ideeho/wyoming/ute

let me punch this out real quick. ha. i have almost one thousand pictures. literally.

we had a total blast in idaho falls playing with family we don't get to see nearly enough.

we went hiking at jenny lake near jackson hole & made multiple visits to the shaved ice shack in town as well as the zoo & the park & cafe rio, went raspberry picking in rexburg & camping at granite hot springs & i still have to say the highlight for me was kickin it with this ball of cuteness:

can you handle it?? we haven't seen cousin jack since he was 6 weeks old & he is just about the most chill, laid back, sweet, utterly athletic little boy you've ever met. plus he's a bomb dancer. he channels happy feet. awe-some!

the beans were obsessed with jackers & held hands & played & shared really well together. even if he hated bath time with them. ha! i am pretty sure that jack's solid running abilities, & the fact that she felt left behind, motivated cossette because she became a crazy fast, sturdy walker about a week later. :)

cossette had the worst night of sleep of her life the first night we got in & so i felt like i was playing catch up the whole trip. e & c really struggled 2 different days. at the same time, which is always a treat. eek. i was kind of exhausted. luckily my kids have these aunts & uncles that compare to NONE. on both sides! i know i say it all the time but they are just better than anyone else's. sorry, you can't win this one. they are fun & interested & helpful & invested & i know they love my kids as much as i do (or will) love theirs.

we also got the chance to visit steph in american fork & check out her new classroom & say hi. can't seem to leave that girl alone. & how cute is this of all the hill kids skipping rocks in granite?

& when they are not being fought over by our siblings, they are being coddled & tackled by austin's folks. they are wonderful.

aust has almost 5 weeks off of school & we are thrilled to have him around a little bit! yayuh!

another reason the trip rocked was being able to see all of chief's grandparents & my grandma hodgman & having them meet our cossette.

this did mean driving around like crazies the last day of the trip from idaho into utah for mantua & payson just to go back to slc & therefore quick trips & no time for anyone else we passed but definitely worth the trouble. such incredible people to have in our lives.

elder zachary hill reported to the mtc while we were there. i blubbered when he left. i hate seeing these boys go but it is fascinating to hear all about there next 2 years & all that they get to learn & teach & do. we miss him though.

our really good friends jana & jordan drove all the way up to idaho the last day we were there so we could hang out & meet their sweet little babe sophie. sooo scrumptious & teeny!

then we caravanned down to utah with them & after our many grandma visits met up for dinner with ambre before jord took us to the airport for our 1am flight. yup. haha it ended up being amazing since the girls just slept the whole time. {maybe a certain one year old used a few tray tables for a bed even. maybe.}

thank you everyone! great visit!