Two weeks out west

 I left Boston airport with five kids at 8 p.m  bound for Portland, OR for a two week vacation in three states. Brent joined me three days later after working for a few more days.

Kennon had flown out a week earlier and met her cousin Katie for EFY Tacoma.   It was so amazing for her and we will be sending all of our teenagers to this awesome program.  

Then she attended the Fielding Reunion at the Cameo Heights Mansion, one of the top ten Bed and Breakfast in the country and owned and operated by my parents. Please check it out and you can be a guest at my parents home if you are in Eastern Washington and want to have a truly beautiful experience. 

Sadly we missed the family reunion by a week but still enjoyed dining at The Vine in Mom and Dad's dining room and staying in the English Tudor Suite.  Well, at least as much as you can enjoy it when you have six kids tearing through a luxurious bed and breakfast not exactly designed with grandkids in mind. 

Before heading to Washington we hung out with our cousins in Portland and visited the new visitor center at the LDS temple there. Marcus took a sweet picture with his hero President Thomas S. Monson. 

We met Ciana and Dave and six cousins at the temple on their way home to California. They had just been at the Fielding reunion without us and made a detour to say Hi before their ten hour drive. We hadn't seen each other in two years so it was a fun reunion. We went to the visitor center and visited while the kids played in the back of the truck Bryan and Jenny let us borrow for our two week stay in the west.  We hated leaving our sweet set up at Bryan an Jenny's. They have an awesome guest suite that is better than anything I have ever before stayed in. And though we haven't hung out with them in 6 years we had no problem reconnecting just like old times. 

Marcus is fascinated with the farm life and can't believe that he was so close to being a farm boy if it weren't for Dad's mid life crisis and his decision to convert from farmer to dentist. He went right out to pick apples off the trees surrounding my parents bed and breakfast. He brought his cousin buddy from last summer, Laura. Of all people we saw, Marcus loved his cousin Laura the best. Three times this last week he has looked at me and said, "Mom, don't you just miss Laura?"

After all that apple picking he was pretty upset that Mom made him throw away the little green apples he had picked.  I saw the tractor out spraying that morning and decided it wasn't worth taking any chances. 

This kid just might love being a farm boy. He kept telling us that he loved it. . . every single place we went in the west.

Every morning my parents are busy in the kitchen preparing breakfast. It's funny for me to see my Dad spending so much time in the kitchen. It was a rare occurrence growing up. So were the wine racks in the kitchen.  :) Camille helped him prepare fruit trays. Savannah and Mom were busy whipping up lemon waffles that were out of this world delicious. 

 Over at the Casper farm there was a party planned to welcome us. 

Brent's family held a BBQ/Swim party at Grandma Casper's old place now rented by Brent's brother Brad. After two years away it was so wonderful to be back at a place with so many warm memories. These are just a few of the Casper 1st cousins. There are 51 total. A few great grandkids are also in the picture. It's all a blur in that family who the cousins, aunts and great grandkids are. That is one thing I love about it. Some of my kids Casper cousins are more like sisters to me than nieces.

These are 5 of the 9 siblings Brent has along with his 81 year old Mother.

From left to right Brad, Brent, Linda, Teresa, Mama Jo, and Jill.

Brent's Mom met her 51st grandchild- Calvin for the first time at this party. It was wonderful to have Brent be with his Mom. I wish I had a picture of me showing up late for church that Sunday and finding Brent in the row with his arm around his beautiful mother.

During the party Brent and the kids left to tour our farm. This is above the orchard overlooking the Columbia River. It's really sad to come home and see all the beauty that we left behind. Farm AND Family.

I really wish that I didn't have to choose just one life to lead. 

We actually spent very little time in Washington. We spent the majority of our time in Oregon with Brent's brother Bryan and wife Jenny and then six days in Idaho at Priest Lake at Brent's parents cabin.

We get one week a summer that is ours to reserve. This year we invited my sister Candice, My mother and Grandma Pieper (I am still looking for a picture of her on this camera) and my niece Chelsea with her family of 5. 

We were surprised and delighted when they brought up jet skis. The cabin boat broke last summer so the jet skis were a big hit. We invited them initially just for their company alone but may invite them back next year just for their equipment. :)

That's Camille on Brent's back this time.  He always insists on skiing with passengers. He's even skiid with me on his back before. We should head to Sea World and join their show team. 

Camille was hilarious because she wouldn't let go. She was barefoot skiing by the end of this ride and still had the back of his pants in her fist. 

Our nephew Cory also came up and was a great help with these two second cousins Chelsea's Brooks and our Calvin. 

Calvin got his first two teeth in Idaho. He didn't sleep as well but besides that was his usual happy self. He is now 8 months.

The last evening a storm like nothing I have seen at Priest Lake arrived. Just as it began us ladies decided to take one last dip in the lake, as we would be leaving in the morning. From left to right -Savannah, Kashann, Chelsea, Kennon, and Katie. 

The storm's damage was extensive and we lost power for several hours. This live power line was down right outside our back door and a tree blocked the road. It was just like being in New England.

When we found out the power was out and we wouldn't be doing laundry or washing dishes anytime soon to get out of there we decided to head out to take some family pictures. So here's all of us.


 We found out that our kids travel very well on the red eye flight. They ALL slept the entire five hour direct flight from Portland, OR to Boston, MA  and it went by in the blink of an eye- East Coast to West Coast!  Unbelievable!   This is coming from a mother who has driven the distance three times and seen all that can happen from the east to the west in the course of a very long drive. Many diaper changes, multiple car sick throw ups, cooler spills, fights, arguments over hotel or no hotel, way too many $2 plan trips to McDonalds and Wow, I just feel so grateful to have avoided that this time around. I am glad we can afford the red eye . . . finally.

Goodbye to the West! Until next time. We are already looking forward to Summer 2013.