Jerome, Idaho

 For the last stretch of our long wonderful trip we headed to Jerome, Idaho to spend the real 4th of July with Monkey's brother Caleb and his wife Lexi! We were so happy to again get out of the car when we got to their house! I have to say over all my kids did awesome in the car but I think this car ride they had had it! They were screaming for who knows what! And I lost it myself! Hahah everyone got a little quiet after I was done having my melt down! But other than that it was great! Caleb invited Belle and Cash to come see the fire department he works at. I think that made Belle's life! She was so excited to check out the ambulance.

 Caleb knows how to make his niece and nephew happy! He gave them both a bear which Belle named hers Candy and she named Cash's bear Crash! Caleb also gave them a sucker and how the kids acted you would have thought it was Christmas!

 Belle was so excited when Caleb checked her heart beat! She thought he was giving her stickers for her tummy. I am very proud to say Belle has a great heart beat! Cash would not go near it!

 Thanks Caleb!

 The kids did not want to go outside to take 4th of July pictures because it was too hot! So we used our air mattress instead for the back ground. I have to say they both looked so cute and we had a lot of fun taking the pictures and laughing!

 Wrestling their Dad is their new favorite thing to do! Cash gets so into it! He always tries to rescue Belle and jumps on Monkey like growling his head off! Monkey will probably actually be taken in not too long! These kids are so strong...

 Lexi and I! I have to say I lucked out with her! Lexi is a blast to be around and I absolutely adore her! She makes everything so fun! I am so glad she is in my family now! Way to go Caleb!

Belle had quite the fireworks this year... Jaclyn's house, Natalie's house, the neighbors house, Caleb's house (he got so many fireworks for $10 bucks!), and after Cash feel asleep she got to go with her Daddy, Caleb, and Lexi to watch another firework show. I stayed home and watched the New York City fire show hahah on TV! Belle was so tired when she got back that she was in a LALA the whole time getting her to bed... 

The next morning we packed up our things (Thanks Caleb and Lexi, you both are so kind and awesome PERFECT HOSTS we love ya) and drove the rest of the way home to Forest Grove! Our home never looked so good! We walked in feed the kids, put them to bed, emptied the car, set up the computer my Dad gave me (I know!!! he loves me so much!!!), and we both lied down and started laughing like did we seriously just finish a 45 hour drive and LIVE!!!! We are happy to be home... but miss everyone already. I am still amazed our car made it.... well until Portland... all of a sudden the antifreeze thing went off and Monkey freaked me out by accidentally saying, "PULL OVER NOW!!! WE ARE GOING TO BLOW UP!" which I think my heart almost busted as I bawled my brains out Screaming trying to get 4 lanes over in rush hour before my children blew up... I came to find out later after sobbing he meant our engine could over heat.... Yeah I was not happy! It did this twice. So we finally got home and we took our car into a shop and the car people that we have been to like 5 times in the last month said, "GET RID OF THIS THING, IT IS FALLING APART and sell it now before you get nothing for it!" So we are car shopping.... for a van...SUV out of the question... it probably won't be a odessy or anything like that but who cares... hopefully this time it will run safe and good and that is all I care about! With our budget hahah hopefully it will be okay! One day I will have my big black Suburban... but until then... we will see what our budget can get us! wish us luck and I hope everyone had a  HAPPY 4TH!