Idaho -- Monday

We spent Sunday relaxing while the kids tried out everything there is to do in the yard.  Swinging, jumping, hot tubbing, playing in the sandbox, swimming pool, Aunt Beaney-ing, and running running running.

We had lots of time to do stuff since the kids never went to bed because of some stupid thing called Day Light Savings which means that it doesn't get dark until 10 pm in Idaho.

Monday morning we woke up (late) and everyone decided to take a bike ride (after a delicious breakfast of eggs and french toast made by my amazing Uncle Dave). Well first we had to run to Wal Mart and buy a million dollars of bike supplies -- helmets, baskets and of course a bell for Sadie's bike.  You know what it means when someone mentions a specific item in a story?  It means that it's probably foreshadowing some future event revolving around said object.  Or they're really wordy and give way too many boring details (which I am also doing with this story -- it's long and boring, but the bell is important).

And actually the kids did lots of things before we went on our bike ride because I had time to go on a run and also take the world's longest shopping trip to Wal Mart (any shopping trip to Wal Mart is too long in my opinion) before we got out of the house.  Like taking rides in the 4 wheeler rides in a wheel barrow.  Idaho is the best because you can make up whatever you want to do and it's FUN!

So finally at some point in time we took a bike ride.  There is a small lake in Blackfoot with a beach and everything and around the lake is a greenbelt trail that runs up along the river.  I think the whole loop is around 9 miles.  We decided to take the kids out to the greenbelt for a ride because the only other option is the dirt roads and 8 people on bikes going at a snail's pace to keep up with the 5 year old and lugging a trailer with 2 toddlers don't move fast enough to be out on the mail roads with no bike lanes.

We set off on our ride and off zoom Ellie and Nate.  They are having some sort of competition to see who can be in front.  And I'm pretty sure the competition was not a light-hearted friendly competition.  My mom and Kristine went with the big kids and I stayed back with my dad (who had the bike trailer) and Sadie (who had a bell).  Sadie was just piddling along ringing her bell.  Ring.  Ring. Ring.  She couldn't even go in a straight line because she was too busy ringing her bell.  My dad and I could barely hold a conversation because of that bell.  I did manage to hear Luke demanding, "I want to go to the BEACH!"  And so it was, we pedaled to the beach.

We actually stopped short of the beach and walked down the stone hill to get to the lake.  The kids threw rocks, caught snails and made homes for them in water bottles, splashed around in the water (getting deeper and deeper and wetter and wetter). . .all the things you picture you should do on a lazy summer morning? afternoon? (time does not exist on vacation) in Idaho.
 
Finally it was time to head home.  It was decided that Sadie would lead the pack on the way home and everyone would stay behind her.  Of course the big kids couldn't wait because Sadie couldn't pedal very fast because she was concentrating on ringing her bell and kept veering off the path and dangerously close to falling down the hill and into the lake.  She was actually pretty adorable because she would say cute things like, "It feels so good to be back on the road," as she pedaled along.  Or comment on what a beautiful day it was.  However,  I could hear Nate and Ellie screaming about who was suppose to be in front and I took off fast to catch up to them.

Meanwhile in the back of the pack, Sadie is so busy ringing her bell and commenting on how lovely bike riding is that she actually does end up heading off the path and straight down the hill.  She then flips OVER her handle bars, and lands in the middle of thorny bushes which scratch her poor little legs up.  Tough little thing that she is, she bounces up and gets back on her bike. To her the only bad part was that t broke the spring in her bell.

After the greenbelt adventure, everyone else decided to head for home (another 2 miles) on their bikes except for Ellie, who was done and Sadie's bike.  We ended up strapping Sadie into the trailer and I waited for Dave to come pick us up in the pick up.  To get home there is a really steep overpass and Nate was really worried about getting up and over it. Kristine said she would walk up it with him if he needed it.  Ellie and I watched and cheered him on and Kristine said he kept asking how many more pumps he would need until he made it to the top.  Finally the last ten pumps were over and he made it!!!  Then we had to cheer on poor Papa lugging all the water bottles, rocks to paint and kids in the trailer up the hill.

After our adventures in bike riding we were ready for some dinner.  Dustin and I made burgers and salad.  Sometime during the day we discovered that Dustin had never been to the world famous Rupe's and we headed out for an adult-only milkshake (and onion ring) run.  We actually had no idea where it was, but Dustin figured Blackfoot was small enough we didn't need directions and we set off and found it without one wrong turn.  Kathleen and I both got shakes to share with Luke and Olivia.  Luke and Olivia had no milkshakes.

My kids, my mom and my aunt decided they would spend the night on the Trampoline.  Kristine even named it: Tramp Camp.  She claims she wasn't thinking when she came up with that name.  Ellie wrote a top secret list of things to accomplish at Tramp Camp and we said good night.

I'm not sure what they did other than their OWN milkshake and french fry run to Rupe's and then they all slept on the trampoline until about 5 am when they all headed back to the basement for more sleep.