A Quick Trip North!!

We had not planned to go, but when we heard the kids would not be starting school until August 22nd, we just had to try and make it work!

Here are four happy children, thinking of spending time with their Grandma and Grandpa and their special Aunts and Uncles and Cousins! 

We spent a night in the Salt Lake airport as Delta was having major trouble with their computer system.  They got us out the next morning to Spokane, where we had to rent two cars to drive to Kalispell!

It was all worth it to be with family.  Mom had a healthy meal all laid out for us! We spent a day running errands, playing with Harris cousins, and getting ready for the Christensen family reunion.  Then we hooked up the trailer and headed for Auntie Kay's house. Kyla came too!

Auntie Kay, Uncle Todd, Aiden and Alex took us on a beautiful hike to Crow Creek Falls.  It was so refreshing to get out in the woods and enjoy nature in all it's summer splendor! After a good dinner in Ennis, we headed for Dana's.

It was wonderful beyond words to spend time with our meeting friends! Dana road with us to Idaho Falls on Sunday to JoAnne and Steve's.  It did our hearts good to sit in meeting and be able to understand and enter in to all that was shared.  We overindulged at Chuck-o-Rama all-you-can-eat buffet and then drove back to Victor for a tour of Dana's new house. Then on to Buttermilk campground in Island Park for the Christensen family reunion.

Above are pics our our large group camp site, an old cabin we toured, the reservoir for swimming and singing around the campfire.  Very secluded, private site.

One day we floated one of the slow moving forks of the Henrey's Fork river.  It was our first experience with kayaks! Super fun! 

There was a mug exchange the last evening.  Everyone had a blast trading and stealing their favorite mugs and all the boys had to use theirs for coffee the next morning. The food at the reunion was absolutely amazing! We all wanted to stay there forever, but alas we packed up and headed for Kalispell.  Our first flight home left at 6am.  We watched a beautiful sunrise on our way to Salt Lake.  We arrived in Guadalajara to find that our car was not ready at the mechanic, so we spent the night in a motel, rented a minivan, and drove home to La Cienega.  I am happy to say, as we were driving over the last pass and over the hill into our little valley, my heart began to smile and that familiar, good feeling of "coming home" fell over me.  I love that feeling!