Fishing Bridge

Get ready for photo overload. Please note that I am actually going to post some photos of myself even though I have gained 30 pounds of stress in the last two years and I hate every single photo. It may take several days to get upload all of these posts. In the meantime, you should know that Calvin turned 5 successfully yesterday and the skittles cake he requested was a big hit.

When I flew into SLC, I spent the day with my dear friend Leta eating breakfast at Market Street (yum!) and then made the drive to Idaho Falls with my brother-in-law, Ross. We spent four hours discussing life, mental illness, children, divorce and its ramifications, business and the changing workplace, schooling and the responsibilities we enter into upon marriage and becoming parents. It was actually one of the best discussions I have had this month as Ross has had all of those things touch and shape his life. He has been the child of divorce and has seen the kind of lives his parents built after that event. He has also been a witness to how mental illness has shaped and continue to affect the lives of those he loves. Though it may seem to be on the surface, life is not easy for anyone. We all struggle and are hurt and people disappoint us. Ross is going back to school for his MBA, started his own successful business and secretly dreams of buying a farm in Oregon and selling strawberries. If I could afford to, I would join him, my nephew and sister, home school my kids and run the gift shop and special events and sell crafts and baked goods on the farm.

We stayed one night in Idaho Falls at my parent's house with the dogs and then made it to the cabin in Island Park the next morning. After many hugs and kiss attacks with the children the whole family drove down to the fishing bridge to feed the big fish and take a short hike down the river. Grandpa bought the kids some fish food which they eagerly threw under the bridge where the biggest fish like to hang out.


Unfortunately, the fat fish were full, but there were plenty of these guys floating downstream benefiting from the fishes disinterest. We have been going to this same spot for as long as I can remember. There is something very comforting in that.


My brother Scott with most of his nieces and nephews. Scott came down from Montana and stayed the whole week and more.



Auntie Koo reunited with the munchkins.


This little cabin is next to the fishing bridge and was home to a hermit a few inches taller than Max. It is tiny and sweet and in a gorgeous location.


Max and his cousin Phoebe - or Phoebes as Sophie calls her. Phoebe has gown into this beautiful girl since the last time we saw her and she and Max were joined at the hip the whole time we were in Idaho.


Sophie caught water bugs - of course. Many more Sophie/bug photos to follow.