Barnett Family Fun

On Tuesday after we got back from Grandpa's funeral, Danny had a lot of work to catch up on and we thought B might be to little to take floating down the river, so I dropped the Barnett's off so they could experience floating down the Boise. It is a fun relaxing 2 hour float from one park to the next.

Here is the little rapid section.
They made it, hooray!
Dani made a friend with the neighbor girl, Kiley. They had fun on the slip and slide.
Sliding into home and your SAFE!
B and G hung out in the kiddie pool playing with toys watching the girls slide.

Prison Break

I think since Josh works for OC Sherrif Dept we saved this tourist attraction for him of course hot all week and that day it totally rained luckily most of the touring is inside. The day Josh arrived we decided to visit the first prison in downtown Boise, the new one is out in the desert thank goodness for that. Although I think I like how primitive this one was. Certainly not much amenities here.
3 stories of very tiny cells with one community shower head on the lower level in front of the cells. This building had 2 or 3 windows to look outside and that was it.
B and Dani behind bars
Prisoners jail cells, cozy!
Josh and Dani in a different building.
The trap door for the prisoners that got the death penalty. Above this door was another room that had a glass window for people to view the hangings and a big metal hoop in the ceiling that the rope hung from. This is the site of the last hanging that took place in Idaho in 1957, in 1978 the Governor signed a bill changing the lethal form of capital punishment from hanging to death to death by lethal injection.

Have you been bad Danny?

There was a museum that had all kinds of old artifacts from different eras and wars. It was perfect for the boys guns, bombs, grenades, knives you know a little boys dream land of toys that blow up things!
For Firefighter Randy Little, how would you like to drive this engine or try to control the horsed that pulled it!
One of the guards look out towers
You did it! Josh made electricity with his legs
This held lots of crazy women mostly that killed there husbands. One lady killed 3 of her husbands with poison that she extracted for litmus paper, some smart women. There was probably only 10 cells a small yard that they would garden outside and sew inside. They used to put the women with the men and decided that was not such a good idea so they built there own place just outside the men's prision.

Overall it was a interesting place to visit there were a few burned buildings from prison riots that had broken out, but solitary confinment and death row were creeping. When you stood in those buildings it just felt evil, not a happy place to be and the crimes the men commited back then other than murder were not nearly as crazy as they are now. Kudos to all the police officers out there that protect us and deal with all the crazy prisoners. Places like this remind me of Gordy Johnson and his great stories he has shared of his prison experience, he talked with the real crazy like the night stalker. Thank you for the many years on the force in LA County.

Space Day at the Discovery Center!

We took a day to play at the local Discovery Center for kids in downtown Boise.
Since it was Space Days at the Museum they had rocket demonstrations outside.
All of us trying to pull our weight up in the pulley chair, not as easy as it looks.
Go Dani!
This is about as far as Kris got, good effort though!
I made it!
Kristian trying to get the skeleton to peddle, it was a workout day for her!
They have a Channel 2 News booth. The girls were having fun with the green screen. Notice something wrong with Brooklyn?
We got to meet a local Idaho astronaut, this is Barbara Morgan. She was super nice signed an autograph for us as well.
You can do it Kris only two more lights to go.
B and I trying to light up the 3 lights with the power of the peddle.
Notice Kristian and Dani are a little blurry, that is because they are making a GIANT Bubble!
Hanging out in the Veterinarian room
It had been a long day, passed out from all the fun.
At home learning how to pull herself up. Oh no we are in trouble now.

Idaho History

Believe it or not Idaho history is not just about potato's it was pretty interesting actually lots about pioneers, Lewis and Clark, Indians, and GUNS lots of history with them!
Dani and B with Sacagawea outside the museum
These are artifacts recovered in the Snake River in Murtaugh, ID in 1938. They were from a group of fur trappers that lost 5 boats in the River in 1811. So over 125 years later they were found, crazy! They are an axe, beaver trap and gun handle.
They had a display of old toys, these were some toys I remember my mom talking about playing with, Jacks, Marbles, Original Mickey Mouse Doll and Kewpie Dolls.
This is for you mom, this is a sweater worn at Boise High back in the day. Did you wear sweaters like these?
The original state flag flown over the capital for many many years. This is the only flag designed by a women in the nation.

Kristian and Dani trying not to tip the canoe. This is what they had to do to get things across the river and not tip the boat.
Trying to be cowgirls

Dani on the Lewis and Clark canoe with dog Seaman
Our little prisoner
Yummy Potato Ice Cream from the famous Westside Drive In
After a long day exploring the museum, Dani was playing with B in a "Parade". Brooklyn was in heaven to have all those toys around her and get a free ride.

The Berry Ranch

So the pictures are out of order, but you can figure it out. This is us after we picked the hottest day and time of day to go berry picking. About 20 minutes form us is a farm that you can go pick berries and other produce throughout the year. We got to pick Blackberries, it was an adventure.
This is when we learned to come better prepared next time. We were picking berries along the corn field with everyone else I saw a few ladies in the next row and a ton of berries. I thought we will get this done so much faster if we go over there. So I found an opening with B and the diaper bag in my hands stepped over saw some mud, but thought I was fine. NOT after I took another step and started sinking. I quickly handed Brooklyn over to Kristian who was still mud free on the other side of the vine. Since I was already muddy I decided to stay and pick as many berries as I could while trying to keep my flip flops on my feet and the mosquito's off my arms. It was the grosses feeling, mud squishing between my toes weighing my feet down, I figured I was giving myself a mud pedicure. Oh and yes I decided to wear a skirt that day, not the smartest obviously I never grew up on a farm and thought you should look cute to pick berries. Dork is what I call myself.
This is B and Kristian on the safe side of the vine. It was quite the adventure for us, but we got to enjoy some yummy fresh berries for days and only had a few bug bites. They are now frozen and used for smoothies, yum yum! It is definitely something that you should at least try once or twice when you are prepared of course.

Tips for Berry Picking
1. Don't go when it is 98 degrees outside
2. Go in the early morning
3. Wear pants and long sleeves
4. Wear Bug Spray
5. Wear RAIN BOOTS ( we learned this from an experienced lady that had no problems in the mud)
6. Leave the 8 month old at home with dad (This might just be the best tip of the day!)