Young Adventures (Idaho)

The Young family reunion in Idaho was our final destination. We arrived in Idaho in the late evening, just enough time to check into our hotel and...go to Burger King for a Franken-sandwich? Based on an insider tip from Eric, Brandon ordered a Whopper with chicken nuggets on top. He reported that it was "too much--like putting spaghetti and meatballs on top of a pepperoni pizza." 

One of Emerson's favorite activities throughout the trip (and all the time, really) was looking at videos of family activities from previous days.

Mom and Dad joined in on the fun too.

Alison's aunt and uncle own a family fun center, so we got to spend some time there. Emerson loved the water slide in the toddler area!

We also got to relax at Hayden Lake with Young family relatives.

Emerson chilled with Great-Grandpa Young...

And took boat rides with Grandma and Grandpa, and Eric and Mom.

The location couldn't have been better.

We had some lovely lakeside family gatherings.

One highlight was a Bingo game with fun facts about each family member.

For a change of pace, there was a hike through the scenic woods.

Emerson had his own special wading pool--with a great view!

When someone spotted a parakeet perched on the screen door of the house, everyone assumed it belonged to Alison's cousins and had somehow escaped. Well, they do own a parakeet...but this wasn't it. They are kind-hearted souls, so they now own two parakeets...

Swimming in the lake was cold but worth it.

Grandpa completed a swimming challenge, with Brandon as lifeguard (services not needed!).

One feature of the Young reunion every year is the family picture, with matching shirts for each family group. Of course, we had to include Uncle Neil in our pictures! Emerson was very fond of him.

Another reunion event was the family talent show. For the Stone contribution, we recited poems about ducks and sang a song about ducks...with an appearance from Emerson/Donald Duck.

Then it was on to Silverwood, an amusement park.

The toddler water zone was a big hit.

Time to relax and refuel...

After an action-packed few days, we headed to the airport. Emerson napped until the last possible second.

He enjoyed pointing out the airplanes and other vehicles.

During a short layover in Denver, we grabbed some chicken nuggets and watched Mickey Mouse videos.

Arriving home on the night of July 4th, we saw fireworks from the air and during our drive home. At one point there were cars lining the side of the freeway and people with lawn chairs watching the patriotic display.

Here is a compilation of some of Emerson's favorite moments from the Idaho portion of the trip: