Settler's Park

Can I just say that Idaho has the best city parks around?! WOW! This is Settler's Park in Meridian. We had a blast here! Dave had the day off and we went here for our family outing.In this park there is a pond that they stock with fish to go fishing at, they have 5 baseball fields, CLEAN bathrooms, a staff member there to help the kids or to prevent accidents, etc. Then I learned that every Friday night they have movie night in the field...FREE. So we will go and experience that sometime! Typically when I am at a park with my kids...I can feel every minute pass...but here we were here for two hours without even blinking! And look at that SKY!!

In this park there are these giant instruments for the kids to play on and it makes music! Wesley

Samantha and Dave

Wait for it Sammie...

...And there it is! haha

The theme is pirates...arghh!

A fun thing is a snack bar that sells snow cones for $1! With over 40 flavors! Yum!!

A closer look...

Happy 4th of July!

This is probably one of my favorite holidays! We have made it into a day event over the years. Every year we go to Oceanside beach...so this year was a trying one for me. I had NO idea what to do out here! So I explored the internet for ideas and for where to go. All the cities have great websites of things to do in their neck of the woods. I discovered a place called Cascade, Idaho. My first thought was that it sounded like a Disney movie...thanks Cinthia for that thought! haha So we decided that instead of going into Boise or one of the surrounding cities, that we would travel an hour up the mountain and see what Cascade had to offer. They launch the fireworks off the Lake Cascade. There were tons of boats, a small farmers market and lots of locals! Really not too crowded. Which was nice...I bet Boise was crazy busy. So next year....we want to go all day and enjoy the lake and shops. We also went and saw Ice Age with Sammie and Wes....Dylan and Dave saw Transformers...great movies!

I am so grateful to live in a country where we have the ability to live our lives in a manner that we want. I am grateful for those who serve our country to protect us. I am so proud to live in this free country...I am proud to be an American! It is the greatest feeling on this day to celebrate our freedoms, the men and women who serve US, and our families and friends.

The Grogan kids with Mombo

Being silly...what they do best! ha

Dylan always being cool

Sweet Sammie

Fun Wesley

Red, White, and Blue

On our way up...we discovered the river with lots of rapids! It is so beautiful and inspiring!

Gorgeous!

This was really too early in the evening to take this pic...there were hundreds of boats on the lake! What a life!

Wesley with his first sparkler! My battery died and this is the only sparkler pic I have..): There is always next year!

Wes was getting impatient...we had to wait for sundown to see the firework show..and that happens at 10:45pm...yep...very late!

Dad and his girl!

I really don't like myself in pics...I need to get better about being in them! Me and my boys!

I was a bit nervous of the fireworks..were they really legal?? haha...they were so much fun! And the kids thought it was cool to set off our own fireworks!

Boise market

In BoDo....hahahahaha...still makes me giggle....every week they have a market. Actually most of the cities out her have markets. The farmers and local businesses go and sell their items. I am thinking about getting my business license and selling baked goods here. I think it would be fun...so we will see! Anyway, here are a few pics of our adventure...David's Mom and Dad, Sister Kima nd her son went with us! It was fun!

It is so wonderful to be able to get to Boise in 20 minutes! It is like going into Riverside! We are still exploring...there is much much more there that we have'nt discovered yet!

Boise Zooo

Thursdays at the zoo are half off days, so my family got in the zoo for $10! We thought we would check it out. We decided to go on the HOTTEST day of the week...so most of the animals were asleep in the shade...and we wanted to join them! haha...well not the Tigers!

WE really haven't seen a Tiger up close and personal...those animals are HUGE! I wouldn't want to mess with one of them...ever! Dylan was intrigued by this Tiger...and wondered how long it would take for the Tiger to eat one of us...only Dylan would think of that! haha

On a turtle shell...actual size...I think the turtles could eat us too!

Wes exploring the egg shells

We came to the spider monkeys..those things were swinging all over the place! They were alot of fun to watch!

Wes and the actual size of the Tigers...watch out!

Sammie enjoying the prairie dog exhibit...you go underground and pop up in these bubbles and the prairie dogs walk around them...they were very cool!

All in all....Boise zoo gets a 7! And part of that is that it was so hot that the animals were in hiding. I dont have a ton of good pics to share...too hard to get them. But we will go again in the fall..hopefully we can see more of the animals!

So much catching up to do!

