Idatah Family Trip

I've decided to combine Utah and Idaho into one word because when we visit Todd's side of the family we always stop in both places so it might as well be one anyway.

We made a summer trip out to Idaho this year and it was awesome. I was super mega prego but the weather was perfect, we saw lots of family, and of course the Broadway show that is the Idaho Falls fireworks. We loooooove seeing Grandma Smith and more pictures will come shortly. This time I got to spend some time with just me and the kids and I have to say I loved our late night chocolate cake and Hoprah watching. Very fun and we can't wait until next year.

Grandma and just a few of her grand kids. With the exception of Ashley who I remember holding as a baby in the hospital like it was yesterday, all these little ones are exactly the same ages. Getting together is so fun, still not complete without the Zengers and Brett, but lots of fun.

A little sweet mixed with a little sassy.

We are num-ber 1!

They seem so loving and sweet with each other.

Add some laughs and some fond memories of their high school basketball games and friendly competitive spirits.

And without hesitation they have to battle it out on the court to once and for all prove who's best. These two are so alike. Basketball runs in their blood.

These two peanuts are no match for Logan the super baby. At barley two he's pulling the kids around Grandma's house.

Size doesn't matter unless you use it to measure hugs. So much love to go around.

Lots of boys in the house and now there's one more that could be added to this picture.

Brooklyn and Lauren I don't think ever learned each other's names but when they talk about each other they just say 'my friend.' Love it.

This is what Logan looks like without his scheduled nap. No one knows what set him off but he's making sure we all know that he's super mega sized upset about it.

This is hands down my favorite part of the zoo. These little monkeys are so tiny and so cute. I really would love to take one home but the new baby is pretty close. He's really fury and has very black hair with very dark eyes.

Lemonade animal drinks, another zoo tradition. Brooklyn's could have been a pink wart hog and she still would have picked it as her favorite.

Three musketeers.

Brooklyn loves to go into the petting zoo and pretend she's a baby animal. This is when she decided to conquer the egg. It's actually pretty similar to how she came into the world. She couldn't simply hatch and sit in her egg she had to violently break it open and then climb to the top to view her kingdom.

Brooklyn and the tiger.

The train ride is so fun and so cute. The kids feel like they are so big because they get to hold their own tickets and get on the train all alone.

Even Logan loved to be a big little man. It helps that he is obsessed with anything that has wheels.

Crocs on rocks.

Logan decided to get in on the action.

One of the prettiest parts of the trip is seeing grandma's yard. The flowers are always pouring out of their pots and the colors are so amazing. It's the pretty flowers I love and the BBQ pit master set up in the back that Todd loves and takes full advantage of.

When the kids realized I could take their picture mid-air they were excited to be caught up in the action.

Lauren and Brooklyn showing their jumping skills.

Since we were is Utah I thought it would be appropriate to capture Dylan's fashion choice on film. He never does this at home but that morning he made the decision to wear socks with his sandals. Has this California girl taught him nothing about proper shoe attire?

Oh how I wish I had a cave for my children to hide in in my house. It would be a perfect time out spot.

Building their own mythical monster and then going for a nice roll on the ground. Why? Because there is a ground and therefore they must roll all over it.

She may look frightened but she was actually just surprised that I caught her sneaking more Cheetos from my bag. Cheetos are kind of like a 9-1-1 food when I need my kids to be quiet in an instant. I know, totally healthy and nutritious.

I love how they all posed so sweetly right in front of this giant bloody shark mouth.

Jordan and Dylan pretending to hold their breath and jump into shark infested waters. And yes, they are totally holding hands, safety in numbers.

Adventures in candy eating and dinosaur hunting.

A trip to Idaho is never complete without many trips to Grandma's office. She is a very hard worker and the kids love to come to her office to see how much they can distract her and steal all of her candy. The location of the secret stash is safe with me.

This is Uncle Dana doing a fabulous magic trick. I'm pretty sure he used this one one me when i was Brooklyn's size.

Grammy Great and some of her many great grandbabies. She still manages to have the perfect toys at her house to entertain the kids with. And when they get bored with the toys, there's always Uncle Dana. Ha!

Please excuse my lovely baby belly that is taking up this whole shot. Just a few short months ago Kristi was carrying these beautiful babies in her tiny belly. Now we are all blessed to meet the twins and watch Kristi master the art of raising lots of little ones. She's totally amazing and i miss her tons. It was a short visit but Logan managed to get Todd to have an awesome Jedi battle before he removed his stitches in his upper lip. Logan was Todd's best friend before he made him bleed and then it was a sad but quick getaway.

And here is what I came home to. A clean house, a very missed husband, and these beauties. They are totally he color of the pink used at our wedding. I love roses and I love my husband more and more all the time. It was a happy reunion and a perfect ending to an awesome two weeks.