Family Trip, Voodoo Donuts, Flowers

The fun part of being a parent is watching your children grow. Watching them learn new things, create fun with each other, create children, create happiness. About once a year our family goes camping to enjoy time, this year camping was not an option as Shane and I have new(ish) jobs that we do not have the ability to take time off. I do but Shane does not. We found a journey to go on close by and fun. The kids got together and we went to Twin Falls. Twin Falls is only about 2 hours from our home, but in Twin there are ice caves, museums, waterfalls, parks pristine bodies of water. It was a great time. Brenda brought Axel, Skyler had to work. Makayla and John got the weekend off which was amazing. Rarely do we all get together.

The first stop was Shoshone Ice Caves. Our guide was very knowledgeable. She grew up not far from the cave and said its really the only job around, she comes home every summer to be a guide. The photos are hard to see, but the we went from about 90 degrees (Fahrenheit) to about 35 degrees. The temperature difference was welcome for sure.

look at that sweet boy, he was excited to see the dinosaur

These rocks are found at the site...lovely, we got one to send to Laura

This is the ice, it was used for years for ice boxes, some of this ice was sent to the Oregon Coast when the cave was first opened as there is ice year round.

  

The entire family, below the earth, in an ice cave.....

Just down the road from Shoshone Ice Caves is Mammoth Cave. This cave was huuuugggeee. Both caves were made from lava flows under the ground. Axel ran through this cave. Again the temp change was welcome.

The property going to Mammoth Cave had a lot of peacocks, emu's, pheasants and other birds on it. 

panoramic view, its lovely but damned hot. There was some wind though so thats good???

There was a makeshift museum in the building above. The building was built stone by stone. The things inside the building were so lovely. I kept walking around and didnt take many photos, one i wish i had taken was of a clay pot that was from the time of Jesus. It was amazing to see it. 

On our way to Shoshone falls er maybe it was thousand Springs??

yup Thousands Springs. 

This water was so clear you could see the bottom of the water. 

Then we walked around to find the falls, or the thousand springs.

Makayla being special for sure..

walking through the trees and the falls

All of this water coming out of the rocks.

There were so many birds...it was absolutely beautiful. Its amazing what wonders are here on the Earth.

Shoshone falls is in the Canyon. If you know anything about Evil Knevil this is where he tried to jump the canyon. 

Getting a complete photo is like herding cats really, but the day was so beautiful

Those falls are HUGE, if you have not had the chance and you live here in Idaho...you need to go.

I got dizzy taking this photo....too high

Axel was excited to see the lizard.

We stayed at an Air BnB in Twin, it was a great place and pretty inexpensive. We ended up playing SkipBo and Clue (Jake loved Clue). The house had enough room for all of us and places for us to sleep. The grocery was near by it was a great time. 

This is a photo of Hagerman Fossil Beds. The body of water is the Snake River. The boys were upset that they couldnt go find any fossils but it was a nice place to stop. The Oregon Trail is close by. I tried to imagine people walking with covered wagons going by this place. The river is massive...they must have been so happy to see water....its the desert....That had to be a huge challenge. Glad I do not have to face that trial, although I have plenty of my own. 

When we got home we were all exhausted. Took us a while to get everything back to normal. I think trips do that.

A close friend of our family often has to make trips to do errands for his employer. He told me he was going to hit up Voodoo donuts at 1 or 2 in the morning. For those of you who do not know about Voodoo donuts, its a quaint little donut shop in Portland (Oregon) where they pump out any kind of donut you can think of...this one was a little man with raspberry filling so when you eat it, it appears you have killed the little man. It was delicious. Our friend is one of the best men I have ever met. He and Shane are very good friends. Men need good friends, we are blessed to know Lee. 

Axel is becoming such a little boy. He came into the house the other day and got on Jakes lap and just snuggled. Axel is a busy boy its not often he does this sort of thing. Things are changing in his family with another boy coming along, his mumma's pregnancy is not easy, so i am sure he is a bit off. Brenda is doing an amazing job, pregnancy is so hard for some people. 

Today (06/26) my hubby sent me some flowers. He doesnt do this very often. People at my work were very surprised that eh sent me flowers just because...just because I am his wife. My desk smells so nice. Its nice to be remembered and told how important I am. 

I need to be better at photos and documenting. 

My girl sending me photos so i know she is okay on her mission. Love the photos she is taking.

Here is the crazy I have at home...they are a great bunch of people, i love them. They bring me up when i am down and make me laugh. i would like to say this winter was good to me but it was not. I battled all winter along depressive thoughts and troubling times. I worked my way through as hard as it was. I have a great support around me, good friends, children and a good husband. My doctor is amazing and helpful. This is a battle which will always plague me but i dont want it to stop me. I am grateful for the Grace of God, His love and gentle guidance has helped me through. I am more grateful for my family encouraging. They love me the way i am...my friends are the same. Its a good life....just have to keep on moving through. 

