Spring Break

Spring Break - celebrated by children... dreaded by parents. Only if you don't have plans. We weren't always able to sneak out of town when our own children were growing up but we tried to take advantage of the time off to visit with family, which is exactly what our family did this year.

Krieg was home from U of I. Erin stayed in Moscow to work. Tonya, Danny, Renee, Naidia, Jourdan, Kalen, Caleb & Mikayla drove to Boise to share their time off with us. It was a great surprise. This is the first time they've been to see us since our "Shaw Family Move West Vacation" in 2001. We really enjoyed the opportunity to share our home with all of them.

Monday was a day of rest, well deserved after they spent 2 days driving from Texas to Idaho. We tried on and borrowed ski and snowboarding gear for those who were going to brave the slopes. When I got home from work, they joined Matt, Britnee and myself at the Y. Some came to our Conditioning class, some walked the track, some worked out and then they all went for a swim.

Tuesday we headed up the hill to Bogus Basin. Tonya and Dan skied. Caleb & Kalen wanted to try snowboarding. Krieg, ever the lacrosse player, is midway through lacrosse season and didn't want to risk getting hurt. He tried giving instructions to Caleb & Kalen for their first run down the hill. It wasn't as successful as the boys had hoped. Their bravado had diminished and they weren't very excited about returning to the lift. Matt arrived and we rented him some gear. He caught up with the boys - not too difficult since they were mostly sitting on their duff in the snow - feeling defeated and dejected. Matt worked with the guys, 'talked' them down the hill. As the boys came in for lunch they were feeling their aches and pains. It took some parental 'encouragement' to get them back out on the slopes after a sandwich. Matt switched gear with Caleb, who was using Matt's longer board. What a difference that made! Two more times down the slope with Matthew and we were met at the bottom with victorious smiles. It made for a more pleasant afternoon for everyone.

Wednesday the gang headed to Birds of Prey. Mike spends a great deal of time volunteering as both a docent, bird handler and working in the gift shop. He thoroughly enjoys his time there and wanted to share with his kids.

Thursday we headed north to the Donnelly area. Erin drove down from Moscow to spend the day with us. We rode a horse drawn sleigh into the elk feeding grounds - watching while the elk ate hay from bales we were sitting on. We tailgated our lunch in a snow packed wooded area and then relaxed the afternoon away in a hot springs.

Friday morning our family once more loaded back into the Suburban and headed for home. Texas was 23 hours away and they arrived safely Saturday evening. Krieg packed up and headed back to school Sunday afternoon - and we are slowly returning to our 'normal routine'...

Our time together was extraordinary. As everyone gets older and time slips by, we miss out on so many things in one another lives. To have this week together was the best!