Graduation Trip -Second Leg- Day 1

 Our next stop was in Rexburg, Idaho, which is a small town that really only has BYU-Idaho and a few other things in it. We stayed in a hotel just on the other side of the highway from the town. It was nice, simple, small town. 

The main thing in Rexburg is the university. That was ok because the main reason for our visit was to visit the BYUI for graduation activities. On Wednesday, we started the day going to the school to pick up my cap, gown, and sash as well as verify my address. This was my first time on campus. I was so excited to see it and walk around the campus!

After leaving, we went to a place that I have heard of many times and wanted to see what all of the hype was about: Swig. We don't have places like this really other than a coffee place that sells dirty sodas. I ordered a Cherry Bomb which was a Pepsi with coconut water and cherry syrup. It was ok, but I was a bit disappointed. For something called "Cherry Bomb," it tasted nothing like cherry. There was so much coconut in the soda that it was all I could taste. I'll go back to Ziggy's any day before I go back. I guess it would have been wonderful had I wanted something specifically coconut flavored. 

Around lunch time my sister and her kids arrived in Rexburg, and we went for pizza. Then we went to the Legacy Flight Museum.

We were there for about an hour before heading back to the hotel to nap before dinner. We had a quick dinner at Applebee's before going to Grad night in which the president and his wife spoke to us and answered questions. At the end, we were able to get a picture with them. As we walked out, Chad got a big cinnamon roll that was almost as big as his head! Then, we headed back to the hotel. I dropped him off and picked up Marleah to have dessert and one on one sister time. 

Marleah and I went to Chocolate Plunge, a cute little dessert shop in which you can order a variety of things dipped in chocolate and covered in things such as nuts and drizzled with sauces like caramel or marshmallow. I had a soft serve ice cream cone, dipped in chocolate, rolled in peanuts, and drizzled in caramel. It was very good! Unfortunately, it was so big that I had to throw some of it away. Marleah had cheesecake dipped in chocolate. I'm not sure what else she had on it. We agreed that we wished there was something like this in each of our towns. When we were done, we went back to the hotel and agreed on what time we would meet for breakfast in the morning. 

Food Organization

A couple days ago, I went through my pantry and other food cabinet to purge expired food as well as organize them. It took about an hour to pull everything out as I looked for expiration dates, wipe the shelves down, and organize it all. I do this about once a year and am always excited about the results. 

Camping with Friends

 Thursday afternoon, I left with some friends to go camping at Dewey Lake I the Red Feather Lakes area. One friend had a camper that we brought up, and we had a plan to go paddle boarding that night and the next day. We planned this for several weeks. Unfortunately, the weather did not agree with our plans. 

As we drove up, the rainstorms came in. There was rain and snow and more. By the time we got up there, it was only 45 degrees. We were all wearing sandals and were cold by the time we were done setting everything up. The decision was made to turn on the heater in the camper and play games. 

I loved Thursday night. Sitting at the table that would later be my bed, eating good food that one of the ladies brought up and carefully prepared, playing board games, laughing, and talking was the highlight of me week. 

The following day, we got up and tried to make a plan for the day. A fire was built with wet wood and the help of a fire starter log from our neighbors. We had a delicious breakfast prepared by one of the other ladies and hot chocolate in cute mugs that I brought. At this point, the other three ladies decided to go paddle boarding. My board was accidentally left behind, and I was already very cold and struggling to get warm. I decided to sit in a camping chair and crochet near the shore. It was a bit lonely, but I felt like a made the right decision. I would have taken way too long to warm up after going into the water. Even though I know this, I am sad that I didn’t get on the water. 

After a delicious lunch, we drove around in the mountains for a few hours before we were on our way to dinner and home. I was dropped off around 8:30 or 9 last night. It was a long day. My daughter and husband called me as we drove home. My body was tired. My emotions got the best of me at one point. In the end, I was glad to have gone and glad to be home. 

Chad’s Ravioli

Chad spoils us with his cooking sometimes. He cooks Sunday dinner almost every week and often goes all out by either finding a recipe online or in one of the cookbooks he has been collecting. His dad was known for cooking really good food before he got sick, and Chad has carried on this legacy. 

This week he made four cheese ravioli with marinara sauce. (He has a ravioli making tool.) We all loved it. Even my most picky child, Sean. The only problem with him making such things is that he probably won’t make it again because he likes to experiment and rarely makes the same thing twice. 

When She Eats

I have a hard time getting my daughter to eat sometimes. She has been dealing with stomach issues for a while that one doctor thought could be anxiety and others we have seen have no answers for us. I know she eats enough to sustain her, and she has been eating a lot better since she started online school. 

At the start of the week, he stomach seemed to be upset continually. She wasn't eating much and told me that when she did it was just to make me happy. Then, she all of a sudden had an appetite yesterday. I went to the grocery store to get all of the things on her list while she watched my work computer for a little while. When I got home, she make one of the biggest breakfasts I have ever seen her eat. It was actually more than she has eaten the entire day some days. Today, she made a similar breakfast. I am so proud of her for following her hunger queues. I can't say that I want her to eat like this on a regular basis, but for now it is a win.