Idaho and Washington

After my family reunion, Scott flew home to return to work and the kids and I drove with Grandma to Aunt Angie's house in Idaho. It was so wonderful to spend a few days with my sister and her family.

cousin Lily with Ruby, Sam and Violet and the Idaho Falls and Temple behind them.

After that, it was off to Washington State for a little more than a week at Grandma and Grandpa's. We spent time with second cousins, great aunts and uncles and of course Great Grandma, who is 95 years old. The girls loved Clark and Margaret's dog Winnie, though I don't know if Winnie loved them.

Grandpa took us fishing and the kids caught lots of little blue gill, but no trout this time.

We spent one morning horse back riding at the neighbors on their beautiful horse, Sadie. Sam had such a great time he came back a few days later for a private lesson.

Besides swimming and playing the kids had morning weeding to do for Grandma and Grandpa. To reward them for their hard work they took them to a trampoline place for tons of jumping. 

My parents' house is almost completely surrounded by cherry orchards. Cherry season already ended when we arrived, but there were a few trees with edible cherries left and the kids got to pick some. They were very tasty and much better than the overpriced cherries in Connecticut that taste like plastic.

One childhood memory I have of family reunions was building a cardboard doll house with my cousin Lisa at Grandma's house. All the other cousins were playing the board game Risk and Lisa and I were too little, so Grandma gathered supplies for us and we made a very elaborate doll house with cardboard furniture, empty thread spool furniture and stamps for art. This was the perfect activity for my kids to do one rainy day at their Grandma's house. She had lots of fun supplies like muffin cups and Q-tips for decorating each room.

Owen decorated this dining room with a ceiling fan from straws and even a flower center piece for the table.

Sam decorated the living room with a custom napkin rug, light fixture and folded paper furniture. 

Ruby decorated her bedroom, including a birthday present on the bed, a giant stuffed bunny in the corner and a TV on the wall playing a shampoo commercial.

Sam and Ruby completed the house with a master bedroom suite.
You can see the shower, but it is difficult to see the little muffin cup toilet with a hole cut out of the center.