Yesterday at dinner time this picture came up on our screen saver on the computer. Dad said, "look at that gorilla!"
Brendan's response-"no that is a boy, dad."
I'm glad that he already knows that girls won't ever look like this! This gorilla is at the Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago. We got to visit there in 2007. Some people might recognize him because he was the gorilla that starred in Return to Me (one of our favorites).
On conference weekend we decided to go up to Michelle and Jason's house for a quick visit. Kate and Ethan were turning 6 years old and Aunt Pam was up to visit. We had a lot of celebrating to do! :)
So we set out on our trip at one in the afternoon and expected to get there by three to join in the festivities that were to start at four. We got about an hour down the road and had to stop because of avalanche control on I-90. Luckily we parked our car on I-90 right next to Ensign Ranch where there were horses for the kids to look at for the 2 hours that we were stopped. When we stopped the estimated time for I-90 was 2:30...so we thought That's not bad, just a half an hour...
Then they kept on pushing it back a half hour at a time. CRAZY. The kids really didn't seem to mind, but Brendan really didn't understand why we had decided to park on the sidewalk and not the road and why we weren't going to Aunt Pam's anymore. (Explanation: He thought we were parked on the sidewalk because as we were walking back to our car from the horses he saw pavement on the shoulder of the interstate, but the actual road was cement. He said, "Uh...mom the van is parked on the sidewalk." And the last time we were at Jason and Michelle, Aunt Pam was there...so now it is Aunt Pam's house.)
It was crazy while we were waiting. Everyone was out of their cars. The people in front of us got their pillows out of their car and were lying in the middle of the road. Everyone was going into the woods to pee and everything. There were probably plenty of laws that were broken during those 2 hours including these: Eliza, don't you know that there is a law about how old you have to be before you can start driving...and they just passed a law in Washington that you can no longer drive while talking on your cell phone. Something tells me that she really didn't care! Hopefully one day she will. :)
Lincoln was pretty cool about the whole experience...and was excited when we finally started moving again at 4 o'clock. He was probably the only one that was happy when we stopped AGAIN only 20 miles down the road. This time whenever we called about the road conditions or checked them on the internet on our phones, they said that there were "no delays to report at this time." Yeah...then why are we parked on the road again? Lincoln was happy because he had a bubble that needed to work its way out and we were able to take him out of his seat to do this.
The other bad thing about the second stop was that Brendan had to pee, but there was snow everywhere now. He lost the urge to go. I asked him if he wanted to go potty in a cup...his reaction was priceless: What?!?!? I think I caught him off gaurd with that one! We played I Spy with my little eye while we waited to start moving again. We missed the party all together, pulling in at about 6:30pm. It was a warm welcome though...always is at the Hurley's!
While we were there we tried to convince Brendan that it wasn't Aunt Pam's house. We told him that she lived in California by Grandma and Grandpa Bedke. On Sunday afternoon, he was looking out their back window and could see the other houses in the neighborhood. He came over and said: "Mom, I think Grandma Bedke lives over in that house. We should go see her." So I don't know if we ever got through to him. At least I know that he was thinking and trying to make sense of the whole thing. Scout was a big hit with our kids. I know that one day we will be getting a dog. I am starting to look forward...hmmm...but not yet.
We had a lot of fun this weekend, even if it was a very quick trip and one that took a lot longer than we anticipated to arrive at our destination. We are grateful that we were able to travel safely though. Thanks to the Hurley's for having us!
We made it home in about 2 hours...
We were able to go on a great vacation. It certainly wasn't one of the best because Neil didn't get to come with us...but other than that we had a marvelous time. We first met my family at the City of Rocks in Almo Idaho. If you have never heard of Almo, it is okay because even though I had been to the City of Rocks before, I hadn't ever heard of it either. It is a very small town and there wasn't any cell phone reception so I was glad to see a little red sports car turn around in the middle of the road and start following me into town. It was my dad and Sarah coming to rescue us from getting lost in the middle of no where. Then we had fun climbing Bath Rock. It is called that because there are baths on the top of the rock where I guess you could take a bath right when the snow is melting. But other than that I don't remember there ever being enough water in there to take an actual bath. Brendan started climbing the big rock...but then wanted to come back down. 
I went up to get him, but then my sister Jamie carried him down so that I wouldn't fall and get hurt. My center of gravity is a little bit off these days with my belly sticking out so far. Then everyone tried to talk me into climbing to the top...again the center of gravity thing...plus, I don't remember it ever being as steep as it really is. When we got back into cell phone range I called Neil and told him that we will have to stop at the City of Rocks and climb together as a family when I am not pregnant and the kids are just a little bit bigger. Brendan, Eliza and Kaleb stayed down at the bottom with Grandma Bedke and I and climbed on their own big rocks. I need to get the pictures from my mom! They really had a lot of fun on the rocks. Right when we got out of the car Eliza started playing in the gravel in the parking lot. She is my ROCK LOVER! Did I mention that it was very HOT that day?
