Home... the final frontier

At the Morning Glory Pool, Yellowstone National Park






Brian and kids, my brothers Jon and Andy, sister-in-law Traci and neice Kennedy where the Snake River begins



Megan and Parker riding Tiger

There is something to be said about vacations... don't take them. I have discovered that the best place to relax and enjoy yourself is at home. (although, that usually only happens after the kids are in bed or they are playing at a friends) but I digress...

Why do we take vacations? to get away from it all? to see something cool that we haven't seen before? To spend an exorbitant amount of money on gas, food, and souvenirs that break the next day? ... or simply to have a nice vacation and then stretch it out by having the car break down on the way home. (By the was that last sentence should be read with drenching sarcasm)

In all seriousness we just took two amazing vacations. We went to the barely thriving metropolis of New Plymouth Idaho to visit my family. Parker, Megan, and Colton see their cousins about once a year but you would never know it. They jumped right in and started playing as soon as we got there. Normally we go camping but the timing was bad this year so we didn't make it out this year. The great thing is Katie and Jody,and who knows who else planned some activities to help keep the kids entertained. Katie brought our GPS and we did some geocaching. The kids loved it. I think the adults loved it too. Then on the 4th of July Jody did some games with the kids. Jody also did tie dye-shirts. when you see the pictures you will see the shirts. they turned out really good. Parker made his obligatory trip over to Campbell Tractor to look buy a toy. We had to drag uncle Dave along. It was tough getting him to set foot in a place like that. It would be easier to get my dad in Victoria Secrets than get Dave in a tractor store. Just kidding. I think Campbell Tractor is Dave's second home.

We went to Utah to the Police concert then up to Yellowstone with Katie's family and had a really great time. I will post the pictures in a little while.

coming up next post... the saga of the van. Honestly you can't make this stuff up. This is why I titled this the final frontier because I thought I was never going to make it home.