I have really been neglecting my blog! So much going on lately! Before I left Cali....we went to the beach, Sea World, parties, graduations, and more! I have the pictures...on my Mom's computer...so sadly I will have to wait to get these off of her computer. So here is my update of what life is like in Idaho! So far....WE LOVE IT! Life is different here. Life is slower. Life is filled with many more allergies. Life is different from what I expected so far. Life is getting busy as we are getting settled. Life is filled with free movies. Life is filled with days at the lake. Life is great since Dave is with us now. It was hard to be away from the love of my life for so long. 

We left early in the morning to reach St George by 4pm. I didnt want to drive all day and night! We topped at various places along our way...I needed a break...and so did the 4 kids and puppy! I know...brave! We had my nephew Lucas with us for the ride. Our first stop was in Baker at the world largest thermometer. Now I have never stopped and stood by this thing before...since I was the only adult on the trip...I did things that I wanted to do. haha Well, my Dad traveled with me until I got to St George, but he was a great sport! The kids thought it was fun to see it...and it wasnt too hot!

This is a glimpse of what the car ride was like...yes I left room, barely, for my children. But hey living in Cali for a year...this is what i had...not bad.

A Campbell tradition starting with my brother is going to Firehouse subs while in Vegas...and well worth the trip! Try any sandwich and dip in one of their bbq sauces...your tastebuds will go bonkers! And every kids gets a fireman hat!

The Vegas temple, I started the trip thinking we would see alot of temples, but as the trip went on, plans changed!

My Grandpa Campbell, Dad, nephew, and kids...all playing the WII. You would think the kids would be hogging the WII...but no...my Dad and Grandpa are very serious about their bowling WII game...very serious.

We went to the St George tabernacle and they built this new art park next to it! With tons of water features! It was a blast and a great break from the car!

This is at the Cove Fort.  This was alot of fun! When traveling form St. George to Salt Lake...take a potty break here! It is clean and the tour is great! I have never been here before and the kids loved it!

This is what my first impression of Idaho was...the sky! It is blue! BLUE! What a concept. I figured it was just this area...nope...it is everywhere! I had Paul Potts playing on my cd player and it was great to see such an amazing visual with great music!

What a great reunion it was to see our daddy again! We missed him so much! This man is so amazing and wonderful...I was glad to have my sweetheart again!

So as the trip went on...the less I did! haha The puppy made it hard to do things. Now, I am not as dumb as I may look....when we arrived to each place (grandparents homes), I found dog sitters. I didnt have my camera ready..and I sooooo wish I had pictures! These places were only $20 to board Mombo for the night. I just needed a place for him to be so I could relax at night. These places gave him a BED, BLANKET, OUTSIDE PLAY TIME, SOCIAL HOUR with other DOGS, a FLAT SCREEN to watch MOVIES....and the list goes on! It was so ridiculous...I cant even tell you! I am so not a pet person....I dont get it....lol

We arrived the day before Fathers Day and in time for our 11th year annivesary. We celebrated by spending the day alone, kidless, in Boise. Boise has alot to do there and many historic things. We went to the city center and explored downtown...known to locals as BoDo...seriously. haha Many of you might not know but Dave LOVES watching the Food network. One of the fav shows is Drive-ins, Diners, and Dives. This show went to a Dive there in BoDo and featured it. It is a Basque style restaurant...The Bar Gernika..fyi, the Basque people helped settle most of Boise...and the speciality there is Beef tongue. No I was not brave enough...they also featured the croquettes, which is a deep freid ball of yumminess. I had the pork sandwich and Dave had the lamb grinder. This dive was delicious!

We are exploring our new world and the surroundings. It is really great to be in such a clean and pretty place. I just hope that I survive the allergies here! They are a nightmare! One day we took a walk and I saw these white fluffy things floated in the wind....COTTON! Apparently I am allergic to it. We hae been to the lake a few times...2 miles away from us...2 miles! And it is not like Lake Perris...nothing like it! You can swim in this lake and their are no diapers or trash floating in it! One of my favorite finds is the church owned orchards. I went and got cherries...off the tree for 25 cents a lb. This week is apricots! I am finding myself getting more domesticated and wanting to grow a garden and can. I never thought i would see the day! With my dear friend Amber's excitement I am also becoming Mrs. Frugal! The girl behind the Thirfty Mom blog lives here in Caldwell....and I shop where she does...and am saving a fortune! It is fun to start new things! I hope to start many new things and continue with things I already love. I miss Cali and the friends I left behind, but am ready for this new adventure...