We left for Coeur d'Alene Wednesday night at 8:00 p.m.. and arrived at 6:00 a.m. just in time to catch a few hours of sleep before the excitement of our vacation began.
Oh my lanta... Coeur d'Alene is the most beautiful place that I have ever been (it was even prettier than Kauai if you ask me). The pine trees were the greenest of greens. They were tall, strong, and so thick that light could not get through them. The lakes were calm, serene, and clear. The ice cream was FANTASTIC! The fish were large and energetic, and soooo much fun to catch. All of that was great, but by far the best part was the company. Kent lived with the Lee family for about 3 months of his mission. He and their youngest song Scott became pretty close friends. I had heard such great things about Scott and was so excited to meet him and his darling girlfriend Heather. Scott is an avid outdoors-man. He does everything from rifle/bow hunting every animal there is, to fishing. Not only does he do it, but he knows exactly how to do it successfully. He and Heather took us to their favorite turkey hunting, and fishing spots. I was so grateful for the time that I had to be able to spend with Heather and Scott, and for the things that they taught me. Scott is 23 years old, and is a two time cancer survivor. He is an incredible man. In the short 2 days we were with them, Scott taught me a lot of things, but, most importantly he taught me that life is precious, and to cherish and love every second of it. Heather taught me that love out weighs everything. Her love for Scott, and his love for her was so strong, and it truly outweighed all things. I am so grateful for the members in Coeur d'Alene, and for the kindness and hospitality that they showed Kent while he was serving the Lord.
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We departed from Coeur d'Alene Saturday afternoon, and headed to Spokane Washington where we visited the Stroh family. They were the SWEETEST people. They welcomed us into their home with a delicious home-cooked steak and potato meal, and finished it off with homemade huckleberry pie. I LOVE the Stroh's, and I know just from being with them for one night that they loved Kent so very much. While Kent was living there, their youngest song Trevor was still at home, and just like Scott, Trevor and Kent became very close. Kent says that Trevor is the only reason that he stayed sane while he was in Spokane haha. The Stroh's are some of the most down to earth, and most generous people I have ever met. We were planning on staying just for dinner and heading to Montana that night, but the weather got pretty bad, and the highway to Montana is kind of sketchy, so the Stroh's were kind enough to welcome us into the home for the night.
Sunday morning at the butt crack of dawn, we were up and ready to drive the two and a half hour drive to Libby, Montana. We were only about 15 minutes south of the Canadian border, and the whole drive there was absolutely beautiful. We followed the Kootenai River all the way there. Once we arrived in Libby, we met the Ercenbreck's for the last hour of their church, and then drove to their home. They are the kindest people ever. They were sooo fun to talk to and I loved hearing the stories they told about Kent while he was serving there. I was so sad that we couldn't stay and visit with them longer, but they left us with a picnic on the road, and a bag full of fresh huckleberries.
We left Libby, Montana at 3:00 in the afternoon. Siri told me that the drive back to American Fork was twelve and a half hours, but we made it in ten;) Even still, it was the longest drive EVER. We made the plan that Kent would drive the first half, and I would sleep so that I could drive the second half while he slept. He needed to be up for work at 6:00 the next morning. Well...... I suck at life. I couldn't fall asleep during the first half so when my half of the shift started at 10:00 p.m. I was VERYYYYY tired. I tried my hardest to stay awake, but my eyes just wouldn't focus on the roads. Kent finally told me to pull over so that he could drive because I was scaring him to death haha. I felt very very bad. Poor soul had to go to work with only an hour and a half of sleep the night before.
This vacation was so incredibly fun. I loved every piece of it. I love going to new places, and meeting new people. It's incredible to me that no matter where you are in the world, the Gospel, and the Spirit are the same. Now I know that the Northwest is not that far away from me, but still. I am so grateful for the incredible people that I was able to meet up there, and for their kindness that they have shown Kent and I. I am so grateful for the Kent's faithfulness and for his willingness to serve a two year mission. This vacation made me so excited for my brother, and for my future children to serve the Lord and his people.
Sincerely,
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