Once again, I find myself sitting on an airplane attempting to journal. Two weeks have passed and our time in Spokane with Peter’s family quickly came and went. It seems we were just joyously reuniting with Peter’s parents and this morning we already had to say our tearful goodbyes. We had a wonderful two weeks together and we were all spoiled rotten. As long as the boys remember that this is what it feels like to be spoiled and not what they can expect in everyday life, I think we will make a full recovery!
Everywhere we go, there are unique experiences that are specific to the location. At Grandma Gail and Grandpa Roger’s house, we can spot deer in the old apple orchard that lines their driveway. The boys help mow the lawn on the tractor mower and do extra jobs for Grandpa that always seem to involve driving the six-wheeler. One morning we picked peaches right off the trees at a “U-Pick” orchard down the road. We sampled a few in the parking lot and had juice running down our arms. One afternoon we drove to Sandpoint, Idaho for a bit of a swim in a cold lake and a picnic dinner. We played a game of kickball, and had batting practice with the whiffle ball and bat.
Then there were the other outings that the boys enjoyed like going to the Family Fun Center where both boys scored hole-in-ones at miniature golf, Brendan went to the batting cage for the first time, and Jason doused an unsuspecting lady in the bumper boats with water squirters. Another day was spent at an indoor waterpark that had several slides and a wave pool. Grandma took the boys and two cousins to a kids science museum that has hands-on activities for them to enjoy. They ended that day with four rides on the carousel in Riverfront Park. Talk about being spoiled!
But the best part was that we got lots of time with Peter’s side of the family. There were two family birthdays in early August so we gathered on two different nights to celebrate those. We had dinner with three out of the four siblings and their families. It was good to have time with each family unit on their own so that we could visit more and our kids could focus on the cousins a few at a time.
Luke (Peter's brother) and Kaelin
Brendan and Scarlet in their first feature film entitled "Darla and the Gunman"
Playing soccer with the Waldeck cousins
The highlight of the trip was when we all came together for a family get-together over a four day weekend. We gathered in a lodge outside Leavenworth, WA located in the mountains in the middle of the state. It was a beautiful area full of trees, rivers and lakes. We were able to connect with Peter’s oldest sister and her family, the only ones that we hadn’t yet seen. With all of us together, there were 12 adults and 11 kids (plus one more little on the way).
Our time together passed much too quickly with lots of fun activities:
- Outdoor games such as dodgeball, kickball, pickle ball, and basketball.
- Indoor games like pool, ping pong, the Name Game, and a new board game we brought called Ticket to Ride that was an instant hit.
- Across the road was a challenge course that gave the family an opportunity to test our communication skills and balance and flexibility. We were able to put everyone through a hanging tire swing, a spider web, and balance on a platform. Some members of the family managed to finish a cable course that involved a lot of balance and coordination.
- One afternoon we were able to go rock climbing. Peter and I hadn’t done this in years but were eager to give it a go again. I managed pretty well considering my shoes had no traction whatsoever. The boys each did their best and discovered that it was much harder than it looked but we were proud of each of them and what they accomplished.
Jason demonstrating a cool technique
Even this old lady go up on the rock!- At our first ever Smith family Olympics, we competed in the gunny sack hop, the three legged race, the airplane launch, the family relay, and the tug of war. Imagine our surprise when we all won and everyone got treats!
- I would be remiss if I did not mention the built-in babysitter, an old skateboard ramp that provided hours of entertainment for many of the kids, especially Jason. He loved this half-pipe with its splintering particle board and if ever we couldn’t find him, we knew that was the first place to look. They didn’t have a skateboard but that didn’t seem to matter much as they ran back and forth and created their own games on the structure.
In between all the activities and outings, Peter and I continued to shop, shop, shop. Our list of things we wanted to take back to Zambia is slowly decreasing. Our challenge this week will be packing it all for our return trip. We also spent hours on the internet, researching and getting new ideas for our work in Zambia. When you have high-speed internet, you have to take advantage of it! It was so great to sleep in many mornings and catch up on some shut-eye. We came home from a visit with Peter’s aunt and uncle who supplied us with fresh raspberries that made a perfect combination with the peaches that we picked. So delicious! There are so many more stories and visits that I could relate but this will have to suffice. Needless to say, it was a great time for all of us!
Grandma Gail and Grandpa Roger with the boys and Body and Caleb (cousins)
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