We had an incredibly full, fun day yesterday. John and Sheri (Brad's sister) and their son Adam came to spend the night on Friday, after touring the Twin Falls Temple with Amber (their daughter) and her fiance, Joe Reeder. We were thrilled to have them here for a little while and took full advantage of their time and attention while they were here. The kids were particularly excited to swim with Adam since he is such a tease, and is always willing to play with them!
Kate getting thrown high into the air by Adam! She loved it and begged over and over for him to do it again and again. Thanks for being a good sport Adam - we love you!
Todd getting thrown around, too. Luckily, Adam is really strong!
After John and Sheri left for Twin Falls again, we ran out to Oakley where Todd performed for the town Pioneer Day Celebration. What a cool stud, huh?
From Oakley, we headed for Twin Falls to enjoy the Blue Angels Air Show compliments of Joe Reeder's family. They own Reeder Flight Service, and were very involved in all the preparations for the Air Show. We really enjoyed ourselves, even though it was mega-hot. Jack was one happy little boy. He had perma-grin as he thoroughly checked out every airplane, helicopter and jet in sight.
Sheri, John, Todd, and Adam (and Jack-Jack in the background). The only shade available was under the wings of airplanes. We were glad for the relief we got from the scorching heat!
Jack, in his element.
The Blue Angels jets. Wow, can I just say watching them fly was one of the most incredible feats I've ever seen. The precision with which they fly is something to be seen. I was completely in awe.
After the air show Joe showed us his office and let the kids sit in some of the helicopters and planes they are working on. They absolutely loved being in the middle of the action!
This pretty much captures Jack's mood for the entire day :).
Kate and Todd checking out the cockpit with Adam.
After the airshow (and a LOOOOONG wait in traffic) we decided we might as well not waste the opportunity to visit the Niagara Falls of the West (Shoshone Falls). With gas prices as they are (hovering at $4.15 or so) we realized that we need to enjoy vacation spots that are close to home. The falls this year are absolutely spectacular.
We ended up hiking all the trails around the area so we could see the falls from as many different vantage points as possible.
While hiking the kids got blisters on their feet (I guess we should have planned our day and footwear a little better!). We talked a lot about the pioneers and the conditions they walked in. The kids bucked up a little after that and stopped complaining. At one point I told them the story of the big brother that carried his little brother to the top of a mountain on his back, then after reaching the pinnacle, sat down and died. They were amazed by his love and bravery and a little while later when Kate was fussing about how much her feet hurt, I heard Todd coaxing her onto his back for a ride! It touched my heart. But I had to laugh when about 30 feet down the path he sat her back down and exclaimed, "She's HEAVY!" Oh well, I guess it's the thought that counts.
By the time we returned home we were completely exhausted. We fell in to bed and no one budged until after 7 this morning (except for Brad, who had early meetings). It's a good thing we have church at 11:30!
