Pre-California Trip

My parents live on the Snake River.  My entire life, from birth to 18+ years was spent with it in my backyard.  I love the sigh of it, and the smell (usually).  I love the trees and line it, and the slough that runs off the main river.  My childhood includes many memories of rowing boats, throwing rocks, climbing up and down the embankment, and enjoying the closeness of the water.  I am glad that when we visit my kids are able to do some of those same things.

My Aunt Dorothy and Uncle John moved back to the old family farm (right there on the before mentioned river) several years ago.  When I was a child they lived in Boise and we didn't see them often, but I have always loved Aunt Dorothy.  We fit into the same place in our families and I've always thought that makes us both really awesome!  I've been glad since they moved back that they are a fun part of my children's visits to Grandma's house.  Uncle John built a really nice fire pit behind his house and while we were visiting we went down for dinner.

I'm trying to figure out how to describe this... Families are... I don't know...  you know!  They can drive you nuts.  They can make you happy.  They are your biggest fans and your loudest critics - they are just... FAMILY.  But, crazy as we all may be together - there is something that just feels timeless about a picnic with family.  Maybe it feels so to me because we always had a picnic for family reunions with my dad's family growing up.  Maybe it's the smell of the fire that seems to connect me to my pioneer ancestors.  Perhaps it's Aunt Dorothy's unmistakable laugh or the stories that always come out.  I could even be that potato salad never tastes the same as when you eat your moms.  Whatever the case, I loved this family picnic.

My favorite things were:
1.  Seeing my children walk the banks of the Snake and toss in rocks, just like I used to.
2.  Hugging Aunt Dorothy and reminiscing about Grandma Roberts's peony bushes (Aunt Dorothy even had a cut of one of a white one that Grandma used to grow, now growing in her yard - jealous I am!!!)
3.  The way my girls run to Grandpa when they see him coming.
4.  My mom and her potato salad - both are amazing, just so you know.
5.  Watching my boys enjoying Uncle John's pyrotechnics - that man is fun with lighter-fluid and a campfire!
6.  Seeing my children swing on the back porch - it brought Grandpa Luther and Grandma Enid to the very front of my mind and I remembered swinging between the two of them while Grandpa sang whatever came to his head - it was ALWAYS something about Grandma - I'm not sure he thought of much else.

Like I said, there is something about family.  What a great prequel to our trip.