Idaho, baby, yah!

I have literally spent ALL day catching up on everyone's blogs. While I love reading about everyone else's lives, it has not made me want to go into massive amounts of details about all our latest happenings. So get ready for the short and sweet version.

Surprise - we just got back from a trip to Idaho! We spent 2 weeks "vacationing" in the beautiful Gem state (and even took in a little of the Beehive state), and I am ashamed to admit I didn't take a single picture - so I'm stealing what I can from facebook and other blogs. Here are some of my favorite moments from our trip (in no particular order).

1. Surprising Ed's brother Spencer, who had just returned from his mission in the Dominican Republic. All 4 Anderson kids (and every in-law and grandkid) in one place was fabulous, and the look on poor, shocked Spencer's face was priceless. We got to enjoy his wonderful homecoming talk and hear all his scary/funny/spiritual mission stories. Welcome home Spencer!
2. Picking cherries from Grandma and Grandpa Law's trees. This was a particular favorite of Kimberlee's. Mine was eating the cherries. To go along with that, the girls could not get enough of my parents' huge yard and garden and loved that we let them run wild for hours at a time.

3. The Law family reunion! Reuniting with grandparents and aunts and uncles and cousins and meeting in-laws and babies. Watching the girls' eyes light up around the tractor and at the sound of the train. Fabulous dutch oven potatoes and fruit salad. Heaven.

4. Shopping at Target. Spent way too much time and money, but loved doing so with Nancy, who also lives overseas and thus appreciates Target in a way most Americans don't understand.

5. Watermelon. So expensive in Okinawa. Everyone had it in abundance in Idaho. It's really the little things that you miss. American food in general was a.w.e.s.o.m.e.

6. Ed and I got to go on a date! It was even spontaneous - Ed said, "let's go on a date" and 20 minutes later we were on the road and gone for hours and hours. Thanks Mom, Stephen, Brian, Lora, and Sarah. Sorry we dumped our kids on you so much.

7. Ed's man-bonding time with his brothers and dad. Ed's original plan was to go camping (as in hiking in and staying overnight), but while it got cut to just a hike I think they all enjoyed being out in nature and spending the time together. Drew was missed.

8. Ed also got a boating trip in - skiing, wakeboarding, and surfing. He was super ill (with allergies) and the water was freezing, but he didn't stop until the hypothermia started to set in. The girls also got some turns in the tube and I tried to not shiver too much in the comfortable boat. Thanks Uncle Roger!

9. Being in the Boise temple again. Stephen gave us a good excuse to go as he was able to go through for the first time to prepare for his mission. Love that temple. Loved being there with my parents, grandparents, siblings, and my sweetie.

10. Meeting up with my Sin-c-uh! Girl, one of us should have brought a camera.

11. Cousin time! Jaron in Boise, and then Cati, Cari, Nathan, Hyrum, and Mitchell in Salt Lake. So many cute kids in one place - too fun!

12. BYU - Ed and I bored the girls with our reminiscing about where we met and lived and took classes. We couldn't believe how much has changed, and yet how so much has stayed the same. Wondered how we could have thought Wymount and Monticello were such dumps to live in (our house here has given us some great perspective). Met up with old friends and enjoyed lunch, conversation and watching our kids play together.

13. Amy's wedding!!! Hope to have pictures soon. Saw and talked to all 11 of my siblings in one day (small miracle when we live all over the world). Met Lee (Amy's new hubby), Katie Jo (Jared's beautiful new wife), nephews Mitchell and Hyrum, and neice Cari. Amy looked fabulous, of course, and everything was beautiful. Especially loved being in the Salt Lake temple. Enjoyed the impromtu (yet major) storm that ended the reception a little early. Wished we could have attended the one in Idaho as well.

14. Anderson family reunion at the YMCA and dinner at Chuck-o-Rama. Swimming, food and conversation - what could be better?!

15. Shish-kabobs and smores in the park. Horseshoes and nice grass and sun and the girls on the playground. Ahhhhh.

15. All the late-night talking, movie-watching, wonderful meals, babysitting, teasing, playing, kid distractors, laziness, and general family time. Thanks all for putting up with our kids (okay, so I know I was really the worst with my hormones and jet lag and morning sickness - sorry), giving us rides (and borrowed cars), and making us love coming home so much. We love and miss you all already!

I promise that is the short version. Wish I had more pictures - maybe I'll post those as I get them. There were more great moments that I'm sure will come to me as well, once we get over this darn jet lag. It's starting to...set in...now...{yawn}...better go keep the girls awake for a couple more hours...don't want us all to be wide awake at 3 am again tomorrow.