Family Fun in Idaho

All the Levanger cousins 

Megan in her tie-dyed shirt

Colton hanging out

Parker canoeing at the pond

Grandpa and Laynee

Cute Laynee

Colton loves his water wings!

Parker enjoyed swimming

Megan enjoyed the diving boards

and we all loved the zip line!

Cooling off at the pond

We had a lot of fun on our trip to Idaho.  I don't see the kids hardly at all the whole time we are there because they are so busy playing with cousins, riding four wheelers and having a blast.  This years highlights including making our traditional tie-dyed shirts, having a water fight, swimming at the pond, riding four wheelers, tons of YUMMY food and lots of family bonding.  Parker loved doing some farming with grandpa and Megan loved doing girly stuff with cousins.  We couldn't get Colton off the four wheelers and Laynee like the animals.  Fun was had by all.

Camping in Idaho

Laynee loved the rides

Parker and Colton's favorite place to be

Megan in the swimming hole

Colton and Wyatt try to beat the heat

Family ride

Our annual trip to Idaho this year started with a fun camping trip over the weekend near McCall.  We had so much fun taking four wheeler rides, swimming, hiking, eating yummy dutch oven food and singing around the campfire.  Highlights of the camping trip included the kids first snipe hunt (with toothpaste under the eyes to attract them...wish I had a picture of this), and fun skits around the campfire the last night.

Fourth of July Fun!

Patriotic Family

Cute girl and her dad

Popping poppers

Parker gets in on the action

Colton did not like the loud noises...grandma looks on

Cute Kennedy and Megan

This is about as excited as he gets

Colton's favorite...sparklers!

The fourth of July was mostly a day of travel for us.  We were on our annual trip to Grandpa's farm in Idaho.  Luckily we were able to stop for the night in Utah for a fun celebration with the Birds.  We had a delicious BBQ, followed by games and fireworks.  The cousins had a great time hanging out together and Grandma bought some great fireworks!  Laynee cried through most of the firewords...she did NOT like the loud noises.

Birch Aquarium, the Mormon Batallion and the Beach

Outside the Birch Aquarium

One of the many cool exhibits

Kids got to touch the sea creatures

Panning for gold at the Mormon Battalion

Megan the brick maker

Last night on the beach

Colton looking for seals

Megan running from the surf

Brian just hanging out and watching the kids

Last night in San Diego.  Seals on the rock in the background.

Our last night in San Diego was busy and fun.  We spent the morning at the Birch Aquarium.   They had some awesome exhibits that included sea horses, jelly fish, rays, eels and lots of different kinds of fish.  We also got to watch them feed the sharks and the kids got to touch sea cucumbers and star fish.  In the afternoon we visited the Mormon Battalion in Old Town.  It was an awesome interactive tour and the kids enjoyed panning for gold and pretending to make bricks.  Megan also enjoyed acting as the soldier getting fitted with equipment for the march.  After the tour, we enjoyed walking through old town and getting ice cream.   After a delicious BBQ, we headed to the beach to enjoy the sun set.  The kids enjoyed seal and whale watching and running from the surf.  It was a fun and enjoyable trip.

San Diego Safari Park

The whole crew at the Safari Park

Brian, Colton and Laynee at Condor Ridge

Kids being "batty"

Some Wild Animals going to the park

Kennedy, Parker and Megan watching the birds

Laynee enjoying the Safari Ride

Check out the elephants mom!

The second day of our San Diego trip we went to the Safari Park.  It was a hot, sunny day and we certainly did our share of walking!  The kids loved how the animals were in "natural habitats" and were so much fun to watch.  Highlights included the baby gorilla, the safari ride with our host who sounded exactly like Walter Matthau (look kids, it's a rhino watering the watering hole!), watching an elephant stampede, the bird show, and getting ice cream (yay Dad you saved the day).  We also loved riding the carousel and wandering down gorgeous shady pathways.

La Jolla Beach

Laynee and I try out the water

Parker playing on the beach

Colton trying boogie boarding with Dad

Hoff eat your heart out!

Cute Laynee chilling at the beach

The girls at the beach

The first day of our trip to San Diego we hung out at La Jolla Shores Beach.  The weather was gorgeous and the waves were huge!  The kids had a lot of fun playing in the surf, swimming, boogie boarding, building sand castles and playing ball.  We had a picnic lunch and Laynee had a nap under the shade of an umbrella.