Update on Idaho

Back safe in lovely Provo. Too bad. I'd rather be in Idaho. I could think of a few reasons for that: beautiful up there; fun family; horses; comfortable bed; unhealthy food...there are a lot of reasons, but as you know, the reason I really don't want to be back here is because now I can't just be with Jodi. I know, its cheesy, but you have all been there, you know what it is like, so I expect some sympathy. I figured spending the weekend together, including two six-hour car rides with no radio, would tell us a lot about each other and our relationship. Well, it did. I find that the more I get to know Jodi, the more in love with her I fall. I am starting to get to see more of what makes her who she is. It was a joy to spend time with her family, especially her father, Jay. He is so kind, and put me quite at ease. He gave his room to Jodi, so the two of us stayed in the living room. We had a few long talks late into the night that were most pleasant, and gave me a wonderful opportunity to get to know him and the family more, and hopefully vice versa. We didn't arrive until late Friday night, but arose early Saturday morning to enjoy the events of the day, namely horse back riding and a trip through a most beautiful canyon to a small little house buried in the snow. It was fun shoveling that out. We found ourselves lost in a little cave...the garage. How cute is that? We couldn't pass up the photo. Sunday was again an opportunity to learn more about Jodi, and her about me. Church was lovely in that small little town, and the remainder of the day was spent with members of her extended family. That was the test, really. She was so worried that they would scare me away. Well, I found my niche with the kids. I didn't talk to the adults much, but who would when there are kids around to play with! I know those kids' names better than Jodi. They were adorable. For some reason little people are just attracted to big people! I did my fair share to get them into trouble for being too rowdy. I'm good at that, too.

We arrived home early this afternoon after spending another six hours in the car. When we left this morning we had the joy of getting lost on just the right route, and found ourselves at the Boise Temple. It was a beautiful sight, until we got kicked off the grounds that were open only for maintenance workers. It was cold, but a beautiful sight before we hit the freeway. Much of the early morning drive was spent in the scriptures as Jodi read and we discussed. We have really enjoyed studying the scriptures together this weekend. It has been a lot of fun to see her great understanding of the scriptures and gospel principles, as well as her willingness and desire to learn more.

We are excited to come to Chicago in two weeks and see what there is in store for us. The plane ride won't be nearly as entertaining as the car rides were this weekend, but the journey should be equally revealing as she will see me in one of the places I grew up. We look forward to seeing you all in two weeks!