Summer Vacation 2010

At the end of July I quit my job, we packed our suitcases, and flew west. We spent the first leg of our vacation with Scott's family in Paul, Idaho. Let me just say that each time we go to Paul, I love it even more. The first couple of times, I wasn't too sure. I even told Scott once as we were driving through the country that the wheat fields looked like "fields of death". He replied that they were not in fact fields of death, but the amber waves of grain that we sing about in our national anthem. I wasn't impressed. Rural Idaho has really started to grow on me, though. Life on the farm is beautiful and simplistic.

To Madeline, life on the farm is all about the cats. She named the runt of the batch Madeline (no, she's not self-centered at all). She spent a good part of her days petting and feeding kittens.

We had a couple of birthday parties during our time there. The one for her cousin, Zane, I would call her first REAL birthday party with games and all.


Most of Scott's family members ended up in Paul at the same time thanks to a little event called the Spudman Triathalon. I wasn't a big fan of this event five years ago when it took place the same weekend as our wedding. It meant every hotel within 100 miles was booked months in advance. A night of our honeymoon was spent in his parent's back bedroom due to that small problem. This year Scott participated in the triathalon with his brother, sister, and brother-in-law. Scott and his brother and sister each took one leg of the triathalon. He ended up with the 26 mile bike ride.

Madeline and Grandma Serr cheering the bikers on

The "runner", Clint

Scott is somewhere in this pack

The finish line.

We spent the next weekend at my family's Roper Reunion. We get together every other year at a ranch in Altamont. We had a fun weekend filled with meals in a yurt, games, geocaching, hiking, a campfire, canooing, and lots of catching up.

The whole gang, minus a cousin, all 3 of my brothers (one on a mission, one's wife just had a baby, and one was on a vacation he thought was way more fun,) a sister-in-law, and a brother-in-law. My parents were in charge of the reunion this year, which makes it a little funny that most of the absenteeism was from our part of the family.

My sister, Shelley, and her son, Hunter

We spent the last few days of our vacation at my parents house. Madeline and Hunter were best of friends and I had a great time hanging out with my sister. They live in Cleveland, so we don't get to see them very often. I think the very best part was my mom taking care of Madeline and Hunter every morning so my sister and I could sleep in. Absolute heaven.

After Scott and I flew back to Dallas, my parents took Madeline to visit her new little cousin, Landon. They live in Twin Falls, Idaho, and I'm hoping to make it up there this week to see the little guy.


It's been a fun-filled month for us. We're trying to settle in to some resemblance of real life now. We are still very uncertain of what real life will mean for us. The longer we're here the harder it is to imagine leaving, but we're trying to keep our options open.

Another Adventure

I'm not quite ready to update on the last few weeks, but we're embarking on another adventure today. Scott and I are flying back to Dallas this afternoon. Then, on Saturday morning we'll begin a long drive back to Logan with our two cars and all of the stuff we think we'll need for the next while. We're planning a pit stop in Albuquerque, a short stay with family in Arizona, then another pit stop in Vegas. We should be back in a week.

I'm ecstatic for a plane ride without an infant or toddler. I may actually read, or even sleep!!! Our luggage load is a lot lighter, too. I've collected enough books on tape to last the entire length of the drive. Scott and I haven't spent this much time alone in 2 1/2 years. It's gonna be great.

As for Miss Madeline? She's found a new soul mate who goes by the name of Aunt Megan. She'll be just fine here.

Homeless and Unemployed (and loving it)

Well, we survived. We've been out of our apartment for two weeks now. We're on vacation (at least that's what we're calling it until Scott and I fly down to Dallas and return to Logan with our cars). We are enjoying ourselves emensely. We've been relaxing, playing, visiting, shopping (window shopping, that is, since we're sort of homeless and unemployed), eating, and even mostly taking a break from the computer. It's been so rejuvinating.

We are getting ready to leave for a Roper family reunion at a lodge in the desert of Altamont, Utah. More pics and details to come from our recent adventures when I get back to the computer.