After the City of Rocks we traveled into Oakley, Idaho to celebrate Oakley Days by watching the parade...we were a few minutes late and I guess they started the parade a few minutes early...so we missed the whole thing. The kids were so tired they even slept through the fire trucks running their siren as the parade was ending. Oh well. The whole reason why we were at Oakley was for the very extended Bedke Reunion. The Bedke Family has been there for 130 years and it was them that settled in Basin (right next to Oakley) when Frank Carl Bedke came to America from Prussia that many years ago.
Is this riding in style or what? I think she is pretty comfortable! All I know is that I wouldn't be able to do this right now...So we celebrated the extended Bedke Reunion on Sunday afternoon at the original homestead site and had yummy food there. Kaleb and Eliza took naps with uncle Adam and then were ready to play together after that. Here are the cousins that were there from the Dave Bedke line: Kaleb, Brendan, and Eliza. As you can see, Eliza is quite the cheeser these days!
Then we went to the open house for the Twin Falls Temple on Monday morning. I was so proud of the kids when they acted reverently inside the temple. They were really good and it was extra special to have my dad's old friend from high school, roommate from college, and now Area Seventy Brent Nielson take us on our very own private tour.
We finally got down to Park City on Monday afternoon and were able to have fun with all of my cousins and all of their cute kids. It was fun to see everyone again and to visit with them. Eliza fell in love with the bag dolley thing. It was really fun to spend more time with my family, too. Chelsea, Christopher, and Andrew were such big helpers with Brendan and Eliza. I know that Brendan and Eliza had a lot of fun with them! This is a picture of Brendan and Chelsea riding up the ski lift (Brendan calls it the big swing) to be able to go down the Alpine slide together. I am just glad that the body board that they put on our chair didn't have to be used by us!
When we got up to the top we had to get our sleds. I wasn't sure that me, my belly, and Brendan could fit on one of those things, but we did! We had fun going down the slide together. Here we are waiting our turn. Brendan said that he didn't want to go down the big slide, but I told him that was the only way down the mountain. He finally consented...and when asked if he was having fun on the way down, he said he was!
I'm not in the next picture. It was taken at the top of the zip line...that I went down, too. Thanks to Grandma and Grandpa Bedke who watched my kids, I was able to be outside playing all day! It was a lot of fun. 
The Bradleys from Indiana were in Utah at the same time as we were and came to visit us. It was fun to get the kids together again. Brendan and Ryan were a bit cold at first but then when we were eating dinner they just started giggling for no reason that we could see.
I think that Brendan and Eliza liked the water the best. They didn't much care for the big pool, but the hot tubs were a great hit! Brendan swam almost every day with Chelsea or Christopher or Andrew staying longer with him than what I could. Thank you guys!
All in all...it was such a fun reunion. I loved the company, the food, and the t-shirts! I can't wait until next reunion. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
We did get to talk to Daddy on Chelsea's webcam. Thank you Chelsea...
Her dress that she wore was made by her aunt Sarah Bedke. Jamie and Adam Bingham were able to come down from Rexburg, Idaho (right before Eliza's cousin Kaleb was born). Grandma and Grandpa Bedke weren't able to be there because they were in Japan visiting Anna Jones ( and the rest of the Jones family). We missed them, but knew that they were there in spirit.
Here Brendan is standing on Grandpa Erickson's hands, being helped by aunts Nicole and Jamie and cheered on by everyone else!.JPG)
Eliza got to meet her cousins on the Erickson side for the first time. She loved being held by each of them. Here, Tye is being a big helper and loving Eliza even before he got dressed for the day!.JPG)
Chad was a good friend to Brendan and Eliza as well and got to spend a lot of time with them because he was off track from school.
Oh, boy! Brendan loved camping!!!
Brendan absolutely loved playing outside everyday almost all of the day long. We don't have mountains anywhere close by in Indiana, so Brendan had to go and discover all of the neat things that Heavenly Father created for us! He wasn't timid about it either. First thing in the morning was to go and explore.
The service project was one of the highlights of our days up at camp. Everyone had a job to do, and did it well. The missionaries had a separate project for the little kids. They were to clear the small sticks and brush away from the cabins. Here, Brendan is helping clear a pretty big stick and is on his way to the stick pile. I was so impressed by all of the work that we got done, in such a short amount of time. Many hands can accomplish so much and I know that we are blessed when we work together.
Even Eliza had a great time camping, even though it was kind of cold and windy at times...nothing that a warm coat and blanket couldn't remedy though!
Dad was such a good sport in playing with Brendan at camp. They were good pals when it came time to look at the deer that walked through our camp, completing the challenge course, going on a walk, or scoring the winning point in a volleyball game.
What boy wouldn't like to play in the dirt or with sticks?
Camping with cousins is the best way to camp! 
Brendan beckoned to Amber to come and play with the rocks in front of the grown-up cabin.
And I guess he roped Troy into playing with more rocks.
Eliza was a good sport in dealing with the elements. I don't know what kind of pioneer mother I could have been...WOW!
