F & R - The (Not So) Idaho Readers: July 2012

The Night Before Summer School, Part Deux

We have to go back to teaching summer school tomorrow. I hate it. Rob is trying to keep me positive (one of the many reasons that I love him), but I really do hate it this year. Oh, well...

Anyways, I sit here on our last true night of freedom (for the next three and a half weeks - I know, it's not so bad), I've decided to focus on how much fun we had this last week.

We got the week off for the 4th of July and it was fabulously filled to the brim. Not unlike these delicious Dolcini from Olive Garden that we enjoyed on one of our numerous nights out (I hate cooking in the summer - er, make that I hate cooking always.)

The next few posts (all titles that include the words "One Week Break") are how we spent our time.

Enjoy!

-F

One Week Break: Golf

I played a round of golf* this week, for the first time this year. Rob played for a round of golf this week, for the zillionth time this year.

The highlight for me - I got two legitimate pars IN A ROW. So, what if I got an 11 and 9 on the next two holes? I got two real, non-mulligan, pars. I'm quite proud of myself.

The highlight for Rob: I got two pars...just kidding. I mean, he was happy for me and all, but the true highlight for him was that he got to do a golf "thing" that he had never done before.

Please see the pictures below:

2nd Shot on Hole 12:
Please notice his socks and shoes on the bank
while he is in the pond.

3rd Shot on Hole 12:
Please notice, he still doesn't have his
socks or shoes back on!

And while his shot out of the water may not have been quite as good as Hunter Mahan's, I think he did quite fabulous with the whole "no shoe/I'm not going to take a drop" thing.

And the baby ducks on the far side of the pond? They golf "quacked" in approval!

Quack! Quack!

-F

*Rob bought me some very nice new golf stuff as an early birthday present - more to come in another post soon!

One Week Break: 4th of July

Our 4th of July was quite eventful!

JP and Ash (my brother and sis-in-law) are house-sitting a gorgeous home for the month of July. As one does whenever one is house-sitting, they threw a party. Not anything crazy; just family celebrating America's birthday. The house has an excellent view of the valley and we were all looking forward to watching the different firework shows from the back patio.

We played yard games, ate great kabobs, and really just enjoyed each other's company. Most of my family left before the actual fireworks (we are all getting so old...wait, I'm the oldest...), so Ash, JP, Rob, and I were the only true 4th of July troopers.

For those of you who don't know JP, he LOVES the FIRE in fireworks. It doesn't matter what the firework looks like, sounds like, or even if it works correctly - JP can't wait to light it. This 4th's fireworks were no exception! Just so that everyone is clear: every single firework we...correction, JP...lit was very legal and therefore, rather boring. Idaho, while beautiful, lush, and green in the mountains, also has high dessert (aka, Boise) that is prone to fires during the summer, so we were responsible 4th of July-ers.

Happy 4th of July!

Anyways, we...correction, JP...had lit and we had all watched four, maybe five, fireworks, when Rob asked, "Where's Chloe?". Chloe is the golden retriever that belongs to the people who own the gorgeous mansion in Eagle. Chloe, we discovered, HATES fireworks.

Instantly, we all began calling, "Chlooooooooeeeeeeeeeee! Chlooooooooeeeeeeeeeee!". Those of us who could whistle, did (I cannot, so I did not). "Chlooooooooeeeeeeeeeee!"

No Chloe.

For the next hour and a half, while the valley fireworks were exploding joyfully overhead, we searched for Chloe: we drove through the sprawling subdivision with our windows down ("Chlooooooooeeeeeeeeeee!"), we drove down service/irrigation roads ("Chlooooooooeeeeeeeeeee! Come here, girl!"), we shined flashlights into every nook, crevice, and cranny on the property.

Still, no Chloe.

Finally, after all the fireworks had stopped raining down on the Treasure Valley, we decided that the best plan of attack was for Ash and JP to visit the Idaho Humane Society the next day. Rob and I hugged them goodbye and left for the 45 minute trek back to Nampa. On our way out of the subdivision, we continued to peer in every yard, under every tree, all the while calling "Chlooooooooeeeeeeeeeee!"

By the time we got home, we got the following text from Ash, "Chloe came back!"

We still have a bag of fireworks - guess we'll just have to save them for next year!

**************************

Hope everyone had a great (and maybe not quite as eventful) 4th of July! We wish we could have been up at Indian Lake with so many of you, but we are looking forward to seeing everyone in August!

-F

One Week Break: Camping

On our first weekend off, we went camping at Bull Trout Lake. "We" included myself, Rob, and our good couple friends Leslie and Lucas and Amanda and Sam. In order to decrease the stress of camping (I now understand why, as a child, my family only went camping a couple times a year - it is hard work!) each couple was responsible for two meals so we could spend most of our time reading by the campfire, playing with the dogs in the water, or paddling around the lake in our scanoe (a canoe that doesn't tip).

This trip was extra special for us because I got to show Rob the incredible Sawtooth Mountains, just outside of Stanley. We really are so lucky to get to live in a place where mountains, lakes, streams, and rivers are a few hours away - Family, come and visit Idaho during the summer! It's awesome!