Car Rides, The RM, Playing in Boise, and Potty Talk

Sorry I never got around to posting last night, so I'll try to bring you up to speed a little, and then I need to clean my house like a mad woman because tonight I have ward book club at my house (nothing to instill a cleaning frenzy like a little company).

We left Thursday morning around 11:00 and made it to Boise around 4:30- 5 1/2 hours with 2 kids and one stop in between was pretty dang good time, so I was happy about that. The kids slept a little which was a definite bonus, and we arrived at Amy's house just in time for dinner. She made pulled pork sandwiches, always a hit, and we enjoyed eating together, getting the kids to bed, and of course watching The Office.

Friday we went to lunch with Amy's family- we usually stay with him, so we wanted to make sure we still saw them this trip. We indulged at the Cheesecake Factory. They have the most rich and delicious macaroni and cheese I have ever tasted in my life. Seriously sinful, and so good. Of course, we also enjoyed some cheesecake. We tried the vanilla bean kind-so good! That afternoon the kids took naps and Amy and I went to Old Navy. I actually bought myself a shirt and I've tried to get over the guilt ever since- sometimes I have a very hard time buying for myself, even if it's a need (which a shirt may not sound like a need, but due to my sparse closet right now, it kind of is...kind of). At 4:24 in the afternoon, the eagle landed, and we were at the Boise Airport for the joyous occasion. It was so good to see Ben again. He's quite a character, but I'll talk about that more another time. We went to gather his luggage, and he couldn't find one of his bags. When he got to the place to file the complaint, he found his bag wrapped in a plastic bag because it fell apart on the journey home. I guess it's a good thing his mission is done! We went back to Amy's and put Sam to bed, and then she stayed with him because we were meeting for dinner with everyone that night pretty late. Addie held up surprisingly well since we didn't eat until about 8:30. Dinner was good, but always a little awkward when both of my parents are in the same place.

Saturday we went to lunch with my mom and her husband and my brothers. It was nice to not have the stress of my dad there at the same time. Addie had her first major accident of the trip after lunch, so we had to wash the carseat cover at Amy's house while the kids napped. That night was the open house at my dad's new house. It was kind of awkward to say the least. Pat and I spent a lot of time staying close to our kids so they didn't wander and get into mischief or into the wrong hands. I felt bad that more people didn't come, but I think my dad didn't do a very good job letting people know about it. We stayed for a bit and then went back to Amy's to get the kids to bed. Amy and I went out to one of my favorite Boise places- Goody's- so I could get a chocolate milkshake. It's kind of an old-fashioned ice cream parlor/candy shop, and it's really in a fun part of Boise.

Sunday morning Addie had a big fit because she informed me she wanted to live at Amy's house and was not happy about the prospect of going home. Addie had tons of fun with Amy- they made sugar cookies our first night there, colored, watched fun movies, and Amy took Addie on a run one morning. They had a great time together! We packed up our stuff, went to Ben's homecoming, and then hit the road. Ben spoke with an elder who had also just returned- they actually spoke together when they left, also. Ben's talk was really good and it was great to see his growth. He can be a cocky kid, so it was nice to see a little humility during his talk.

Well, that's our trip in a nutshell. I have more details to share, but they probably deserve their own posts which will come later. For now, it's cleaning and grocery shopping for me. I'm out!