Island Park 2013.

Russ has the coolest traditions with his friends and one of them is that every year over President's Day weekend them and their spouses/significant others rent out a huge cabin up in Island Park Idaho and go snowmobiling for the weekend. I was invited this year and was somehow able to get work off so I could go.

I had worked the night of February 13 and I got off work, we loaded our stuff and began the drive to Idaho. I hadn't been that far north into Idaho since I went to school there (uh about 6 years ago) and it was interesting to see how it's changed, or at least from a distance : )

Part of their yearly traditions is how they do the meals, one person is assigned one meal the entire weekend. For that meal you're responsible to buy the food, cook and clean up and then you're done the rest of the trip. So essentially each couple is responsible for 2 meals. Russ got the first dinner there so when we finally arrived to the cabin about 9pm we started our valentines day dinner meal for everyone and then after eating took off to bed after a long day of driving, and me being up for about 28 hours.

(pardon the red eye. He's not that creepy looking, the photo edit just didn't transfer over from my phone)

The next few days were spent sleeping in, eating a delicious breakfast then hitting the mountains on snowmobiles for the day before returning home to the cabin to spend the night playing games, eating and eating, and eating, playing pranks,watching movies, or my personal favorite-kick it back by the fireplace. Russ has amazing friends and I spent the whole weekend laughing watching them over there man bantering and goofing off on snowmobiles and in the cabin.

 It really was gorgeous up there!

 Some of the hooligan men on the trip

 Some of the boys getting whooped by Matt at poker, again.

 We spent A LOT of time during the day digging out stuck snowmobiles. There was so much snow and after a little sunshine it was really soft, causing lots of ruckass for this group of people that can't stay on or go on the trails.

 

 This hill was particularly rough, Brittany was stuck in this picture and below you can almost see the other 3 snowmobiles that got stuck as well.

 Sunday was our last day out on the snowmobiles and since Matt and Brittany had left that morning I was the only girl out with the men on what they made an even more adventurous day. We made our own trail on the way down the mountain going off who knows which direction and Chad found himself ran right into a huge hole. We(as in the menfolk and their camera lady) got him out and thank goodness his machine and him were totally fine.

The cabin we stayed in was AMAZING! I didn't get pictures of the whole thing, but was able to document a few of my favorites.

 Panorama's of our master bed and bath courtesy of the iPhone 5 : ) There was 2 full on master's in the cabin and this is the one I won drawing straws, and I loved it!

It was a much needed vacation and I was dreading returning home and just wanted to stay up in that cabin forever! I almost got my wish as we went to load the trucks and go home but couldn't find Luke's keys to his truck. Long story short, Matt and Brittany had accidentally taken them home on Sunday....Thank goodness that Russ and Luke know vehicles like the back of their hands and was able to start Luke's truck and since the security feature won't let you shift without a key in the ignition-they bypassed that by Russ getting out and manually shifting the truck. It was interesting, but we made it back to Farmington where they key was and all was well.

Thanks again for the great getaway, can't wait for next year already!!