!

That night we set up and had a weiny roast. I was so hot so we all got in the canoe to explore the Lake. It was beautiful! Jonathan didn't last very long and was done. So we took him back to Grammy and Papa. Then we went back out with Sarah. After a bit she become fearless and wanted to stand and touch the water. So we brought her back in, and then Jonathan wanted to get back in. It was so nice on the lake and it sure cooled us off! We got the kids down, and they slept good but woke up early.

Getting in!

The next morning we ate a wonderful breakfast! Then we had a race around the camp. It was fun to race, Jonathan was not happy to be left with Papa and not race. But after the runner they had walkers so Jonathan was happy to do little runs to Papa on our walk. I won for my age division 20+ (however there was only two of us and the other lady was closer to my Mom's age). Dave came in second!

We enjoyed hiking, playing around, going to the lake to swim, the wonderful food, and getting to know Grandpa side better. There are so many people that I have never met so it was good to met them and get to know them a little better! We had a little talent show on Saturday night, which Dave played the violin and our family sang Pokey Bear with Papa (upon Jonathan's request). Jonathan just loves to be the center of attention and it seems to be magnified when he is tried. Jonathan is adored by so many with his red hair, friendly personality, and his pettiness. The teenage girl love him, but Jonathan was attached to Savannah by the end; he called her "Bana". So we had to get a picture of them together! By the end the kids were getting really tried, on Sunday morning Jonathan feel asleep during testimony meeting and slept for four hour until I woke him up!

These are Grandpa's siblings with there spouses (there are 3 that have past on). It was great to met some of Grandpa sibling's for the first time. They have such a large family, I only know a handful. During testimony meeting it was nice to hear stories about our heritage and how loving and faithful my Great Grandparents were! I never met my great Grandpa, but I know that he was a strong great man like my Grandpa. I knew my Great Grandma a little as a child. Being there made me more thankful for my wonderful heritage that were wonderful faithful members of the gospel, forgiving, loving, welcoming, humorous. It was also good to hear that there were certain things that we did growing up that I thought was just our family, but it was part of our heritage that my Grandpa's family did! We always were there on time for church, and tried to be early and then we stayed talking to everyone and were almost always that last ones to leave. It was funny to hear that from some of my Great Aunts. It was a well planned reunion and Dave and I were glad that we went!

Mt Rainer was fairly close to were we were!

On the way home we stayed went to Boise and stayed the night, it was a long drive and we were very excited to get there when we did! The next morning we went to a children's science museum (since it was free with our membership from the children's museum in SLC). It was interesting, I think Dave and I got more out of it. But there were a few exhibits that the kids really enjoyed. They had shopping for food there, and I could find Jonathan for a few minutes and that is where he was at! I was anxious to get home, so we stayed for a little while. The ride home was probably the hardest; but I have learned that ice cream sure makes everyone happy (and messy)! It was nice to get away from the normal routine things of life!