High Adventure in Idaho

It's UEA weekend in Utah, but in Idaho everyone is out of school for two weeks for spud harvest. It's super convenient that mom's not working during the time that we have here to "play!" Mom loves to have fun with the grandkids and wondered what high adventures we might have while we're here. I told her I'd get back to her on that at a later time.

At some point last week, Joshua, 6, told me he thought potatoes grow on trees. LOL! Okay, apparently I'm not doing my job as a mother, so I figure I know exactly how to fix that dillusion. I explained it to him right away, and told him we'd go dig up some potatoes while in Idaho. Being the end of spud harvest, that shouldn't be a problem at all!

Today's big adventure started at a neighbor's house, to pick pumpkins from their garden for my kids to carve. This neighbor also offered carrots and beets for us to take in abundance. After digging out two bags of carrots and a handful of beets, we headed back to mom's house. Of course much carving and drawing ensued. I ran to the DI since one of my kids didn't bring enough clothes. Considering I love the DI and we don't have one near me, it's actually a treat to shop there.

As I perused the DI, dad found a field with potatoes available to glean and mom took the kids out to the field for the fun to begin. Except the fun began before they left the house. Dad decided to let the teenagers do the driving. Sara and Zack each got a turn driving the Jeep to and from the farmer's field, and Sara, Anni and Zack got to drive the 4 wheeler to, from and around the fields. There were a few potato plants left for Josh and Elijah to see what they look like. Then with a couple shovels and much digging in the mud, the kids gathered three kinds of potatoes: reds, russets, and yukon golds!

With chicken and gravy in the crockpot and potatoes boiling to make mashed potatoes, mom and I headed into Rexburg to the farmer's market. Our goal was to buy fudge, which was easily achieved. After window shopping at many booths, I bought a Nerenberger bratwurst from a man who is from what used to be East Germany. I told him I visited East Berlin before the wall came down and he got a bit emotional. He explained he's truly grateful for the changes that have come to that part of Germany and added that it's nothing like it used to be. On our way out, I bought half a bushel of honey crisp apples! You know, just in case we didn't already have enough food in the trunk to take home!

Back at mom's house, I taught Sara how to make mashed potatoes, and then we sat down to a dinner of chicken and gravy over mashed potatoes with fudge for dessert! What a day. I feel bad that Matt isn't with us this weekend to enjoy the fun, and I'm grateful for the hard work he is putting in this weekend back at our currently quiet house. Then again, maybe he isn't sad about not getting to dig in the mud in search of potatoes! Who knows.