August 19, 2012

     It's a lot of fun to come to summer in Idaho from winter in Namibia.  Not that Namibia was cold, but picking peaches and going to the lake with cousins is a lot of fun.

Picking Peaches!  Justin and Papa picking peaches in the orchard.

Justin was not content to pick the peaches he could reach.  He wanted to climb.  That meant Ryan wanted to climb too.

Rocking horses at the front of the little restaurant by the orchard.  The boys enjoyed their suckers while they rocked.  They continued to enjoy their suckers in the car all the way home.

The boys loved running back and forth among the trees.  They got a lot of exercise.

Playing on the playground at Fernan Elementary School.  Ryan was braver than Justin and he was the first one to go over the arch.  Once Ryan did it, Justin figured he should be able to do it as well.

Justin loved building in the sand by the lake.  He would get in and swim sometimes, but building was his passion.

Soup enjoyed a drink while drying off.

David enjoyed soaking up a little sun before jumping back into the lake.

Back in the USA

Well, we have been back in the States for about a week and a half now. I think we are on the correct time zone. Who's to say though? Neither of my boys are known for their outstanding sleep habits. Right now it is after 11:00 PM and Tiny is not showing any signs of being sleepy. Why don't my boys need more sleep? We are also still fighting colds that we caught soon after our arrival. Nothing like snotty noses, sore throats, and coughs to make sure we don't get a full night's sleep.

One of my friends gave Tiny a little xylophone. He LOVES it, which means that Justin also loves it. When Tiny doesn't sleep, at least he gets a chance to play with some of the toys his brother always takes away from him!

At least our trip over was uneventful. Check in at the airport in Tokyo was a breeze. The Embassy driver parked the van in the loading zone and helped get our bags inside. He was even able to say something that got us to a check in counter that didn't have a line. Once past security we found a play area where Justin and Tiny were happily entertained until it was time to board the plane.
Now it is probably impossible for a nine plus hour flight with a nine month old and a 2 1/2 year old to be fun, but it wasn't bad. I spent most of the flight holding Tiny. He hates his car seat. He was fairly content and even slept some of the time for me. Justin slept restlessly when he slept. At one point he screamed for apple juice, but I don't know that he was awake. I think it was just another episode of him talking in his sleep. I had a bag full of things for the boys to play with, but the winner by far was the green stretch tube that my mom had sent. We didn't even get to most of the airplane toys. That means I can use them on other segments of our trip. Behold the great stretch tube! Maybe I should buy a dozen for Christmas and wrap them up separately.

Arrival in Seattle meant customs and a five hour layover before our forty minute flight to Spokane. The boys were decent human beings, but five hours is a long time and the Seattle airport is one of my least favorites. I think it has all the inconveniences and annoyances of a large airport without very many of the benefits. It does have a small play area. We basically spent our time there and the food court.

My parents were awaiting us in Spokane and we drove back (in two cars because of all the luggage) to their home. Finally able to rest. Thank heaven for grandmas!

Today Rob and I took the kids to the lake. They had a great time. It took Justin awhile to decide to try out the water, but Tiny was ready from the start. He loves the water and screams when he has to get out.

Oops! Looks like I forgot to post some pictures of Justin's trip to the beach. He LOVES Lake Coeur d'Alene. Since we had a stretch of weather in the upper 80s and lower 90s in mid September, we took advantage of the beach. It was great with school already in session. It wasn't crowded and Justin had a blast in the water and out. I feel a little guilty that we didn't go again this week. The weather has been in the 80s, but by this weekend it is supposed to be in the mid 50s. Even though poor Grandma ends up doing most of the work and we stay for just under an hour, trips to the lake wear me out. It is nice how much lighter I feel in the water though.

Hopefully Justin will enjoy Fall. Today he was lecturing one of the trees out front. He had some leaves in his hand and was waving them up at the tree. I couldn't make out most of the words, but I did get leaf, down, grass, mess, and tree. He sure let that tree know his feelings!