Our Last Full Day in Idaho

This was our last full day in Idaho, so we spent a lot of time with family! The adults focused on packing, while the kids focused on eating and playing.

A busy bunch of boys.

A very happy Clara!

Chris decided that he wanted to be a ninja like Tyler, so he climbed the pole in the middle of the family room. It was so crazy watching him do it! Ryan was convinced that he could do it too. He wasn't very successful.

Chris hanging around. That's how high Ry got.

Chris managed to squeeze in a morning nap with the girls!

 The original plan for our day was to go back to Yellowstone to see Old Faithful and a few other things before heading back to the farm. Well, it mostly worked out. My siblings and their kids were able to go, but my parents, Jonathan, and I waited for the towels and sheets to be clean. Some people may have found that disappointing, but it was really enjoyable. Jonathan and I are used to lots of quiet time and with 7 children that just doesn't happen. As soon as the laundry was done, we headed out.

Just in case you were worried, Old Faithful still works. (This is Chris's picture of it.)

The four of us went to Big Spring to make up for missing a second day in Yellowstone. It was the clearest water I have ever seen!

Yes, that really is the water and not glass.

The two that made this weekend work!

All of this water fed into a river. This is one of the largest natural springs in country.

Apparently there are seagulls in Idaho.

 There was a really pretty little stream and I wanted to see it, so I hopped over a little fence to get closer to it.

A pretty little waterfall.

I'm almost certain that I shouldn't have been there,
so I ran back to the trail.

After checking out the spring, we climbed back into the car and stopped off for lunch at Big Judd's. That's the place that has one-pound burgers. Yes, they are huge. No, none of us tried to eat one on our own. No, I will absolutely never eat one by myself (but I did pretend to!)

I told you it was HUGE!!!

 The four of us shared the monster and I still couldn't finish my quarter of it. It was just too much and delicious

.

My portion of the burger.

After getting back to the farm, Jonathan and I got back into our car to visit his sister, Hannah, in Rexburg. It was so fun! We had our frozen custard before our Mexican dinner. It was so yummy! We also spent some time on campus and Hannah kept running into people she knew. She is so popular! We even ran into one of my childhood friends while we were in the library too. It was crazy!

A bridge that connects two buildings. A very smart addition especially during the winter months.

The library had some really neat things. There was a picture with an image of Christ and the entire text of the Book of Mormon. There was a little magnifying glass so you could read it better.

You can't tell, but the words are all there.

A little further down the hall was a room that had a printing press similar to the one that was used when the Book of Mormon was first published. There was also a case that had a first edition Book of Mormon in it. I am so grateful for the sacrifices of those who printed and distributed that book. It was so difficult at that time and now it is in over 100 languages and there are millions of copies world wide. Their work help to make it possible.

A well worn copy of the Book of Mormon.

After our tour, it was time to say goodbye and head back to the farm.

Rexburg treated us to our last Idaho sunset.

By the time we got there, most of the playing was done for the day and we all made it to bed before waking up for the drive home.

I truly love Idaho. I love how generous Annie's parents were with allowing us to take over their home and feeding us such good food. Whenever I go to Idaho, it almost feels like I'm going home. I feel a closer connection to my grandpa Machen because I am visiting the place where he grew up. I look forward to taking my own children to Idaho in the summers, just like my grandpa did with his children.

This trip was so much fun because my family was finally all together. I feel so blessed to have such a wonderful family. It's crazy and chaotic when we're all together, but I wouldn't have it any other way.