Weekend Getaway!

We took a much needed break from the world in this peaceful place... 

We are so blessed to have a family cabin in Island Park Idaho on Bills' Island where we can gather with family and Mom and Dad (Grandma and Grandpa)  Our boys absolutely love hanging out with their cousins in this fun spot!   

Jacob and Alyssa playing in the snow.....

Darling Michael.....

The boys got busy digging an amazing network of snow caves.  This kept them busy for most of one day...and they had a ball!

Hellooo...in there....  

Dig it up!  

Scott and I got away for a little walk among the snow covered pine trees and sparkley white snow.  Scott loved it and kept walking and walking..we went on quite a long walk .  I love his sense of adventure!  

I just love how the shadows fall across the sparkley white snow...It makes me want to get out a paintbrush and paint!   

We had fun looking at animal tracks in the snow, birds flitting around in the snow covered trees and just breathing that crystal clean crisp mountain air!  Is that one cute little boy or what?!

Uncle Ron and all of the kids built an igloo!!  Pretty cool huh!  All of the little kids wanted to sleep out in this igloo.  The parents said no....and the kiddos were very disappointed... -18 degrees just might be a little cold to sleep out in...don't you think?  Not to mention hungry wolves and other smallish  predators that prowl around at night...looking for small children to eat (remember I looked for animal tracks in the snow)    

The big boys did sleep out in their snow caves, well, at least for several hours until the cold forced them inside the cozy cabin.  

A wonderful, relaxing Sunday afternoon with some of our most favorite people....  We are making valentine's here for each other...

Julia and Michael working on their valentine's

Hey , Mom look!

Craig, Tyler and Joseph...

Good food..good conversation...good fun

Danae, Michelle, Hannah, Evan and his bride to be Tanya drove up from Rexburg and joined us on Sunday evening.  So fun!

Evan and Tonya reading letters they had written to each other while they were both serving missions.  Evan was in Portugal and Tonya in France.  They spent this Valentine's Day evening organizing their letters into an album in  chronological order.   Cute....only about two more months to go and these two people become a family....  ahhh joy!

The kids had a wonderful time coloring, drawing and writing "books."   Here is Alyssa showing Grandma her book about the four seasons.  

Lazy Sunday afternoon...cuddled up on the couch by the fire, reading and books and discussing them.  

We did a lot of this....and boy did it ever feel good... I love these people..

We love the opportunity to spend time with these great people....my dear Mom and Dad.   

Sundays are special at Island Park.  We always pause to attend church along with a couple thousand others who are visiting the area.  We are always amazed at the large number of "believers" who also show up with their large fun families who are keeping the Sabbath day holy.  

These boys are enjoying church together...sort of having their own meeting within the meeting. Notice the folded reverent hands...ha ha!  

What a fun group!!  We love you VanWagenens and Mom and Dad.  

I must mention that part of the trip was spent in Rexburg looking at housing for Craig and Eric who will be roommates at BYU Idaho this Fall.  Diana and I also spent a lot of time talking about all that we need to do to get those boys ready to go... oh my!  Wow..we just can't believe this time is here and now... We mused at how it was just a second ago we talked about the possibility that at some far distant time Craig and Eric might room together at college and it is here...where did the time go?????