Before I begin telling you about my trip, I want to say Happy Mother's Day to my Mom. This is a picture that was recently taken when we went to visit my parents in Idaho. My Mom and I share the same birthday and have enjoyed every birthday because of it. I have never wished that I could have my own birthday separate from her but instead have always thought it was a special gift to be born on her birthday! Happy Mother's Day, Mom and Happy Birthday early!
Jigsaw puzzles are a big part of our family. My Dad has taken up a real interest in them since he retired and I grew up visiting my Aunt and Uncle in South Pasadena who always had a card table up with a thousand little puzzle pieces just waiting for our attention. It's becoming a tradition to see if we can complete a puzzle before our visit ends.
AJ picked this one and it was 1,000 pieces! I thought, "he'll never be able to do this" but he surprised us all and met the challenge! I'm starting to realize how much he likes a challenge of any kind. AJ and my Dad did another one when we first got there but I chose to post this one because it represents much of the beauty in Idaho. We were surrounded by mountains and most had a little snow still at the top.
This is a moose that AJ is sitting on. These are all over the small town of Coeur d' Alene and they are placed around to signify an important place to see. You could ideally follow the moose and see all there is to see in this little town. This one was at the base of a hiking trail called Tubbs Hill. There is a 2 mile trail through trees and wildflowers that follows the perimeter of the lake. It was a beautiful hike!
I had decided to book my ticket to see my parents when my eye problem wasn't quite healed. By faith I felt I should step out and believe that by the time I would be flying to see them, my eye would be healed enough to make the trip. God answered and I'm so grateful that I made the trip. We have never all gone to see my family because of the cost of airfare. This was my second time to visit them since they moved to Idaho, 4 years ago. The first time I took Olivia with me so this time AJ got to go.
He was such a joy to have along! I really needed him in the airport to help me cart Micah around and all his baby stuff. Then when we got there he was game for about anything! This hike was one of his favorites.
We hadn't planned on going the entire 2 miles around this trail but we got a little lost so after we found our way back on the main trail we decided we had better stay on it. AJ bounded along with all the energy of an excited puppy while Dad and I plugged along stopping frequently to catch our breath with the excuse to take in the beauty!
Here is that excited puppy stopping just long enough to pose for a picture. There were some really great rock formations and AJ felt he needed to climb the top of them all!
My brother flew up from Portland. It was so nice to all be together again. My brother is still single so he was able to request a few days off work and join us. AJ thought Uncle Steve was really cool.
It was perfect hiking weather!
Another great treat was that my niece, Mandy, made the 3 hr. drive to see my brother and I. It had been 9 years since I had seen her at her wedding and I had never met her two adorable children. We figured out that I was 7 years old when my half-sister had a baby girl. So I became an Aunt to her when I was just a girl. I remember getting a lot of attention over that.
I'm amazed that she is a mature woman now and mother! She is beautiful and lots of fun. I remember her as a little girl just like her daughter. It's really mind boggling how people grow up and change.
This is Mandy and my brother at the park. We were joking about this picture wanting to title it "The Denim Duo".
My brother is an Uncle again. This was his first time to meet Micah.
It's fun for me to see my brother with children especially babies.
This is my Mom with Micah and AJ. She was very willing to watch Micah despite her health issues while the rest of us ran around town.
Micah was all over their house, crawling in and out of everything. Every time we thought he was trapped (like inside the base of this bar stool) he would maneuver his way out.
On our last night there, my Dad took AJ to a restaurant/hotel on the lake for a dessert. AJ really wanted to see this place since his older sister had bragged about eating there a few years earlier. We ordered the largest dessert possible and shared it.
This expression is for Olivia! Check it out, a 16 inch banana split!
The blue roofs in the background are little "boatports", a word I made up as a spin off of "carports". Boat owners rents these along the lake to park their boats.
Grandpa and Grandson
Thank you all for praying for my trip! I really felt the Lord answer your prayers. I was very anxious about the flight home since I realized on the flight there how crazy it is to fly with a baby in the first place! We had to take two flights to get there and had a 2 hr. layover in between in Seattle. It makes for a very long day! To my amazement though, on the trip home, Micah did awesome! He didn't sleep much but was content and happy on the 4 hour flight from Seattle to Texas! Thank you! It was truly a miracle.
No comments:
Post a Comment