A Favorite Day Last Summer

Last summer, we decided to take one last excursion on the very day before the kids started back into school. Since moving to southwestern Idaho, we've tried to explore our new area and find places that we enjoy as a family.

Andy and I are both very familiar with all the outdoor areas in southeastern Idaho...but this is all new to both of us over here so it's been fun to explore it together.

On this particular day, we took a drive up to Crouch, which is on your way from Boise up to McCall...but you turn off at Banks and head up a river canyon for a ways...and well, you get the idea. You end up somewhere called Crouch, and it is beautiful. It's so sad to me that it's been named such an unbeautiful name. Crouch. Yuck. It doesn't describe it at all.

Here Andy and the kids are throwing rocks into the Payette river. At least, I think it's the Payette. Uh oh...I'd better do some research to make sure.


Rachey is such an outdoorsey girl. I love how she enjoys catching bugs, finding neat rocks, and looking at all the different shapes of leaves and plants. She thoroughly enjoys herself in the mountains.


We also tried a new hairstyle on Rachey about a month before this picture was taken, she wanted to try out bangs...now they're growing out.





Here Rachey is showing Lainah the fine art of digging in the wet sand. The river bank was fun to play on because it was such soft fine sand, and clear, clear water. It also wasn't deep for several feet in so the kids were able to play in it.




Out in Cleveland, we discovered that Andy loves to barbeque. So, whenever we go on our little day trips, he comes prepared to cook burgers and dogs. While I took the kids down to play by the river, he was busy "cookin." After a while, Lainah knew where to go for refreshment and food...to Daddy.
















Yep, there's nothing quite like a cold soda out of the cooler after playing in the hot sun.




















Matthew will forever be our funny little joker. He can make us laugh without even trying, and is such a fun little guy to have around. Who else could get so much enjoyment out of a hot dog?


And Lainah with her cute chubby hands didn't know what she wanted more, cold soda or her binky. What a cutie.


I rarely get into the photos because I'm always the one taking them, but Tay wanted a turn with the camera...so there's documentation that I was there! Hooray!



Lainah is just the sweetest little girl ever. She is always giving loves of some sort, from little hugs to slobbery kisses. This was such a relaxing place to be, I found this rock right in the shade, and just listening to the river was awesome. I could have sat there for hours.

Matthew could have thrown rocks for hours. What else are rivers for?

I was having a fun time taking pictures of Lainah's cute baby chub. Her cute little toes covered with sand.

I love wildflowers, they always amaze me how they can survive in the hardest places, like right between rocks on a sandy beach.

And here is Tay trying to catch this little friend we spotted in the water. He didn't catch him, this one was too quick, but he had a lot of fun and got pretty wet trying.

And we of course brought up the fishing poles. Matthew's hook was bent together so that he couldn't hook anyone and hurt himself or others...but that didn't stop him from "fishing." He just likes to cast and reel, cast and reel. His Lightning McQueen fishing pole is super-cool too.

Seriously, could she be any cuter?

Some more cute baby chub. I have to document it because it goes away so fast!

And here is Tay, not ashamed of using a Barbie fishing pole to fish. Ha ha ha. Actually, a couple of weeks before we were up in a different area fishing, and he was the first one to catch a fish...with this cute pink and purple Barbie fishing pole. Oh ya....

And cute little Brooklynn loved digging her toes into the sand. She was having so much fun. I admit, I also love the feel of digging my toes into wet sand...there's something relaxing about it.

Matthew the fisherman.

One last shot of the river. Ahh...and then summer vacation was over. A bittersweet day, it's always hard for me when the kids start school in the fall. What a fun day, full of great memories!