When we were planning out our time for the trip, we really wanted to get to spend some time with the Jones, especially because a couple hours was not nearly long enough for Marilyn and I to catch up.  So, on Wednesday evening, Arthur and I drove from Twin Falls to Harrisville to the Jones – with a quick stop at Maddox on the way to pick up dinner.  Oh my goodness, their fried chicken, rolls and raspberry butter are the things dreams are made of.  And Arthur was so happy to get to play on the playground in their backyard after being in the car for a few hours.

Kevin, Lily and Derek didn’t arrive until after 9pm, but they were very happy to have Maddox waiting for them to eat.  (They had left San Antonio the day before, and had been driving for two days.). The next morning, Kevin, Brent and Stephen went to play golf on Hill Air Force Base, and the rest of us went for a fun hike at the base of the mountain.

The weather was perfect, and the scenery was beautiful.  We really miss going on hikes together since leaving Pennsylvania, and it felt like old times – just with less trees.

There were small trails that branched off the main trail, and we had been trying a bunch of them out, however we may have gotten a bit lost. We had accidentally taken a deer trail – ha ha!!  Luckily, it wasn’t too hard to make our way back to the actual trail.  Good times!

And of course, as we were hiking, I had to get pictures of all the pretty flowers and plants.

After we got back and showered, I was on Instagram and realized that my good friend, Jamie, was only about ten minutes away from us! She was one of my first friends in Pennsylvania, and has since moved to South Carolina.  I went over to her mom’s to see her, and we had the best time catching up.  What a special blessing!!

Meanwhile, the boys were having a blast playing golf.  In fact, Kevin said that the coolest part of their round was that there were a bunch of F-35’s taking off and flying around right over their heads.  He said it was better than an airshow.  So fun!  (And yes, he didn’t remember to take a picture until they were having lunch.  So funny!

Lily was especially happy to get to hang out with Marilyn.  After they arrived on Wednesday night, she had to tel her all about her most recent projects.  And then after we went hiking, the two of them played Uno and had a blast.  It is crazy to think that the Jone’s have been a part of our lives since Lily was only five years old and Derek was two.  I am so glad we were able to sneak in this amazing, quick visit.