Idaho (for Jennifer)

Jennifer,
Sorry about not posting lately. I have been living in an 88-year-old woman's basement and she doesn't have internet. But today I am babysitting Brandon's siblings and I therefore get free use of their computer.

It would be difficult to give an unbiased report on Idaho, since I'm living here in the summer, and it's much nicer than the freezing winter months. But surprisingly, I really like Idaho. Living in a small town doesn't bother me-- Blackfoot can provide most daily needs and if I need something else, Pocatello is only 20 minutes away. If Napoleon Dynamite gave you the impression that everyone in Idaho is a hick and owns a llama, then you actually have the right idea about life in Idaho. There are llamas. Lots of llamas. And cows and horses and goats and sheep. I live across the street from a dairy farm. It provides a nice view but when the wind kicks up, it smells like cow poop. The kids go to their neighbor's house every day to feed their chickens, dog, and calf. It's a really cute calf. I fed it once. But since I like animals and wide open spaces, it's fun for me.

Despite what I had thought, there are plenty of things to do in Idaho. Last week we went to a pool in Lava Hot Springs and I jumped off a 30-foot high dive. That wasn't as painful as bellyflopping off the 10-foot springboard, though. It knocked the wind out of me and the next morning I woke up with mysterious bruises all over my body. I also helped Brandon's little brother buy $90 of fireworks and set them off. I thought that just Brandon was a pyro, but apparently it runs in the family. Besides that, Brandon and I are planning more trips. We are going to the boobs this weekend (that's what Ryan calls the Tetons now). If I had my kayak with me, I would go to the Salmon river. It apparently has some good kayaking.

Living so close to Brandon's family has been quite a different experience. His brothers and sisters are too young to really understand marriage, so instead of thinking I'm his wife, they think I'm his sister. Last week we were at his family's house for almost three days straight. When we showed up at 11:00 AM instead of 9:00 AM, his brother got mad at us, because we should have been there earlier to do things with them. That was the morning after we got home at 11:30 the previous night. Trying to explain to him that we needed time together was useless, because to him, "time together" includes time with the entire family. On one busy day I had a bit of a meltdown. I went home and refused to do anything else that day and told Brandon that we might as well live with his family considering how much we're over there. I got over it soon enough to go golfing with his family. But we did go home early that night.

Being here has made me do some unexpected things. Suddenly I am the person telling the little kids to get the kittens off the kitchen counter and put them back in the garage. Of course, I mainly do this because Mia carries the kittens around all day and they so obviously hate it, and I am against cruelty to animals. And having them on the counter really is gross. I also get up at 7:30 to go to work with Brandon. Anyone that knows me knows that that I would never get up that early to work. But I do work. I paint handrails and help Brandon do things at the construction site. I have safety goggles and work boots and everything. Nothing but braces has ever made me feel so unattractive.

Anyways, Idaho has been a learning experience. I keep learning more about Idaho, kids, Brandon, and even myself. But the biggest thing I've learned is that you should never, ever live with your in-laws.