What a way to end the Summer

The project finally ended!!!!! I was so sick and tired of this project. We put new countertops, backsplashes, and new tile (after tearing out the old tile). Lani got pretty good the farther the project went on and she helped me push through. I swore this was going to take us till Christmas but she refused to let it be so. She pushed hard and now we have 600 square feet of new floor tile, new backspashes, new granite countertops, essentially an entire kitchen remodel and I must say I am plum tuckered out! So before school started and after we worked our toooooshies off, we took our longest vacation in 7 years!!!!! The sum stats: 12 days, 4238 miles, 10 states, 3 nights in hotels, my family, Lani's family, nice cool mountain weather, lakes, rivers, cliff jumping, Savanah's 10th birthday! What a way to end an otherwise miserably hot Texas summer slaving away at my house!

On our way back from up north we spent 36 hours in Utah and this was a great picture of Brigham with his mom and his two great grandmothers (ages 98 and 87)!

The kids loved stopping in Lewiston and seeing my Uncle Chip and family. They wouldn't shut up about how cool his place was and being able to ride in the tractor. My Uncle Chip is the reincarnation of the "Pied Piper" of children. I've never seen anyone attract more kids just by being in the area. Some of my kids take time to warm up but even my most cautious were in his lap tickling with him within about 3 seconds. I've never seen anyone like him.

This was my favorite. My bro Ammon, took us way up the Coeur D Alene River to the most pristine swimming hole I have ever swam in. It was sooo deep and crystal clear. We never could touch the bottom even trying to while jumping off the 35 foot cliff. I took my snorkel gear and the bottom at over 25 feet deep looked as clear as my hand. It was incredible. Savanah and Kimball even took a jump off the 10-12 foot cliff. They couldn't even swim at the beginning of the summer and the brutal Texas weather has forced them to learn to swim. Trout swimming up to the surface as we looked down from the cliffs. Just incredible

My brother, sisters, and cousins kids all got together after swimming in the river and we had a blast at my mom's house. My mom and brother and his wife spoiled us like we've never known with good food, good rest, views of northern Idaho that were a site for these poor eyes, staring at the heat killed Texas landscape. Cool nights, sunsets over Lake Couer D Alene, it just doesn't get any better than this. I got to see my bro and my sis who I hadn't seen in over 5 years.

Swimming in Lake Couer D Alene on a "hot" day (hot for northern Idaho). That lake was extremely "refreshing" being that it took me about 20 minutes to climatize to the cold water. I mean I can't get water that cold in my refrigerator in Texas! It was spectacular.

This trip confirmed to me that north is where it is at. After 3 months solid of 100-110 degree weather, I had had enough. It is amazing what 65 degrees can do for your energy and mental health. We especially loved the forested mountains of Helena to Missoula to Couer D Alene to Boise. The big rivers, lakes, and trees. I am a sucker for mountains with trees (conifers not shrubs!) Water, lots of water, in rivers and lakes. It was a promising trip which greatly satisfied many of our needs and we even used it to do a little investigating. Now we are back in the crucible and I feel somewhat refreshed even though the refreshment ran out this morning... oh well.