Idaho potatoes

We left Monday morning with a brief stop at the Church Distribution Center in Salt Lake. We had been so rushed when we visited the first time and I didn't get a chance to buy some pictures I wanted for our kids.

The drive went relatively smooth and we even ate McDonald's in the car to save time since we had already stopped so long in Salt Lake. Our kids really are good at eating in the car without a mess. And a good thing too since our van isn't even a year old yet! We had to stop for a break and switch drivers at a rest stop along the road. Jeff discovered we had run into a giant dragonfly which had given its life in the name of our road trip. I made him take a picture because it was so huge!


When we let Harrison out he ran right up to the bench by the building and sat there with his arms folded and legs swinging. He was just grinning and happy to be free from his car seat. James soon joined him and we had to take a picture of the rare moments when our kids were sitting still voluntarily.



At 5:30 we arrived in Fruitland, ID at the home of my oldest sister Rashae. We had dinner and then for Family Home Evening we all went out to their garden and worked. The kids dug up potatoes and then we all picked raspberries. The mosquitoes were terrible! There were literally swarms around and it kept feeling like they were flying up my nose. We sprayed everyone really good with repellent. I am lucky I inherited my father's immunity to mosquitoes. I never got bit once and I didn't spray anything on me.
Here's my nephew Daniel and his dad Eric doing most of the digging of the potatoes. There's nothing more fun to me than the family out working in the garden. It reminds me of when I was growing up and raising our fields of vegetables.


Later Jeff got in with the shovel.

With Caleb and Harrison it was mostly eating and not filling the bucket.

Sharing the berries with mom.


My boys are more into figuring out the mechanics of the tractor than posing for a picture.


Later that night after the kids were in bed my brother-in-law Eric mixed up fresh raspberry jam and it set while we all sat in the hot tub. We ended up taking home 4 big containers of delicious jamberry (as James calls it). In the hot tub we had to light citronella tiki torches to keep the mosquitoes at bay but it made for a fun, festive atmosphere.