Laura Update, Windmill, Tree fun

The last time I started writing it was Easter, so its has been a while. Life is moving so fast sometimes that i cannot keep up. Since Laura has left on her mission everything has been moving along like clockwork, almost at an unsettling pace. Laura seems to be doing very well on her mission thus far. She is in a little town in the northern part of Washington state. This town is close to the Canadian boarder. She has figured out that she cannot go too far in to the North or she could end up in Canada. She does not have permission to go across the boarder. Laura has to learn some Spanish as well, that will be a challenge for her, but she can do it. There is a lot of walking where she is as well. This past week both she and her companion have been sick. She went to the store and got some honey and lemon to soothe the sore throats...her companion had never used honey and lemon before. She is also teaching her companion to cook/bake. Laura said baking has certainly helped her in serving her companion. They have had some rough days as a companionship but they are working through it.

Sister Henrie and her companion Sister Brunner

So when we moved into this house there was a huge pine tree in our yard. Shane and his friend Shane and the boys cut the tree down and had a saw mill come and make us some good planks of wood. Shane has built book shelves and shelving to go above our front room window. The next thing on the list to make was a new kitchen table. The table is finally finished, and its wonderfully amazing.

Tables in our house always get piled with things, which is slightly annoying to me, but happens. I think when my children are all gone, possibly?? who knows. This table fits in our house so very well. It is huge and will fit all the kids around it and maybe a few grandchildren.

One morning last month I woke up and Shane had shaved his beard complete. I was not sure what happened and he did not tell me for a few days. In fact a friend of his he works with told me, all the crap at his new job was getting in his beard and making a mess. So off it came and it is still gone, not sure how long it will be gone but i like it for now. He certainly looks much younger. For a while he would not let me take any photos so I had to sneak them. 

Axel helping with the tree cutting.

It was a windy day but he had a great time, and slept well...

Sometimes Shane gets the opportunity to help out others with his mad skillz....Everyone knows how much he loves to fire up his chainsaws. We were in need of some more apple wood to smoke meat and low and behold a person around the corner from us had an apple tree that was out of control, so Shane got to cut it down and we got tons of wood from it. We happened to have Axel that day and he was a huge help....well as much as an almost 2 year old can be. He is always fun to have around. 

Makayla and I took a load of brush to the dump and Groot was hanging on...If you havent seen Guardians of the Galaxy that stick is Groot, he fell off when we got to the light....sad times. 

I work at a pretty big building in down town Boise. The main building has an Annex attached to it, that Annex has a sky bridge that connects the 2 buildings. One day i thought i would take a walk out of the Annex to the big building...i came across this windmill. I have never seen it because it is directly under the sky bridge. The day was beautiful and a light breeze was flowing...It was a pick me up in the frustration of learning a new job. Sometimes I go down there just to sit by it and watch it. Summer will come and the breezes will be gone, glad i videoed it....

On my worst days if i realize that i can fall apart and it is okay, as long as i remember what and why i have life here on the earth. Why am I here? I had to really look at myself the other day and find the reason i was here. I was in a bad place that really actually made me afraid, so i went and got some help and am now on the mend. But i realized i am slightly like a taco...hard shelled, all kinds of junk in me and sometimes i break, but i can go back together. The pieces do not always fit and sometimes they become something new...but i am good and wonderful the way i am. For a bit i got caught up in the feelings of inadequacy then i realized that is not me...I am loved, a mum, a wife, a grandmama. Essentially what is the most important part of this life? FAMILY. I have to keep remembering that, sometimes its hard,very hard.

Somebody seriously has this as their license plate...i more angry that i cant have it now

One of Shanes boys is a racer. He loves to race his cars. He gave us tickets to the races, Jake did not want to leave but after 5 races we had to go. I am sure we will go back again to watch James race. He is a great kid, not a bad driver either. 

When i was in a bad way this week, Brenda was in need of some help. So we went up and hung out with Axel and Brenda. Grandpappy played with him until he was ready to go to bed. He needed to be worn out before bed, at the same time Brenda needed a break. Its hard to be pregnant and sick....and have a toddler around. It was a good thing she needed us cause it broke me out of my funk and made me get some help i needed. Service is the key really.....

Our friends the Nakayas needed a tree brought down in their back yard. Funny story, Dru works at Simplot as part of the legal department. He came to my desk about a week ago and wanted to chat I was otherwise engaged at that moment. But told him i would come to his office to see him. He left and everyone around me wanted to know what legal was doing at my desk. I am sure people wondered if i was in trouble. I told most people he is a sort of cleaner and i needed some stuff cleaned up....it was funny to see the reactions. After i while I told them, we are friends and my husband cuts trees down sometimes. Best part of the day was seeing Drus wife Melissa, she has a way of always making me feel okay, that i am good. She is a woman of no judgments and clarity that often i cannot see. I know she probably is that way for herself as well, but she is a true gift in my life. 

So a small snapshot of life in the Henrie family. There is not much happening but still life is full. Hopefully i will get better at keeping up. Until the next one, serve others so you dont get lost....