Spring Break 2018

Daddy's job is crazy during Spring Break every year. So that means if we want to do a trip, we have to leave him behind. We decided to visit Washington to catch some spring weather and spend a few days with Puna and Papa. We broke up the drive over two days.We spent the night at Danielle's house in Kuna. I wish we could have stayed longer. We got to snuggle on babies, play with cousins, and stay up late. All of us had a great time there.

Early the next morning, it was time to leave for Washington. It was St. Patrick's Day too. The kids were worried that they wouldn't get any leprechaun treasure, but those sneaky leprechauns found us and hid treats in our van overnight!

The drive was long, but the kids did very well. Lily and Annie were fantastic helpers when the boys got cranky or needed assistance. We were so happy to drive up the Wanners driveway and see evidence of Spring everywhere we looked.

Green grass, lots of trees, blue skies, blossoms, and sunshine. It was a glorious sight.

We visited the park and played games with Papa. Pokemon Sorry was the family favorite on this trip.

On Monday Papa had to have surgery to repair his broken ankle. Mommy and the kids went to Saltwater State Park to explore so that Papa could return home to a quiet house and rest.

The kids discovered all kinds of shells and creatures. We saw a bald eagle. We got our feet wet. We climbed on rocks. We went for a walk and a hike.

We loved every minute!

I have lived away from Washington for so long that I forget how truly beautiful it is.

Our little hike was just the right length for little legs. Lots of steps and uphill, but even Joey did it without a problem. We sure missed Daddy while we were exploring.

After the hike we had planned to return to the picnic area and have some lunch. But the seagulls found our lunch in the wagon by the beach and tore it apart. Mommy had packed it in plastic bags and not a cooler. We won't make that mistake again. All that was left were our cans of soda. We spent a little while cleaning up the debris. Joey was so hungry, he insisted on eating an apple that had multiple bird bites taken out of it. Mommy had to throw it away to keep Joey from eating it.

Our lunch disappointment went away after a few sips of soda and the discovery of a temporary shelter. We all took turns playing and hiding inside before we decided it was really time to go and find some lunch.

The girls wanted to bring their shells home, but we saw a sign posted that stated we weren't allowed to remove any natural objects from the beach. Annie wanted pictures of her favorite clam shells and sand dollars before we left.

Our hungry tummies saw a Red Robin sign near the beach. When Mommy walked in with four kids and saw the looks from the staff, we almost turned around. The hostess even asked me if the kids were all mine. I guess no one has four children in Washington anymore. Multiple people commented on the number of children I had during this trip. That was a first for me. In Idaho they always ask when we're having another rather than telling me I have too many.

Annie had fun making static charge with her balloon and hair. The kids were tired and wet, but they were so fantastic at the restaurant. We ordered a mountain high mud pie to celebrate our fun day. All the kids loved it. Tommy even took a few bites. On our way out of the restaurant, the hostess stopped me to tell me how great the kids were. She said she sees all kinds of families and usually when lots of children come in together, they do not behave well. I was glad we were having a good day. It really was wonderful.  To make out day even better, we drove out to see some Simmons cousins and meet their newest addition.

Lily was projectile vomited on. Annie had the magic touch and rocked her to sleep. We had an absolutely fantastic visit, until Mommy fantastically flooded the downstairs bathroom. Sorry Michael! That was our cue to leave. Ha!  We came home to discover Papa back home from surgery. He was still feeling the effects of his anaesthesia so his pain level was low, but he was a little out of it. Here is a picture of what the doctors had to do to put his ankle back together. Yikes!

The next day we visited the Seattle Temple grounds. I love bringing the children to see temples. Even the grounds outside feel special and hold a strong Spirit. Papa was determined to join in the fun and hobbled around with us.

I tried to get a selfie with the kids. Joey didn't want any part of it and took off running. When I blew up the picture, I spotted his little orange shirt running in the background. I managed to capture all of us after all.

Where's Joey?

After the temple and a late lunch, the kids were ready to go home and rest. But not for too long. Joey wanted to hit the park and bring all of his favorite toys along.

The slight uphill back to the house made pulling the wagon difficult. Lily offered to help. Joey wanted her help, but didn't want to give up doing it too, so they shared the wagon handle. It was so sweet to see them working together - his chubby toddler hand next to her ever maturing hand. Be still my Mommy heart.

We took things easy on Tuesday so that we had all our energy for the zoo the next day.

It was another sunny Spring day and we loved seeing the animals. There wasn't enough time to do everything each kid wanted to do, so we spent some time pouring over the maps and trying to decide what our focus would be.

After we made our plan, we got sidetracked by an awesome outdoor play area. There were all sorts of fun things to climb over, under, around, and through.

The girls decided to mimic the two headed turtle we saw at Christmastime in the Reptile Zoo. They sure make a cute turtle - two heads and all.

More map studying as we had to shorten the list of animals even more. Tommy loved being in charge of the map.

Joey wanted to stay with the gorillas. They were very active and gave us a good show.

Annie liked the pink flamingos. It was nice being there on a cooler day - not quite as stinky as in the summertime.

Tommy tried to hatch a flamingo egg. It didn't work. Joey did pretty well at staying with us and following directions until.....he didn't. We were near a fork in the path that had a section that circled back around. Joey took off while the adults were tending to the other kids. It was a terrifying few minutes until we found him again.

Obviously he wasn't worried.

I could tell the girls were done when they stretched themselves over the hippo. Food and rest were needed immediately. Even Papa found a bench and stretched out for a little rest.

When we saw that, we knew it was time to go and find some lunch. The zoo food is crazy expensive and the service is SLOW. So we drive two miles down the street in search of a Wendy's.

After the zoo, we had a family dinner and combined birthday party for Tommy and Mommy. 

Annie helped Puna frost the cake. Tommy was so excited about his Super Mario cake!

I love seeing the kids excitement on their birthdays.

Tommy has been wanting a Mouse Trap game for a while. He couldn't wait to put it together and play it. Moments like this make us so grateful that Papa is good at figuring out things like this. He helped the kids get it all assembled and played a few rounds with them.

All too soon it was time to come back to Idaho and Daddy. We did the drive home all in one day. And it took FOREVER. We left in good time, but the weather was not our friend that day. We had rain and wind all through Washington and Oregon. It was hard to stop and play due to the weather. Joey completely ran out of a fast food restaurant while I was trying to order lunch. A kind man saw my dilemma and ran out into the parking lot after Joey for me. I was so upset. I think it scared Joey enough to keep him near me at all future stops.  When we finally hit Boise I was so tempted to call up a friend and stay the night. I was exhausted and it was 6 p.m. which meant we wouldn't be back home until 10:30. But we also missed our Daddy and our own beds, so we pushed on.

Our stop in Boise was longer than I had planned. It was the first break in the weather and the kids were desperate to run and play. We had a yummy dinner at Cafe Rio and then I took them to the Boise temple grounds for some fresh air and a last chance at exercise before the home stretch. We were all so happy to run and walk free for a while. It was just what we needed to keep the grumps at bay for the remainder of the drive. We stopped in Jerome for potty, gas, and the kids to put on their pajamas. Then we put in Mary Poppins and kept on driving. Mommy cried when we pulled into the driveway. That is such a long trip alone with four kids. But we are thankful for the time with Puna and Papa. And it was good for Daddy to miss us a little bit. Spring Break 2018 was a success.