Idaho

Well, we just got back from spending 5 days up in Idaho visiting Jeff's parents' home in Driggs.

As soon as we arrived, Jeff and John took the kids out fishing on the Teton River.

The next morning we headed over to the Jackson County Fair in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. We packed a lunch and had a picnic in the park first:

After checking out the fair (pretty uneventful) we got ice cream and ate it in the famous Jackson Hole town square with its elk antler arches:

Later in the afternoon we headed back over the pass to Driggs. Jeff and I had the rare opportunity to do something with just one child! We took Emily on a walk up in the hills beyond Jeff's childhood home - looking for wildflowers.



It is a path that holds a lot of memories for Jeff and I. We walked up here several times when we were dating. I can only imagine all the memories that Jeff has associated with this path. He came up here a lot as a child.

Here is our finished product:

On Friday we headed out to St. Anthony Idaho, where Jeff's grandmother lives. That night the kids and Jeff and his parents went to the Rodeo.

The next morning was pretty exciting. The St. Anthony Pioneer Day parade was passing right in front of Great Grandma's house!

I just love this picture. Blake and his cousin are compairing their candy loot:

One of the fabulous "small town America" traditions that continues in Southeast Idaho is the handing out of milk cartons along the parade route. Here is a picture of Blake with is chocolate milk and a new T-shirt he recieved from a pony company:

The next day, Sunday, we went to the Cedron Cemetary to visit his younger brother's grave.

Steve died in a scouting accident when Jeff was 14 years old. This is the view from the gravesite, looking East towards the Grand Tetons.

Afterwards we took a boat ride on the Teton River:

Emily thought she'd try her hand at guiding the boat:

On Monday we decided to take Katie and the boys back to the mountain path where Emily and I had picked wildflowers.

Clark and Jeff diverted the stream:

And Emily and Blake built a dam below:

Then in the afternoon we went to visit a good friend of mine. I lived with the Wilson family in Alta Wyoming during the summer of 1997. It was during that summer that I met Jeff and the rest is history. The Wilsons live on a sheep ranch and our kids had a blast exploring it with their six children.

Here is a photo of our kids with her younger five:

When we left, their children all stood on a rock to wave good-bye to us. You'll see Cedric the lamb in the photo also. Cedric was orphaned as a baby and so the kids bottle fed him. As a result, Cedric is very civilized.

The next day we made the five hour drive back to Utah. By the way, Katie hates driving in the car. It was not a fun experience. Ugh. Oh well.