Yellowstone

August 2009
(written on)
Sept. 20, 2009
Our trip to Yellowstone was such a blast!! (just like Old Faithful) We left on a Wednesday afternoon, drove as far as Idaho Falls, where we spent the night at Dad & Kathy’s house, then got up Thursday morning, (cut the boys’ hair—hadn’t had time in packing, and school started right after we got back), and then drove into the park a couple of hours later.  We saw geysers and hotpots, waterfalls, canyons, and TONSSSS of buffalo!!—all over the road, leading traffic, near the road, watching Old Faithful, etc.,  It was really amazing, even if we never did spot a wolf or bear (we TRIED!)—all except Spencer, who saw not only many bears, but an elephant and giraffe as well.  My favorite was one buffalo chewing bark off of a tree in a little wooded area right next to the road.  At first we only saw a brown lump and thought it could be a bear, but as we got right next to it, it was a buffalo.  We took a picture anyway, and then Spencer said as we drove off, “Actually, Mom, it WAS a bear!!”  We packed 2 big coolers full of food for our lunches and breakfasts, cooked some ravioli and beef stew over charcoal at a campsite for one dinner, and ate in a cafeteria another night.  We had also just bought our NEW VAN the week before we left, so we reveled in all of the space of our new 12-seater.  WE got a great deal on this vehicle from a gov’t auction, where we know it at least had to be well-maintained, and though older (2002), it only had 45K miles on it, and we got it, w/ new tinted windows and a cdplayer added, all for under $10K!!—saving us having to get into a carloan!! We’re quite happy to have found it—at Beutler Auto, where Brian’s family has bought cars for years—and are slowly getting used to driving such a beast!! In getting used to this new car though, I did have the unfortunate trouble of having the backdoor swing shut (I wasn’t used to the swinging) the first night we were there outside our cabin.  It was 10PM, the doors were all locked, and our 2 sets of keys were inside!! It made for a little later night, but bless the great Ranger who wedged open the back door that hadn’t shut too tightly!! HOORAY! Brent had something stuck in his eye for most of one day, we had to purchase some emergency dramamine from all the twisty driving, and Anne was getting over her shots for the first day, but other than that, no great catastrophe, and a LOT of fun!! They even had a Customer Appreciation Day in the gift shops where there were hats and T-shirts and stuffed animals all for $5, so the kids’ little spending $ they had brought went further than I expected! We drove home through Grand Teton Nat’l Park, enjoyed a lunch there by Jenny Lake, and got home around 9:30 Saturday night.  The next morning, I took Laurie to the airport to visit GA, and we later attended the Oquihr(sp?) Mtn Temple Dedication, then had dinner at Nate and Stacey’s w/ the huge brood of children they watched during the 2nd dedication (of course the only cryer was their own niece Anne!).  We did love the time on our vacation together, loved the little cabin and wood burning stove we got to stay w/ (the children sometimes asked through the day if we could just go back to the cabin!), and marveled at the REAL majesty of creation all over there.  It is just driving and hiking through post card after post card!—just breathtaking and overwhelming!!—amazing how many different features are found in one small area! One night there, the children fell asleep to us reading the account of the Creation for scriptures—quite the object lesson for that one!
Tower Falls (Brian had remembered going here as a child, but couldn't remember what it was called or where it was--he kept hunting for it, and we were so excited when we figured out where it was)

inside the cabin














Hayden Valley--what I always pictured Adam-Ondi-Ahman looking like!

A Rainbow over the Upper Falls (this was the waterfall that unexpectedly overwhelmed me to tears!)









Upper Falls from afar, and a view of Yellowstone's "Grand Canyon"

In front of Mud Volcano (where Spencer was sure dragons live!)













Our new van and cabin (when lined up, they were about the same length!)





























Whenever I hiked like this, people would always consult w/ us--it seemed that if a pregnant baby-toting Mom could make it on the hike, it must be pretty do-able


In front of Canyon lookout point

A vacation favorite:  playing Balance on the Logs w/ Dad

paint pots and hot pots and buffalo

Anne in front of Jenny Lake















Having lunch by Jenny Lake in the Grand Tetons
p.s. I'm sorry I can't get my captions lined up w/ my pictures!!! I'm at wits end trying to figure it out!!??!!