Our Vacation! Phase 1 - Sandpoint, ID

We've been in Northern, Idaho/Washingtion for about 10 days now! Here are the photos of our fun time in Sandpoint! Brian flew home last night and we'll drive home at the end of the week.

We had a little birthday party for Andrew with my Mom and her husband, Dennis.

We couldn't resist snapping a picture of his "gangsta" look.
Fun on the boat! Lake Pend Orielle is amazing and we love our time there!
So cute!

There is this awesome sandbar in the middle of the lake that people anchor their boasts at and stay for hours playing in the water!
My Mom trying to keep things from flying out of the boat and smiling for a picture at the same time.

"Look Mom no hands!"

We had an awesome visit with one of my high school friends and her family, David and Olivia Stallcop!



Brian hooked up the tube to the kayak and pulled the kids behind the boat! He was the hero! No wake tubing!

Emily was falling asleep.
We love you Olivia and David

Ha!
Time to say goodbye to our sweet friends, until next time!

We took the kids to Silverwood Theme Park for a day! Another fun time! Lots of ride pictures below!

Emily was SO happy to drive! We felt like we were in a pinball machine! Things we do for our kids!

She's not excited, is she?

Cramped up in the darn elephants! The kids loved it, but we had to ride with them and they are definately made for little people!

My Mom, Brian and the kids went on the Roaring Creek Log Flume! I stayed to take pictures! They were so excited to go on a "big ride!"

Nothing but grins afterward!
The Train tour of the park and the "robbery!"

Emily was scared to death of the robber and then her Mom told her to take a picture with him! "Are you crazy Mom?"

Silverwood has an awesome water park and we played there the second half of the day!

After we had worn the kids out we sent them home with my Mom for two nights. Brian and I got a room in Coeur d' Alene and returned to Silverwood the next day to play on the big rides and the big water slides! We had a fun time! We decided to leave the camera behind so I have no proof of Brian's rides on two of the big roller coasters, it took some begging and pleading but he did it for me! I went on the Ferris Wheel for him, not my favorite ride...scares me.

We ate at the Olive Garden and Red Lobster on our nights away from the kiddos! It was our first real getaway since we've been married. Kind of a late honeymoon! Simple, but fun! We also went on a beautiful hike around lake Coeur d' Alene. We slept in, worked out together, went shopping and thoroughly enjoyed time with each other! I love you Brian.

Happy 1st Birthday Bubba!

Andrew got to celebrate his 1st birthday in two phases! The first was a cake and ice cream party with extended family up in Victor! The second was a family fun day at the zoo and the pool! So many cute pictures to share and definately a day to record! A day worth celbrating!

We love our little Andrew Paul, who is not so little anymore. He has blessed all of our lives so much!

The cakes were a labor of love! Emily saved Andrew's finger by blowing out his candle just in time! What a great sister!So far, so good!
Good enough to share!

Good enough to dive in! Good enough for huge fistfuls and smiles!

Need I say more?

Watch and see!

The clothes were unsavable! He resorted to his "birthday suit"!

The balloons actually got more attention than the presents! We were lucky to get this picture!

Tautphaus Zoo in Idaho Falls is a family favorite!

Andrew loves animals! As of this week he's decided that every animal he sees makes a horse sound, except for the dogs, they actually bark!

It took him a second to work up the nerve to touch the goat, but he did it!

Feeding it was a whole other story, his first attempts intimidated him so the picture is forced, can you tell?

Crazy monkeys!

One highlight of a 1st Birthday is definately the Forward Facing Car Seat! Halleluia!

We are a family of little fish and so naturally swimming was in order! The kids could spend hours in the water!

The final birthday gift for our little "Bubba" was a basketball hoop! He is now quite proficient at dunking! Time take a few steps back to shoot or move it up!

This whole week I have been trying to seriously figure out where the year has gone. Andrew has brought so many more smiles to our home, his sister love him just as much as we do. I am deeply grateful to have been entrusted with these two wonderful spirits in my home. They are so beautiful to me! They are truly gifts from my Heavenly Father and they bring so much meaning, joy and fulfillment to my every day! Even the "crazy, you're driving me nuts" days are so worth the opportunity to be a MOM!