First Half of July

Getting settled. Mom and Dad Garner, also Makenna and Jacob came to help us move in that first week. While it was mentally exhausting to decide where things would go etc, we were so grateful for their diligent help. They worked tirelessly to help us! Richie had his first watering turn on his 35th birthday. I managed to make 2 apple pies to celebrate, but we had already given him presents around Father's Day, so I fear celebrating him got lost in the mix and the craziness of moving. Love this man of mine!



Our good friends the Fogle's invited us to celebrate the 4th with them. I was so grateful. I had zero motivation to do anything fun, and I was sorely missing our old neighborhood's little bike parade. They let us join in with theirs, and then gave us lunch. A country boil and homemade root-beer! Later that night, Richie stayed home with Davy, but I took the kids back over to the Fogles so we could enjoy the fireworks together. We saw lots of big ones (not anything like Brandon and Michelle's traditional firework show on our street, but still :) ) and Lauren shared all the glow sticks etc with our kids. I was so grateful!



Unfortunately, right after the 4th, Richie and I caught what we think was Covid. Jacob caught it from a friend in Iowa and while they helped us move in gave it to Dad and Makenna. They all tested positive. When Richie and I started feeling sick, we figured we'd better get a test. However, we're in between insurances, and just to get a test was $400. So instead of being officially tested, we just checked off all the symptoms and quarantined ourselves for 10 more days. It was a real bummer because we were already feeling a little antsy and wanted to get out there to meet people and familiarize ourselves with the area. Lauren came through again and brought us boxes of crafts and things to keep the kids busy. We took advantage of our time and started working on fixer-upper projects around the property. Mainly weeding flower beds, covering them with cardboard and compost in anticipation of planting next year, and also creating a designated sandbox. Some of the kids liked the work more than others. We deep cleaned parts of the home that we are sure hadn't been really deep cleaned in a LONG time. We bought a swing for the front tree that has been a huge hit. Grandpa Crosby sent us some money to go get a treat. Etc. We made it through just fine. Richie's and mine case of Covid wasn't bad at all. Just a good cold. And now, that can be our claim to fame when our grandchildren ask us what 2020 was like for us.

We make it to Idaho!

We left on a rainy Monday morning. I felt like the rain was so fitting. I remember moving from Las Vegas to St. George when I was 7 and it was raining. Looking back through the lens of adulthood, I don't know how my mom did it, but as the movers were bringing boxes in through the cool drizzle, she somehow found the supplies to make tuna fish sandwiches for everyone and had me distribute them to the workers. :)

Richie drove the truck and I had the kids in the van. They are generally very good travelers. We hold off on movies as long as possible by letting them each choose what CD we're going to listen to, or what book we're going to listen to. On this trip, I specially purchased (a bunch of fun snacks) and the Frozen 2 soundtrack. The kids were thrilled with new music and it was literally the only CD we listened to the whole way up, and we all loved it! :) By the end of the journey, we practically had the lyrics memorized!

The majestic Utah mountains gradually gave way to the big skies of Idaho. Both are equally beautiful in my opinion. We stopped in Burley, where Richie always remembers stopping when they came to visit Grandma Linda, and miracle of all miracles, my old college roommate was at the gas station! I remember Alisha being from Burley, but the last I heard, she didn't live there now. It must have been heavenly orchestrated. That's the only way I can explain it. How fun to run into her! We ate lunch at Perkins, where Alisha used to waitress and where Richie and I ate on our way up to the cabin for our honeymoon. It was a special treat.


The closer we got to Nampa, I could feel butterflies in my stomach. We lived here for that one summer, and then been back a few times for funeral's etc, but that's it. And I had never seen the house before. Richie had walked through it once. The closer we got to our home, I couldn't believe this was our new scenery! Corn fields, wheat fields, sugar beets, hay, barns, cows grazing...It was just picture perfect. The previous renter had just left that Saturday, and we managed to get the carpets cleaned Monday morning before we moved in. I was grateful that even though the carpets were still wet, at least I knew they were cleaner than before. The previous owner obviously had dogs, and you could smell it. We will replace the carpet sooner than later. There is also an endless list of projects to do both inside and outside the house. The inside of the house is definitely livable and comfortable, but super outdated. Our favorite part is all the storage space in the kitchen. Our least favorite part is the Master Bedroom and Bathroom. Miles is thrilled to get his own room this time around. Benson kept wandering around wondering where the basement was. :) We luckily had some help sent over by Richie's cousin Jared and basically both pods were unloaded within a few hours. Richie's cousin Cam and his family came to help us arrange things, and my friend Lauren came over with her family and brought us cleaning supplies, bread, and dinner for everyone. WOW!


