Last Week of Vacation

 Zoo

Chris's family kept us busy with all the fun things to do together throughout the whole trip and squeezing in a visit to the Idaho Falls Zoo before going camping on Wednesday was amazing. Claire and Shay loved running around to look at the animals, playing on the statues and chicken things. Once we were able to pet the goats, Claire started to ask to pet all the animals but thankfully we don't get to go pet lions which was her obsession. I'd say Shay's favorite was the ducks because she could point so many of them out and I tried to get her as excited about the flamingos. They saw the penguins getting fed and the monkeys had bags of food they were playing with too that got us stuck for a while. The otters could have been swimming more when we visited because we sat there for a long time until one swam by!

Date Night

While in Idaho we set up a great triple date with Chris's siblings and their spouses to an Escape Room with a prison theme. We even started off handcuffed and even though there were some technical issues that the attendee had to come help with and she gave cryptic hints throughout to help, we finished with a whole 16 minutes left. First time any of us had done an escape room and we worked really well together, we were a great gang to escape the clink. Earlier that day Chris and I had the opportunity to go to the temple to do sealing with an appointment and took names of our ancestors. Visiting the temple has always been a great date for us and I've missed it so much since things have closed, I'm very grateful we got to go during our trip.

Camping

This week was an easier camping at a lake and site with restrooms and picnic tables. Grandpa had a motor boat we almost didn't get to ride because it was really windy until right before we started dinner. I didn't get a picture of the canoe rides but Claire and Shay went with us twice and we learned to bring sticks so they could paddle and not try to take ours. They lost them a third of the way in and Shay ended up helping me again anyway, but we know for future to bring lots of extra stick paddles. We shared a tent this trip because we had to pay for each additional tent at a site and we tied a blanket down the middle as a make shift room separator when the girls needed to go to sleep and Chris and I were studying. They were pretty worn out and went to sleep while in the same tent.

Playing

The rest of the time we weren't busy with all that we had planned was spent playing with toys, terrorizing the dogs, cleaning the girls from their dirty playing and getting to go to church on Sundays. Shay's nap times are really weird during this trip and she was excited for nursery then got upset that I left and joined us in Sunday school and fell asleep. Daddy had to carry her down to her bed once we got home but that just shows what a good daddy he makes on Father's day. I think Shay is going to like horses when she is older because she loved the toy horse! They have a lot of fun paying in the bath when there aren't many bath toys by jumping up and sitting back down which I don't understand as a game but sure.

Camping

Backpacking

Chris and I went on a mini backpacking trip in Creators of the Moon National Park Wilderness Trail that was about a 4 mile hike each way. We hiked there in the evening and set up camp before it got dark then had a nice easy meal of sandwiches and went to see the Echo Creator that was close. In the morning we cooked oatmeal and packed up camp to head back in and if I hadn't gotten a few blisters from my shoes we would have been able to do the caves. I know now for future hiking trips to get better shoes or boots that won't give me blisters, or tape up my feet as soon as I feel the friction start! We got to see lava trees, tree molds, creators (of course) and some buttes while we hiked through a very lava looking area. Plenty dirty when we got home we were greeted by two girls who kept saying they missed us and giving us hugs.

Camping

We had a full 24ish hours before we got ready for our next camping adventure, this time with Chris's parents and the girls up in the Copenhagen Basin. They know the area really well because they go camping there when they go hunting and there are a lot of trails in the mountains we rode their ranger around. Chris and I had one tent and our smaller 2 person tent for the girls to use which made Claire start calling us neighbors and then grandpa and grandma's trailer was the big house. Then the second night there was another tent from Chris's sisters family that Claire was excited to have a cousin in but never when over to visit. Chris brought his pistols and some targets that we got to shoot and practice with, and Chris took Claire on a mini hike that made him happy about talking to her as they walked. We set up a hammock and they loved swinging on it like a swing and I was a lot better at taking pictures during Chris and I's hiking trip.

Girls

They had some fun wrestling when we were trying to get them to relax in the tent for Shay's nap and ended up wearing each other out to fall asleep. They seem to be playing so hard these days that they nap in the car a lot too which is nice on longer trips when they don't like being in their car seat. We have had the cousins over to play with two times this week and they are good at following the games that are being played and avoiding dinner so that they can get to the toys first. We went to a BBQ with friends and the girls had a blast playing fetch with their dog that I should have gotten a video but we were all talking. They were very excited to go to nursery during church that they wouldn't sit still for sacrament then Shay was tired and fell asleep on me after only being in nursery for half the time. 

Vacation Begins

 Claire

She has been asking to go to grandma and grandpa's house for so long and when we finally had a count down that she could see on the calendar she helped me count every day. When it came to 2 days she started whispering it in my ear like it was a secret and then when we were driving we had to keep reminding her to sit tight. Now that we are here she wants to all the things all the time and never has any time to sit and eat her food or relax because there are so many new toys and the backyard. I've got to get better at feeding them a variety of foods so they will sit and eat them while we are other places. There was a cute moment with her friend and his baby sister that they were playing peek a boo with sunglasses because they saw me doing it. I like that she can play so well with kids close to her age because she has had good practice with Shay.

Shay

She did really well on our drive and was only annoyed at being restrained when she was tired and wanted to nap which was two different times. She also didn't like getting back into the car when we did pit stops for potty breaks but as long as everyone else was getting in the car she wasn't too upset. I guess I should mention the time before we were in Idaho! I got them new little learning flash cards that they can get wet and see pictures that show shapes, numbers, and colors that they liked playing and sharing. Shay is loving the swings in the back yard and isn't scared of jumping on the tramp anymore when Claire is jumping too, she loves it. I think I need to get her a baby doll to play with because they love the ones that are at friends houses here.

Traveling

Along with the bits in the girls section we are excited for all the camping we get to do while we are here and are planning more activities. I was able to join the ladies in a movie activity for mother-in-law's church to see The Witnesses and it was such a good story. We've had a big family waffle dinner, had a cookout with friends, and visited to play at their cousins house a few times. We also joined grandma at a potluck and the girls got to play some of the yard games they had even if they didn't understand the rules. We are planning on going to the zoo while we are visiting and hopefully and escape room too! Tomorrow Chris and I are going overnight backpacking to Creators of the Moon

June is Here!

 Claire

Days are getting hotter here in Cali, but we are staying cool by running around in summer cloths or just bottoms most days. Keeping cool involves going and playing outside in the water so they wear swim suits a lot and we have fans going from afternoon till morning. Claire has taken a lot of naps this week so either she is growing or reacting to the heat and getting worn out faster. She learns so much from all the things around her and loves to play games to imitate things she sees, then she just has the funniest moments. She randomly asked for muffins because we were watching Bluey one morning so I almost tried suggesting something normal but we had bananas to use so I cooked her muffins! We did some fun painting because I got a delivery of paint for an activity and they thought it was a present for them, and it turned into some fun arts and crafts.

Shay

Her favorite food to ask for recently has been eggs and then she came across the Easter eggs and they had to play with them for a few days. She also loves to wear her backpack which technically was Claire up until we got her a new one because Shay stole it, but it all worked out in the end. She loves doing everything that Claire does so she wants to learn how to ride the big bike and she can peddle pretty well now so it's getting better. I didn't get a picture of my new bike trailer but we visited the park in the morning and they played with new friends who shared their car with them. It is so nice to see them sharing and cuddling when the heat is too much and they need some cool down time in the evenings and I caught them watching a show together.