Our summer adventures always come about in an interesting way. There’s usually at least one event we’re trying to attend or plan around and then it’s a puzzle to make everything fit and our timeline work. Our road trip looked something like this:

Drive 4 1/2 hours, stay for a week. Drive 6 1/2 hours. Stay 2 nights. Drive 5 hours, stay 5 nights. Drive 6 hours, stay 3 nights. Drive 6 hours, stay 7 nights. Drive 2 hours, stay 3 nights. Drive 2 hours, stay 7 nights. Drive 17 hours in one day to make it home. In all that time we saw Arizona, Utah, Idaho, Washington and Oregon. In all those nights away from home, we spent 2 1/2 weeks in my childhood home in Idaho.

Its hard to describe my excitement for heading home during the summer. I look forward to it all year long and even when I stay for a long time – it never quite seems long enough. My mom worries as the kids get older they’ll get bored and won’t want to come. I beg to differ. Because in some magical way, I’m passing on my love for Idaho to my kids.

A summer in Idaho means spending time with family, going to parks, learning the sport of fishing and hunting, living the farm life, exploring and seeing new sights, pretending (if just for a couple weeks) that we’re not city slickers. Going to Idaho for me is slowing down and although I don’t think it would suit me long term – I love it for the summer. (Especially when the alternative is staying in Arizona where I fear melting!)

And after being away from our home for a month and a half Steve asked, “So you’re ready to come home?” My response – I could stay longer. I love being home and getting stuff done, but I also love living our summer Idaho life.

Here’s Idaho summed up in a few pictures…