The first bit of settling in is always total chaos. We have been here 3ish weeks now as of this post, and still slowly settling in. Benson found some grease and covered himself in it, found a tiny shovel and muddy spot to dig in, and got shocked by the electric fence all within the first hour of being here. Although it was exasperating, we couldn't help but smile and think, "Yep! This is why we're here! To let the kids run around and get into a little trouble." We also walked up the lane to visit Richie's uncle Shannon that first week. The kids were kindly mauled by his 2 HUGE St. Bernard's and I don't know if some of them have fully recovered :) but he has been so welcoming and has the coolest swing set ever! He leases his 50 acres to a farmer and this year it's all planted in corn, so his house is basically hidden. It's his own little world! So fun!

2nd half of June

Our last night in the house! We had moved 99.9% out and were planning on staying for a few days at Richie's parent's house, but we brought over sleeping bags, cots etc and spent one last night in our home. Of course we slept poorly, but I think the memory made was worth it.




Photos of time while we stayed with G&G Garner. Cherry picking, playing with cousins etc. It was so nice to have their place to land while we were in between! Gwen also made sure she had me take her to Sister Costanza's house to say goodbye. Sister Costanza was the best piano teacher and Gwen really grew attached to her and learned a lot. Diane is one of the sweetest women on the planet and always treated Gwen so well. We are both really sad to leave her.


Father's Day! I always feel grateful for the wonderful Father's in my life. I was able to have a teary conversation with my Dad on Father's Day who is being the rock for my Mom right now. They are having to go through some truly challenging things, and my Dad keeps going with a positive attitude.


We spend a week in SG while in transition. We were originally planning on a huge 50th wedding celebration for my parents, so it worked out great that our PODS wouldn't even make it to Idaho until after the 26th. However, with my Mom's recent surgery and poor health, some plans changed. We decided to stay at a hotel time share thing that Adrienne and Chris helped us get, so that we wouldn't be staying with Mom and Dad and always in their hair. That meant me or Richie took one of the kids each night to visit with Mom and Dad. Definitely different from any other visit to SG we've ever had. It was truly humbling to see my Mom in her current state.



We rotated houses between my siblings and they hosted us for dinner each night. During the day, Richie set up window jobs in SG that kept him busy every single day in the extreme heat. (105 degrees, bless him) While my siblings kids were busy, and Richie was gone, the kids and I basically rotated between swimming and watching shows. It was awesome! Davy and pools aren't great yet, so that was a little challenging, but worth it. On our first time at the pool, we couldn't believe that some of our Riverton neighbors, the Peshells, were there! Colton is one of Miles's best friends so that was an awesome surprise.



The highlight of the trip for me was 1. Going over to Mom and Dad's with. my sisters and pampering my mom a little. We gently washed her hair (1st time since after her surgery), rubbed her feet, put together a shower chair, and we all rejoiced (and I do mean REJOICED) that she had eaten a very small amount of food that day. Truly miraculous. It was such a tender day for me. 2. We did a ZOOM celebration for their 50th wedding anniversary. Not exactly like we envisioned it, but still celebratory and heartfelt. My sister and I set up some decor and helped mom curl her hair etc. Erma made a cake and brought some to everyone's houses so we all had some refreshment. We did little skits of "growing up in the Crosby home", and Russ put together an amazing video montage of pictures from their 50 years of marriage. So many tears! :) When it was time to leave and head back up to SLC, that was probably one of the hardest times I've ever had saying goodbye to Mom and Dad. It was a wonderful week.