Idaho Trip

It's been a long time since I've posted anything, but it's been a long time since I've had anything to report.  Now I almost have too much to write about.

Doug had some classes he wanted to take in Salt Lake City so we decided to all go.  The plan was that the girls and I would stay in Idaho while Doug came back to work.  After a few weeks he'd come back and help us drive home.  About two weeks before we left Doug informed me that his boss had given him a few extra days off for travel.  Instead of leaving on Wednesday, June 15, we left on Sunday, June 12.  It was nice having a few extra days, but a little stressful getting everything ready.  Miriam ended up missing the last four days of school instead of the last two.

We arrived in Idaho after driving all day on Sunday (12th).  We hung out with family until Thursday (16th) when we drove to Salt Lake for Doug's conference.  My brother and his wife let us stay with them at their new house in Murray.  It was fun meeting our newest Anderson niece/cousin (she's almost one now).  On Saturday (18th), my cousin Tifani came and picked the girls and I up and took us to the park.  Our kids played and played some more while Tifani and I visited.  It was great to catch up and to see someone who has been dear to my heart since birth.

Doug finished his classes and then came and picked us up and we headed back to Idaho.  Doug stayed with his parents Saturday night and they took him to the airport on Sunday.  It was sad not to be with him for Father's Day, but it was fun celebrating with my family.

Our days in Idaho were full of swimming lessons for the girls, book shopping for me, planning and preparing for Miriam's baptism, meeting my soon to be sister-in-law, and LOTS of family time.  Unfortunately it also meant lots and lots of sickness.  Miriam got sick with a nasty cough and then decided to share it with me and a few others.  I took Miriam to the doctor (I LOVE our Rexburg doctor) and was able to set my brother up with a medical rotation while I was there.  Miriam got better pretty quickly, but I'm still dealing with it.  I ended up going to Community Care, but they just said to push the liquids and get some over-the-counter medication.  I haven't received the bills from the medical visits yet, but I'm sure they won't be cheap, especially since we're not even close to reaching our deductible.  Oh well, at least it happened there where Miriam was an established patient and I had an option other than the ER.

Playing at the Park in Salt Lake

Swimming Lessons

 
 
 
 
 

If you notice in one of the pictures, Miriam looks absolutely terrified.  She was.  I mentioned earlier that she was sick and I took her to the doctor.  Well, that all happened on the first day of swimming lessons.  Miriam made it for three lessons, but then I kept her out of the pool one day because she was sick.  My mother-in-law took the girls the next day and that's when Miriam did the diving.  That was the beginning of the end.  Miriam suffers from anxiety and when something scares her she tends to make herself sick.  I forced her one day to get in and ended up pulling her out of the water seconds before she threw up.  It was VERY embarrassing!  It was a difficult decision, but I decided the money I spent didn't matter, and that this is one area of life I wouldn't push her.  Miriam and I had a nice discussion on how there are some things in life that we HAVE to do, even if we're scared so much it makes us sick.  I feel that way with driving---a LOT (remember Philadelphia?).  I told her there will be times when it won't be necessary to do something that scares us, but there will be times where we have to do it NO MATTER WHAT.  I used the example of how Doug didn't make me drive in Philadelphia, but there were times after his knee surgery that I had to do it on my own.  It was scary, and I was sick and thought I'd die, but I somehow made it through.

This was all so weird because she'd go to the pool where we used to live and practice her swimming with my brothers.  She begged to go every night and Kirill and Kai would take both girls over and practice with them. It was very strange.  She had nice swimming instructors so I don't think it was because she didn't trust them.  Like I said, it was very strange.

I do have to announce that my daughter who only went to swimming lessons 4 out of 10 days, who couldn't keep from crying almost the entire time she was in the pool, can now swim.  On our way home from Idaho we stayed the night in Boise.  We made sure to have a pool at the hotel and Miriam surprised us all with her swimming ability.  It reminded me of my own swimming lessons.  My cousin (see above picture) and I were the oldest in our swimming class and we were the only two to fail.  Yep, we failed swimming lessons.  A few weeks later we went swimming as a family and I was able to do it on my own.  I guess sometimes we just have to be patient and the things we've learned with kick in.  Either way, I'm very proud of my girls for trying something that scared them.