Exploring by the River

Today was Steve's last full day in Idaho, before he has to head back to Iraq to finish his tour. We didn't really have a plan for the day, other than to have quality time with our boys. The weather was a little chilly, but we decided to head down to the river to do some exploring. This is something that Steve does pretty regularly with the boys, and it is one of their favorite things to do. They both packed up their backpacks with their essential exploring gear, and we were off!

Skipping rocks is always a must

We spent quite a bit of time wandering and exploring and had a great time. Next, it was time for a scenic drive...


Steve relived his youth and impressed his sons, by doing some donuts in the truck.

All too quickly, the day was over with and it was time for stories and bed. We had a really wonderful day and I cannot wait for this deployment to be over with so we can get back to our normal little life.

Dinner In

I was really hoping that Steve and I could have gotten away for dinner while he was home, but it didn't work out, so instead we opted to send the boys next door to Gramma and Grampa for a couple of hours so that we could cook dinner together. We ended up having a great time, and I'm so glad we did it!

We started out with a variety of cheeses, some candied walnuts, grapes, and baguette, along with some gin martinis. Yum.

I still have some work to do in perfecting my gin martini-making abilities, but these turned out pretty well...

We decided on a recipe that Steve had prepared for me before...Pan roasted chicken with lemon, olives, and rosemary, from one of our favorite cookbooks, At Blanchard's Table.

(I'm really noticing the difference in food photos with my new camera!)

By the time dinner was over, we'd eating a lot of great food, drank one-too-many martinis, and had a lot of laughs. A wonderful evening!

Hotel Touring

I think I mentioned how Griffin wasn't exactly a team player when it came to leaving the hotel during our trip to McCall. He was more content with swimming in the pool, partaking in the continental breakfast, and "touring" the hotel. This involved walking up and down the hallways, trips to each and every floor (over and over) in the elevator, and finding and using all stairwells. I'm pretty sure he could have done this all day long. One afternoon, I sent Steve over to Ponderosa State Park so he could ski, and Camden and I were the unlucky victims of Griffin's hotel-touring-obsession. I actually wasn't too hesitant in indulging him, because I figured at least it might wear him out a little.

This photo depicts the moment when Camden had had his fill of wandering the halls. He was a good sport. Seriously, I hope Griffin outgrows his aversion to outdoor fun sometime soon!

A Little Getaway

Steve arrived home for 2 weeks of R&R just before midnight on February 13th. He'd been traveling for nearly 75 hours at that point, so the poor guy was exhausted. After about a day of recuperation, we packed up the boys and headed for McCall, where we could be alone and get reacquainted with each other. McCall is a winter-wonderland this time of year, and the only downside to our little trip was that Griffin was not "down" with all of the snow. So, our plans of sledding, skiing, and general snow-time fun were short-lived. The boys were mostly interested in the hotel and the hotel pool, which Steve and I can tell you, was not exactly "heated". Just the same, we had a wonderful time and I'm telling you now, if Steve ever gets deployed again, we will be spending R&R at an undisclosed location where nobody can find us! I can't tell you how important and precious the time together as a family unit is. Really, all I wanted was to hide away somewhere, so I am glad we had the opportunity to get away, if only for a few days. After a couple of nights in McCall, we headed back toward home, but spent a night in Boise first. Again, the boys were most excited about being in a hotel! We had a great time together but of course it went by much too quickly.

39

Today was my 39th birthday, and it was truly a wonderful day. I haven't given much thought about my age for years now, but today I did lots of thinking. I'll save all the details for another post, but I was particularly excited to turn 39, I have to admit. So many good things have been happening for me lately, and I just feel thankful to have a healthy body and a happy life.

My in-laws cut me loose for the day, and I didn't hesitate to head straight to Boise, and the Boise Town Square Mall. I'm not much of a mall person - - I probably go once or twice per year, and only when I absolutely have to. I think when a person has small children to tote around, there are certain things that just aren't appealing any longer! Knowing that I had a day to myself, I was determined not to waste it on running errands or anything like that. I have been needing a new pair of jeans, among other things, for quite some time, so I spent a better part of the day trying things on and just having fun. I'm happy to report that I found quite a few things for myself, took advantage of some great sales, and came home nice and relaxed. It was so great to be out by myself, shopping for myself (no offense, children).

When I got back, the boys had been busy decorating for a little party. We had a delicious dinner with my in-laws, and then my nephew, brother-in-law, and sister-in-law came down for cake. I had to include a picture of my birthday cake (which Camden and Griffin insisted on being strawberry...they know what Mummy likes!), because my mother-in-law truly thought I was turning 38! Thanks for shaving a year off, Bev!

All in all, a wonderful day, and I am really looking forward to the year ahead.