For this last Memorial Holiday, Spencer and I decided to tack on a couple of extra days and take advantage of the long weekend. We decided to take a road trip and visit a good friend of his, an old mission companion named Beau. Beau and Spencer became great friends while they served together in Texas and he was even the best man in our wedding. He now lives in Thatcher, ID with his wife, Amy. I found out some interesting information when I did some research trying to figure out where in the heck Thatcher, ID was. I found out that they were only an hour away from my parents favorite getaway spot called Bear Lake. I had never been to Bear Lake before although they rant and rave about how awesome it is there. I immediately called them up and told them our plans and asked if they could meet us there for a night or two. It was a done deal.
So the first 3 nights we spent with Beau & Amy. We spent a lot of time riding 4-Wheelers, which our boys absolutely LOVED! Andrew loved them the most, without a doubt. We joined some of their friends and relatives for a cook-out on their property which had an amazing view. Spencer went turkey hunting but wasn't very successful, but he took the boys fishing and was very successful at that. We spent an afternoon at a water park in Lava Hot Springs and it was fun just seeing the guys reconnect.
That Sunday morning we left and drove to Bear Lake. My parents got a 2 bedroom condo for us to all share. It was great seeing them! Spencer and I love to vacation with them because we always have the best time. I was disappointed with the weather though while we were there. It was mostly overcast with sporadic hard rain showers, but then it would momentarily clear up. When it did clear up for an hour or two I was able to get a tiny glimpse at the beauty of the lake. It was turquoise, just like what I'd imagine the Caribbean to look like. It was beautiful. My picture really gives no justice to it's natural beauty. Despite the weather, we had a great visit with my parents.
On our way home we stopped in Boise and spent the night with my brother and his family. The boys sure enjoyed playing with their cousins and it really made me miss being so spread out from my family. We all live so far apart and that makes it nearly impossible for us to all get together. I guess that's why road trips are so great, it allows us to stop many places along the way, reconnecting once again with those we love.
Yesterday was Andrew's 2nd birthday and I am really in awe at how fast the time has flown by! It's interesting how when I think of the future 2 years sounds so far away, but then 2 years ago seems just like yesterday. How can it work like that?? Anyway, at 2 years old he is growing into quite the adorable little boy. Last night we had a little party for him with cupcakes and homemade waffle cones. My store gave him his own little personal birthday cake and after we sang to him he just stood there in front of the candles not quite knowing what to do. His brother's had to finally step in and blow them out. Andrew is really starting to talk a lot these days. He loves to dance and gives great hugs and kisses. He is such a wonderful addition to our family and I love him so very much. Happy Birthday baby!
I had the wonderful opportunity to spend the past week with my Dad. He lives in Utah and so we don't get to see each other more than a couple times a year. For most of our visit we stayed at the beach near Lincoln City. Spencer was able to spend Saturday through Monday with us and then he and Austin headed home while I stayed with our other two boys. Our weather was amazing!! Very little rain and no wind. Having no wind was actually a little bitter-sweet; we really looked forward to flying our kites, but truly there was not enough wind to do so. I found that unusual for the beach. We did get to play on the beach though and the waves were huge this time of year. Austin thought it would be fun to run from them, but he couldn't. Spencer brought his Dad's boat and so we went crabbing and caught a total of 14 keepers. 
We also hit the outlets in Lincoln City and found some amazing deals. Every evening I really enjoyed watching the sunsets. Because it was so clear out, the sky lit up so nice and bright. Once we came home from the beach my Dad had the opportunity to go sturgeon fishing with my Father in law. I was really wishing that he would be fortunate enough to catch one, but it just wasn't the case. I'm starting to wonder if he believes me that there really are sturgeon in the river. Regardless, I know he had fun and we had a great time with him. Unfortunately, my Step Mom wasn't able to come this trip, but we missed her greatly! 
The Company 
Over the summer I took the kids, including my wonderful niece Caylin, to the Zoo. The weather was perfect and all the animals were out basking in the sun. We kind of did our trip in reverse by starting out in the Africa section, my FAVORITE part! The coolest thing we saw was this Orangutan just chillin' right next to the glass. He/She even had what looked like a smile on her face and the kids were able to go right up to her and she didn't care. Gotta love Zoo animals!
My next favorite part was seeing this gorilla. He just laid there baring it all, in peace. I loved it.
The polar bears were by far the most playful. We had the opportunity to watch them play hard right in front of us. They would get a barrel, throw it into the water, and then jump high in the air and land on top of it. They were very entertaining and so much fun to watch. Before leaving, we had to make sure to feed the birds. They boys absolutely loved doing this. Cameron was a little nervous and needed some help holding the cup still. Austin had no problems. Caylin was sure nice to buy the kids a cup of nectar. Thank you Caylin! It was a great trip to the Zoo. 
Our time at Diamond Lake was wonderful! We spent the first full day touring Crater Lake. Oh my goodness, what a site Crater Lake is!! I was in awe at how beautiful the water is. The lake is such a vibrant color of blue and turquoise, so pretty. At one of the many pit stops along the course of the lake there is a hiking trail that leads up to a really cool lookout tower. The hike was a full mile up hill. Luckily, I was able to convince Spencer that we should all go up there, so we both took turns carrying Andrew. It was well worth it. The rest of the time was really relaxing. We went on a family bike ride around part of Diamond Lake, Spencer took the kids fishing and we just relaxed. It was really fun running into a friend of ours who was there spending time with his brothers. What a small world we live in :) 
Shady Cove was probably the most fun though! The Rogue River is so beautiful!! The RV park we stayed at has almost 1,000 feet of river front property with a rock path and park benches all along the way. It was very classy and nice. The Park also owns a hotel next door and all guests are allowed to use the pool and hot tub facilities, which was a bonus. I highly recommend this place to others. The highlight of this part of the trip was taking our kids on a rafting trip down the Rogue River. We went on a 4 hour float down the river which, surprisingly, had some pretty good rapids. Nothing strong enough to knock you out of the boat, but strong enough to get a little adrenaline pumping through the veins. Our boys LOVED it! Andrew was a little "cautious" at the beginning, but had no problem as he became more experienced. Every night we did family bike rides around the park. We took an afternoon and drove into Medford so I could say that I've officially seen it, and the boys (Spencer & Austin) did a lot of fly fishing on the river. 
