IDAHO weekend | summer of 2017

we had such a fun weekend going back to visit my home state of idaho.

makes me so sad to say but it had been nearly two years since i'd been back. and I was reminded why I still love it there so much and how there will always be a place in my heart for idaho.

my ten year high school reunion was what initiated us going when we did. then to visit my mom, grandparents, and best friend filled up the rest of the time we were there.

five days. jam packed. with two of them including 12 hour drives.

it was non stop- yet relaxing at the same time. but just perfect. and filled my heart and soul.

we drove all day friday. and thank heavens the kids did well with it!

my mom has semi recently found a love for horses and riding, so saturday morning she took us all out to see + ride her horse shony.
I was a little nervous for myself, and also for the kids that they would be hesitant and nervous of just how big a real life horse is :)

boy was I wrong!!!
not an ounce of hesitation by either harper or tanner. these two were in heaven and seemed to be right in their element!

the only time tanner protested, was when it was time for him to get OFF and let someone else have a ride :)

after a couple hours of fun with the horses, we stopped at our favorite local lunch spot (5th street bagelry-- if you're ever in pocatello, ID, this is a MUST!!).

then headed for the house to get cleaned up and ready for the reunion.

I had been looking forward to it and knew it would be fun, but I didn't know it would be just as fun as it actually was! seeing these girls, and more friends I went to high school with TEN years ago was so special!
a night I will remember for so long! wish we were able to see each other more often, but catching up and laughing our hearts out for a night will have to do.
#centuryhighschoolclassof2007

the next morning, we packed up to leave Pocatello and headed about 30 minutes down the road to make a stop at my best friend's house.
a couple hours here was so great, but just not enough time!!
our babies:
harper + sutton are just one month apart
tanner + wilder are just six months apart

brittney (yep, same name, same spelling) :) and I became friends in college when we were both on the bengal dancer college dance team.
we have a friendship that I know will last forever no matter how far apart we are.

once we left there, we made the hour and half drive to small town mackay, ID  (population of about 500ish) to see my grandpa and grandma where they spend much of their summer.
we often spent time here camping in the summer when I was growing up. to then bring my babies and husband was so much fun. I loved seeing them love it and enjoy the simple outdoors.

both of these next two pictures... only in a small town like mackay... haha!

rides in grandpa's truck.
don't call the cops on us ;) but harper LOVED the treat of not always having to ride in her car seat.

harper, tanner, and I loved tagging along while mom and brandon played a round of golf.

brandon was in HEAVEN having tanner along and I just KNOW he was imagining the day he can actually take him out to golf with him :)
love watching this father/son relationship.

SO many rides on the four wheeler!!

Xoxo

-Brittney

follow along on instagram @brittneyhjelseth

hold her a little tighter

i've hesitated for some time, and gone back and forth on do I share this or not??

I've wanted to, yet I've also had reservations on how.
and to be so vulnerable is not easy.

talking with a close friend recently, she encouraged me to do so and with that little push... here we go.

my hopes are to maybe just help at least one mama out & put out a reminder that I learned the hard way.

without sounding like i'm tooting my own horn, I see myself as a mama bear who is very on top of things. it's rare that I don't know where/what my kiddos are doing at any given moment.

a couple weeks ago we were having a play date with close friends at my in-law's pool. our afternoon was full of swimming, snacking, and relaxing in the sun. just what we go for as much as possible during these amazing summer days.

harper and her little bff have such a blast playing together and us mamas can't get enough of watching their happiness and joy just being with each other. it's the sweetest darn relationship!

hours of this and we were all having the best time!

a few hours later, a few snack breaks later, along with potty breaks ;) the kids had been in and out of the pool, us adults were chatting and hanging out with the little babies up on the patio, and my mother-in-law said as commonly as ever, "where's harper?".

we all took a quick sweeping look. 

--my heart is racing just as I type these words and am reliving it--

...and the worst thing you ever can imagine as a mama, there my precious little harper was, in the pool, without her lifejacket on, kicking her little legs so fast, bobbing up and down.

everyone says I looked to keep so cool and calm, but let me tell ya I was frantic inside. 

running and jumping in that water as fast as I could, thinking that every second that it took me to get there, was one more second she was in there alone.
thank you, JESUS, that not a single minute more had passed.

needless to say, she is fine. we all are fine. and we are thanking the Lord for that.

this happened with FOUR adults around. FOUR.
moms. who are alert, aware, and on top of everything.
all i really can say is, stuff like this can happen quicker than you'd ever imagine.
and you would never imagine it would happen to you.
just be aware.
take the pool & water activities more seriously. pay even closer attention than you already do.


I am so so thankful that she has not had a fear of the water since.
but let me tell ya, I don't take my eyes off her anymore. it's less relaxing to go to the pool and my kids are not out of my sight for a second. I'm the one who has been more traumatized by it.

talk about guilt.
how did I not see her go in?
why wasn't I the one who asked "where's harper?"
what if... all the what if's...
the image of her little self helplessly looking up at us, unable to speak.

I share this because, it is unbelievable just how quickly this happened.
we are beyond thankful that God was looking out of us that afternoon.
I hold her even tighter and see her preciousness a little deeper.

Xoxo

-Brittney

follow along on instagram @brittneyhjelseth

4th of July 2017 || Suncadia

about a month ago we got talking with some of our best friends about what we were gonna do for the 4th, and we were all itching to get out of town. 

so brandon researched some houses to rent that would fit all eight of us, and soon enough we were booked for a fouth of july weekend away to Suncadia! a hjelseth + brown fourth of july trip!!

the past two winters, right before christmas we've made the couple hour drive to suncadia for a few days. (last winter's trip HERE). we were excited to experience it this time in the summer!

...just summing it all up with a photo dump for memory's sake :)

Xoxo

-Brittney

follow along on instagram @brittneyhjelseth