The TRIP-part two

I finally remembered that we had a camera with us at this point in the trip.
Monday--Zoo & BBQ at Kelli's. SO FUN! We had to take the chance and visit the zoo while it was decent weather. Ethan loves the penguins and Wyatt doesn't think a trip to the zoo is complete without a visit to the ducks. We actually had some good luck feeding the birds. Tim had several birds land on his arm to drink juice.
We were set to have the BBQ at the park but it started to rain so we held it at Kelli's house. It was great to visit with good friends. The kids did remarkably well for being inside.

Tuesday--Monday was our 9 year anniversary but we celebrated today. My mom took the kids and Tim and I went to the Temple. It was our first time since Mallory was born. It was great to be in that peaceful place with my wonderful husband. After the temple we went out to lunch at the Old Spaghetti Factory and then stopped by Burgerville for a YUMMY shake. We went to a local park and took a walk and talked.

Wednesday--Family time. We went to Uncle Rob and Aunt Kim's house to play with cousins. Aunt Sarah came with her kids too! I really miss living close to these cousins. They all have great imaginations and it is fun to watch what fun games they come up with to play. We had dinner with Kim and kids and then headed over to invade Uncle Blake and Aunt Sarah's house for a little while.
Thursday--Dinner at the Edwards home. Another group party--which was fabulous. Ethan was so excited to see Ryan again. And those Edwards' girls have always had a special place in our hearts. Mallory warmed right up to them which was not surprising. Zach's favorite part was playing with the GeoTrax train set. We also got the chance to hear about Brandon's mission. He brought some great pictures and shared some mission experiences with us.

Friday--Lunch at Kelli's. Wyatt has really missed Cameron and Sage. Spending time with them was one of our big priorities. These boys were born within 6 weeks of each other and Wyatt really wanted to share his birthday cake with them. So, Kelli volunteered to make a cake for the three of them. She decorated a great cake and I loved their reaction to blowing out the candles together. It was also fun to visit with Lorna and Kelli. Tim was a great sport about it all and played Wii with the kids while we talked.

Dinner and sleepover at the Habel's and craft night. These boys had been asking about a sleepover all week so we indulged them (Thank you Mark and Jenn!). Alyna helped the boys make a fort to sleep in. Then, the Dads watched a movie with the kids and Jenn and I took Mallory and Josie and went over to Shannon's house for a "craft night". I was glad for this chance to visit with Shannon, Sheila, and Jenn. I think more time was spent visiting and nursing babies than working on projects.
Saturday--We got back to my parents house by the time they got home from their temple assignment. My parents were good sports about this trip since we spent a lot of the trip across the river. The boys got to spend time playing with Grandma while Tim and I did some last minute errands to get ready for the trip home. Then Grandma and Grandpa took charge of the kids so that Tim and I could meet Brian & Sheila and Brian & Paige for dinner. Brian and Brian had us all rolling with laughter throughout the meal. It was a lot of fun.
Sunday--We went to church with "Far Away Neighbor Grandma and Grandpa" (Wyatt's nickname for Gma and Gpa Perkins). After lunch we headed for Boise. Wyatt informed us in the middle of nowhere that he had to use the bathroom. UGH! Of course, we were miles from any exit so he didn't make it.
Monday--Aunt Lisa and Uncle Jake have a really cool swimming pool in their neighborhood. Luckily, the weather was really nice in Boise so we spent the morning swimming with cousins. It was sunny and warm and we all ended up with sunburns.
Overall--it was a great trip. We came home exhausted. The kids loved seeing their cousins and friends and we loved visiting with everyone. We look forward to our next visit.