to Idaho and back again

Our trip started on Thursday afternoon when Aaron got off of work.  I already had the car loaded, so we filled up the gas tank and headed down the road.  Aria had just woken up from a nap, so I hung out in the backseat with her so she could have some food.  She was happy as you could ever ask for, and had a quick nap too.  We stopped at the perfect halfway point in Cranbrook, BC, had some dinner and got a hotel for the night.  Aria was not pleased to be somewhere new, and although she only had a short nap in the car, she did not want to go to sleep.  

We got back on the road Friday morning, and Aria wore her USA shirt in honor of her first time across the border.  Another four hour drive and we made it to our destination in Moscow, Idaho.

We got to see the birthday boys, Joshua and Henry.  Amanda and Kate were excited to see us too!  (Nathan didn't come home until later that afternoon.)

The size difference between Aria and Kate was almost comical.  Aria is 8 months and weighs around 22 pounds, while Kate is 4 months and only weighs 11 pounds.  Most babies those ages won't look quite so extremely different, but Aria is especially big and Kate is especially small. 

Lots of visiting and hanging out.  On Saturday we took a walk to the park and Aria got to swing for the first time.  Like everything else, she loved it.  We were really enjoying the fresh air - it was nice to be in a place where it was actually spring time with green grass and blooming flowers.  Spring won't arrive in Calgary until May.

Saturday was Joshua's birthday, so we celebrated that evening with lots of presents and cupcakes.  Henry's birthday is only four days later, so a lot of the presents were shared between them.  Those boys were so incredibly excited they ripped through those presents very quickly.  Any pictures I tried to get were blurry as the boys bounced around, so I got a picture of Kate smiling at Aaron instead.

And of course Tawnia showed up on Saturday afternoon as well.  That lucky lady gets to stay in Idaho an entire week, but we were glad to see her for at least a few days.  Aria had so much fun playing with her aunts and uncle and cousins.  Henry loved to give her hugs and kisses, but when she reached out to grab him for the first time (as babies do), he said, "I am not a baby toy!" 

Happy Easter!  We had done a quick bit of shopping on Saturday, and although I said I wasn't going to buy anything for Aria (because she really has plenty of everything), I came across a beautiful little dress and had to get it for her.  She looked so adorable for church, alongside her cousin. 

After church we did an egg hunt for the boys and then Amanda's parents invited us all to an amazing Easter feast.  And I do mean feast!  Delicious lasagna and roasted chickens, with potatoes and mushrooms and artichoke hearts, rolls, salad, a Jell-O ring, and a fruit tray, and Amanda made some fun deviled eggs (which I'm definitely doing in the future!).  AND we got homemade apple pie and ice cream for dessert.  It was all amazing and I was sad we weren't staying longer so we could enjoy the leftovers.

We said our good-byes on Monday morning, and drove the eight hours home.  Aria had done so well for the two shorter legs of the trip, we were worried about doing it in one long stretch, but as long as she was fed, she was happy.  She even got a little bit of a Wendy's frosty as a treat.  It was a wonderful trip, and we were so glad to go.  Looking forward to going back again sometime!

And as a bonus, we have video!  Several little snippets of our Easter adventure.