Coeur d'Alene, Idaho

We're back! What. A. Week! We went to Coeur d'Alene, Idaho for a solid week and it was a busy, relaxing, fun, exciting, happy trip and was just good for my soul.  You know what I mean? The week was full of so much goodness. Long talks with people I needed to catch up with, multiple hikes through the mountains, swimming in lakes, riding horses, picking wildflowers, staying up late, spying on countless deer and turkeys, riding rollercoasters, good food and great company. I love visiting my family. There’s nothing better💙 

But, what vacation doesn't experience a few hiccups along the way?  The first hiccup was that Sully had a really bad ear infection.  It was so sad :(  He had a little fever before we left so we took him to Urgent Care in Oklahoma and they said his ears were perfectly fine.  Well, he had a fever for 5 days and was so sick and EXHAUSTED.  On the 5th day we took him back to Urgent Care (this time in Idaho) because obviously his little body couldn't fight whatever was in him on its own.  Turns out that his right ear was badly infected but it just hadn't shown up before we left for Idaho.  It was heartbreaking.  He was MISERABLE.  He had zero appetite and couldn't sleep for days.  He was so stopped up that at one point we thought he just had a gut sickness.  We bought him meds for that first but it didn't help....  Once we got some antibiotics in him, he slept for almost 36 hours straight.  It was amazing.  But it was also so sad because he's normally such a tough guy.  So to see him this mad/sad/irritable/tired for so many days just proved to me that he was really, really hurting.  Because of the infection, the first half of the week he wouldn't look at anyone or talk to anyone (except Shawn).  I was super bummed because my parents were only there for 2 days and they didn't get to see the REAL Sully. I'm thankful that he eventually got his meds so that the extended family could see his fun/silly/crazy side a little, but my Dad missed out on that.  That little boy is the best and I wanted everyone to get to see how awesome he is, but I can't help that he got an ear infection! :(

The other bumps in the road just had to do with tired little girls named Lucy and Piper.... The first half of the week they were AWESOME.  They were so well-behaved and so sweet!  Evvy was in town with Ninny and Baba and they all 3 played so well together.  It was great!  But, towards the end of the week, Piper threw a few major fits and her and Lucy had some fights.  I get so stressed when they scream and cry in other people's houses! (So does Shawn).  They weren't bad the entire time, but definitely not nearly as well behaved as they were at the beginning of the week. However, BOTH travel days with them were WONDERFUL.  They were the world's best fliers!!!

Other than those little bumps, things were smooth sailing!  Nana and Pops took us to Silverwood and the girls said that it was the best day EVER!  They had SO much fun!  They were so incredibly well-behaved and happy all day long.  They understood why we had to wait in lines and they loved every single ride we went on.  I think Piper screamed the most on the Tilt-a-Whirl and the Scrambler.  Lucy screamed the most on the log ride- but in a good way :)  It was a crowded day so we didn't get to ride everything, but even Sully LOVED the rides!  He was so cute in them! He kept saying "hi Daddy!" every single time he would see Shawn during his rides and he laughed and had so much fun! That was his first time ever going on rides in his life! We all had such a good day!  We ended the day at the water park and left happy!

During the week we hiked parts of Tubbs twice to get to a little beach area to swim, I jumped off a big rock, Piper jumped off a little rock, we went to McEuwen Park twice, City Beach once and one night we even went out to Sherene's to ride horses and 4wheelers and the girls found chicken eggs in the coop.  It was a beautiful night! Perfect in every way!  The whole week was fabulous.  My heart misses my Coeur d'Alene family in ways I can never express.  It's the most comforting feeling in the entire world walking into Nana's house.  It's something that I can't explain.  But it feels like "home" in every sense of the word.  It's my favorite house in the world.  I hadn't been there in 4 years and I was missing it like crazy.  It felt SO GOOD to walk through those doors again. 

It was a gift to me that my parents drove up from Boise to spend the weekend with us.  I haven't seen my dad in a year, and haven't seen my Mom since January.   The kids loved seeing them too!  Sully, of course, wasn't too happy because of his ear, but the girls just love them so much and were ecstatic! It was great.  They took Lucy, Piper and Evvy to the movies (Christopher Robin) so that they could have a little day-date with them.  We all went to the lake later that day and then Sunday my dad had to leave early, but the rest of the extended family came over for "Sunday Dinner."  It was so awesome to see all my cousins and Aunts and Uncles again! It felt like no time has passed between all of us at all!  I was always so close to them growing up but when we moved back there 5 years ago and lived there for 10 months, I got even closer to them; I was an adult raising my kids, so our relationships evolved.  I missed them a LOT when we left for New Hampshire.  I really, really love my Smidt family.  They are some of the best people. 

All in all, the trip was fantastic.  It was just what my heart and soul needed!

And now are you ready to see a zillion pictures??? Here you go....

 

 

Now our trip is over and we are doing all the last minute things we need to get done before school next week. I can't BELIEVE Summer is over :(  It's depressing. I am NOT ready for school to start.... I'm just really not. 

Lucy has already started cheerleading (doesn't she look adorable?) and we only have a few days left of sweet, sweet Summer. The next few pictures were taken just days before CDA, and I felt like they were Blog worthy- a cheerleader is in our midst and my kids rode on a REAL Unicorn!!! All of Piper's dreams came true that day!!! It was the cutest!

I hope everyone enjoys the last of their Summer.  I just hate that it's over :(