on the road...AGAIN.

Wow, what a crazy couple of last weeks we've had. I'm happy to be home again and in the normal routine of things...even though I am CONSUMED with laundry!

The short story is- we went to Idaho for Memorial Day and had fun. then we came back to Oregon. then, a few days later, we got news of Grammy's passing away and headed BACK to Idaho just one week later. And we were there all last week. Now we are home AGAIN. for good. hopefully.

Before we left I made this blanket for baby Emelia, but I made the big mistake of not checking first how her name was spelled...so I put an "a" on it for "Amelia". oops. Alison (her momma) didn't act like she minded but I felt really dumb. ha..

 also made this "lovey" with the extra minky scraps.

The night before we took off we also decided to try out the complex pool for the first time this summer. It was good to take a break from packing and other stresses...and it was super hot, so the pool was definitely a good idea.

Now, the drive from Salem to Parma is about 7 hours...with about an hour added on for rest stops aka diaper changes and/or minor toddler emergencies. Our kiddos are actually pretty content in our little car..they've got the double dvd players going, with snacks all around and a backpack full of books, electronic toys, coloring stuff and activity pages. But um..7 hours is a long time, regardless of how much awesome crap covers our backseat. And we did it four times within 3 weeks...as proud as I am that we survived, I don't think we'll be taking any more road trips for a while.

However- I am so glad we went back. Grammy's funeral was so nice and we got to see ALL of Jonathan's family- including my sister-in-law that is one of my best friends! Megan and I grew up together in the south, then grew up and went to school in Idaho and married brothers. haha! I love her. It was so special seeing her, Daniel, and little Ryleigh. Ryleigh & Talmage were conjoined at the hip the entire time they were together. Unfortunately their family was only able to stay for about a day and a half, but we made good use of our time :D

Although we were all brought together for a funeral, it was also like a mini-vacation. The family rented a cabin in Garden Valley for the week and it was so beautiful there. The river's edge was just footsteps away and there was also a big pond next door.

My most favorite moments during our stay:
roasting marshmallows in the fire pit
canoeing & swimming around the pond with Jonathan
trying again & again to catch a fish..never got one, but Jonathan probably snagged like 30. haaa
Talmage & his dad fishing together for the first time
seeing T reel in a big 'un :D
cousins playing together and having such a good time!
being with Megs & Alison!
meeting & holding my brand new niece Emelia (just two weeks old!)
Farmer's Market in Crouch, where I scored an antique jar that I've been searching for.
hot tub. nuff said!

Now that we're home I'm looking forward to some sewing therapy, berry picking, and getting officially settled in Oregon (now that we know we're staying for good). Being absent from the internet so much these last few weeks has been really nice and its made me realize how much LESS of it I need in my life. So if I don't blog as much or update my FB status every day, that is why. haha. Summertime is prime time to be away from the computer and outside with the kids, who are literally growing like weeds before me!