On Friday, the 23rd of July, I left Twin Falls, but I didn't leave Idaho quite yet :).  I went to Idaho Falls to spend a few days with my oldest sister, Cheryl, and her family.  We got there just in time for my niece Madeline's senior recital.  She played the piano and sang, and she was fantastic. 

I think I would have enjoyed it more if my kids weren't so stir crazy and restless the whole time.  Thank goodness that Lily saved her exhausted outburst for when we were having refreshments :).  We were all pretty worn out by this time, and so I almost had an outburst of my own, but we survived.

One I got the kids in bed, I stayed up late with Cheryl and her older girls and we watched "Girl's Just Want to Have Fun."  It was so much fun!!  I sure love my nieces and my sister :).

Saturday morning, I got a visit from one of my old Savannah friends, Melissa.  Her husband is teaching at BYU-Idaho, and so she drove down to see me.  It was so great to catch up with her and to see her little boy – I wish I had taken a picture of him, but we were having too much fun talking for me to remember.  (While we played at the park, Michelle took Lily for a drive in her Jeep.)

Later on, the kids and I headed out with Cheryl and her family to go watch the Blue Angels at the local air show.  We found a spot near the airport on a big soccer field, and the kids played and ran around the field while we waited. 

Once the show started, it was so worth sitting in the hot sun for.  The kids just stood together and stared at them.  Those jets were amazing!!  There were quite a few times were they went directly over us, but I couldn't get a picture, because it was so LOUD that I had to cover my ears.  I did get some pictures from when they were further away though.

The rest of the day we spent talking, cooking, and laughing while the kids played.  I have to say how impressed I was with Cheryl's kids and how well they played with Lily and Derek.  Maybe it comes from being one of seven, or maybe they are just sweethearts, but Nathan and Spencer made a special point to include Derek, even though he was significantly younger than them.  It made me very happy.  Lily and Michelle played very well together too – they even roped Nathan into being their butler :). 

That night, after the kids were in bed, Cheryl and I, along with Madeline, Melanie, and McKayla (all the older girls), all went on a bike ride along the river.  Cheryl and I rode on their tandem bike, and the five of us enjoyed the beautiful Idaho night.  It was one of my favorite things from our entire adventure :).  I wish I had brought my camera along to capture it.

On Sunday, we all went to church, and I even tagged along with Madeline to help her teach her primary class – the nine year old boys :).  It was quite an adventure.  After church, while Lily and Derek played, I helped Maddy set up a blog to do while at college, and we got Cheryl a facebook account :).

It was such a wonderful two days, and it really reminded me of all the fun I used to have with Cheryl's family when I was in college.  I used to take road trips there from Provo all the time.  It is amazing to me that my nieces and nephews are all so grown up now.  Scott will be home from his mission soon and Madeline is heading to BYU herself.  Time sure flies :).

It was a wonderful weekend, but not the end of our adventure.  That afternoon the kids and I loaded up and headed to Ogden, Utah, for our final stop before we got to Colorado for good.