Smith Family Reunion 2016

The Smith family does a reunion every couple of years and this was our first! It was also our first "vacation", long drive with both the kiddos and my first time in Idaho. Lexi has always been great in the car, but we were curious about Mr Dallin who was basically done with the car when not sleeping. He did okay though and we tried keeping him happy with tastes of applesauce. Probably would have been fine if I could have sat in the back with him. It was a 5.5 hour trip and we decided just to get a hotel to make things easier.

We drove up Friday afternoon and made it for the ice-cream social. Saturday they had a breakfast gathering in the AM, a pool party during the day and park play time in the evening. We made it late for everything lol. But Dallin got passed around and Lexi enjoyed whatever and whoever came her way. I still don't have all 7 siblings and their kids sorted out, but everyone is pretty awesome. We went to church with a cousin & stopped by to see his grandmother afterwards who didn't really recognize Eric with her dementia, but she is so sweet it doesn't matter. I wish I caught all her wit and wisdom on camera.

Our hotel was a little ghetto but completely good enough and we mooched what breakfast we could. I tried getting Mr Smith to help me pass the time on the way home but he didn't like to indulge me in my little car Q&A games, but such is life. Miraculously, no blowouts (minus the minor one on grandma at the park) or injuries but many awful drivers, especially once Mr Smith starts driving =) Mr Smith would always comment on how beautiful the fields were in the valley...like he was trying to convince me. I didn't buy it. I told him I need trees for it to be beautiful. ID definitely doesn't trump NC.

I FINALLY tried out the phone lenses that Amy sent me for my birthday. I love the fisheye effect on all the photos at the park, definitely a fun thing to play with. I was really bad at taking photos at other times. The pool was wonderful in the heat and a really perfect pool for kids too. I wish I could dunk my head back in it again. I just need to get a swimsuit for next year.

The trip exhausted us though and we all slept in Monday morning (4th of July). That was a nice treat. I'm pretty sure we just took it easy and didn't really see much of parades or fireworks. Next year, maybe. I'd still like to see Lexi enjoy a carnival.

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