We wanted to show our girls the simple life on our first family vacation together as a family of four. We decided to take the girls out of the city and submerge them into the beautiful wilderness of Idaho. Our day-to-day life is filled with activities, places to go and people to see, so we really made it a point to relax, kickback and just have fun together. Our good friends invited us to come out and visit their home in Idaho Falls and it was the perfect opportunity to explore Idaho and show our little ladies a good time.
This vacation was filled with many firsts for us, not only was it our first real family vacation, but it was also our first family flight together. Flying with kids was definitely a new adventure for my husband… but thankfully all went great and so began our exciting adventure!
Idaho welcomed us with beautiful scenery and FABULOUS dream-come-true weather! The perfect escape from the Arizona desert heat.
We spent the week enjoying all of the true summer pastimes – slip’n’slide, water balloon fights, jumping on the trampoline, sports, swing sets, sidewalk chalk, camping, quading and of course POPSICLES! (It doesn’t get more American than that!)
We loved that we could let the girls run free and just be, something they had never experienced before. No hovering mom, just run outside and explore! It was fun to watch them become adventurous and daring and within a few hours our city slickers were just typical kids enjoying the great outdoors!
There is nothing more ‘summer’ than camping out and roasting marshmallows. Plus the added bonus was that it didn’t get dark until 10pm, so the kids were able to stay out playing WAY past their usual bedtimes. Let’s just say the girls slept harder than they have ever slept before!
Idaho has so much to offer a family. We were able to stroll through potato fields, (YES… Idaho is more than just potatoes!) and then quad through the mountains. Everywhere we looked it was gorgeous.
I would have to say that my favorite spot of the whole trip was visiting the stunning falls in Idaho Falls. There is nothing more beautiful than waterfalls, and it was so exciting to see the girls faces as they watched the roaring water below! A very special spot forsure!
… and in case you were wondering, YES, I found a Starbucks!!!
Mom’s let face it, as amazing as family vacations are… it is also SO MUCH WORK to plan. We have to plan out the trip, organize and pack EVERYONE for the trip, and actually get everyone to the destination… all before we can relax and actually enjoy the trip. So I must give my hubby kudos for providing me an opportunity to truly slowdown and relax every morning by letting me sleep-in and peacefully enjoy my iced coffee on the porch each morning before I joined the gang in the days activities. Front porch sipping truly is PRICELESS!
We can’t thank our wonderful friends and hosts enough for our memory-filled visit. We truly loved Idaho and all of the fun we shared! Thankful for friendship that can last the miles!
And just like all vacations do… our fabulous first family vacation came to a close. I am so thankful that we kept the girls busy all week because it sure made for a quiet flight home. 🙂
We vacation not to escape life, but for life not to escape us. (unknown)
So what is holding you back? Plan your next family vacation and make memories with your family. Remember… vacations do not have to be extravagant to be special and memorable!
3 Comments
So much fun! I’m sure it’s a ton of work, but you made such good memories!
Chelsea – Yes, it was a memorable vacation! xo Jenna
Looks like you had a great time! Idaho is such a beautiful state. It was so nice of your hubby to let you sleep in. I’m hoping for a little of that when we’re in Mexico 😉