Quick trip to Idaho

When did this week get so busy?  We’ve been home from Idaho for almost a week and I’m just now sitting down to write about it.

After seeing a billboard advertising an Egyptian exhibit in Idaho Falls this year, I thought going to Idaho would be a nice little vacation for us this year (since we couldn’t afford to go back to Nova Scotia, no matter what C’s been telling everybody.)  We discussed schedules forever and DH kept saying, “That’s a bad weekend.”  “That weekend is bad too.”  “So is that weekend.”  I finally had to point out that the reason he has vacation time is so he can actually take time off work.  We don’t have to go on a weekend!  Certain weeks though, he just can’t get away, so we finally ended up leaving last Tuesday.  It was a fairly quick trip, but it was so nice to leave town and just be together in what was a fairly relaxing trip.  We really didn’t have to be anywhere at any given time and that was nice.

We stopped at my grandparents’ house in Pocatello on the way up and had lunch before going to the World of the Pharaohs exhibit in Idaho Falls.  There were no cameras allowed inside the exhibit, so no pictures, but it was a really nice experience and I’m so glad we went after having studied Egypt.  (Of course that was the whole point!)  I printed out some scavenger hunts from their website to keep the kids somewhat occupied.  I was amazed that A remembered what went into each of the canopic jars with the mummies.  They all especially liked the kitten mummy that was on display.  I really loved the colorful papyrus paintings that were decorating the walls.  It was a nice exhibit although I think the boys had a lot more fun playing in the pioneer discovery room where they crawled in caves and teepees, played in a log cabin, tried on mountain man clothing, and played with games and puzzles.  It was a little more kid-friendly.

We got their names printed out in hieroglyphs at the end.  They’re holding them up in the photo, but DH forgot that the people should be closer to the camera than the building if you really want to be able to see them. 

I really like how the clouds are reflected in the museum’s glass wall:

We also went to see the Idaho Falls Temple and to walk along the falls themselves.

There were such beautiful flowers in front of the temple:

The temple behind the falls:

The boys thought it was great fun to stay in a hotel for a night and DH thought it was wonderful to get to splurge a bit and have sushi from one of my uncle’s favorite places in Idaho Falls.  He was more than willing to share, but just the look of sushi is enough to make me gag. 

On Wednesday, we drove to Rexburg to meet up with one of my freshman roommates at BYU who has just moved back here from overseas, and has a beautiful new baby, and to meet up again with Liz who was down visiting family from Washington.  However Liz’s kids had the flu so we stayed at M’s house for quite awhile which was really nice.  The kids all played in her huge yard and we talked, and tried to figure out when we had last seen each other–probably 11 years ago, at my wedding reception!  Hopefully it won’t be so long between visits again.  We were glad we waited until her husband made it home from a geology field trip to Hawaii and we were able to see some really cool pictures of volcanoes and some lava toes that he picked up.   A especially is starting to get interested in volcanoes which we’ll be studying this year. 

We drove by the new Rexburg temple:

Then we drove out to Liz’s sister’s house just to say hi, and to see Liz’s new baby, and I didn’t even think to take a picture.  But it was fun to meet Jenny and see Liz again, and get some homeschool books from Jenny.  (Thank you!!) 

Then we drove back to Pocatello where my uncle had promised the boys they could roast hot dogs.  It’s not every boy whose great-grandparents have a fire pit in their back yard!  It was nice to spend time with the great-grandparents and my uncles as well.

 

Daddy brought the tent and they had so much fun running in and out all evening.  This might be the closest we get to camping this year.

We walked down to see the new statue of Chief Pocatello:

Then hiked over the volcanic rock in Ross Park and played for awhile before going to watch the freight trains.

I was more interested in clouds and rays of sunlight.

Then we hiked back home and got the fire going again for s’mores.

 

Now they want to know if we can: A) Roast marshmallows over our gas stove at home or B) Build a fire pit in our back yard.  My answer: C) None of the above.

DH was absolutely amazed that I slept outside in the tent too.  I’m not really into camping but I actually love to sleep outside, although I think the ground is harder now than I ever remember growing up.  It was actually the tent I didn’t like, it smelled funny and I was getting claustrophobic inside before I finally fell asleep.  The boys fell asleep almost at once.  They were so excited to sleep outside and yet so worn out.  They woke up happy though.

Thursday morning my Uncle B took us to the Natural History museum with and to an Indian restaurant for lunch before we headed home.  We told C we were going for Indian food and he asked, “Are we going to eat bear?”  Wrong kind of Indian, C. 

D and A with the T-rex skull in the dinosaur exhibit:

C with the bison and saber-toothed tiger skeletons:

Then we drove home.  And it was hot, and my hay fever allergies kicked in, and life got crazy again.  Not that I don’t like my life, it’s just nice to get away sometimes.  But we do have another short trip (sort of) planned that’s coming up.  Details to come. . .