Tetons and Jackson Hole

We drove back to Boise through the Tetons and Jackson Hole. It was a beautiful drive. The mountains were huge and everything was so green. We were headed down the Tetons (at a 10% grade slope) when we spotted the moose. D slammed on the brakes and we jumped out to get a picture. He was just right on the other side of the guard rail, but didn't seem at all concerned about us.

We stopped at Jackson Hole to take a picture under the antler arches. But didn't do much more than that there. We are now in Boise having a great time playing with cousins. I went golfing for the first time and was actually able to hit the ball once or twice instead of just swinging at air. It was fun. We have a few more fun things planned for next week and are having a great vacation.

Lewis Falls

Our last night of camping, we had heard that there was suppose to be snow, but we just assumed that it was JUNE and that the chances were NOT likely. That night we listened to the wind roar. It was very interesting because you could hear the wind coming, and then it would blow threw camp, and finally you could hear it blow away. I had never heard anything like it. It reminded me of ocean waves. That morning as we were trying to pack up camp, it started to snow (it was an ICEY snow). Everyone's hands were frozen and the kids were all crying because they were so cold. The girls spent the morning in the bathroom. Ella stood under the hand blower trying to get warm. We saw these falls on our way out of Yellowstone.

Junior Rangers

The girls participated in the Junior Ranger program. This was their second badge (the first was from the petrified forest). They had to do some projects and then were awarded their badges by a real ranger.

We rented a boat for a couple of hours to go out on Yellowstone Lake. The boys were anxious to fish, but first the girls got to go for a ride. There was a lot of screaming when the boat was going fast.

After their ride, we went to a beach were they were able to build sand castles while the boys fished. We even had waves from when the boats went past. The girls thought they were at the ocean.

Animals Everywhere!

There were lots of animals to see. We got in one bear road block but were never able to see the black bear that was supposedly there. We had gone up to Tower (another waterfall) and were on our way back to camp when we came to another bear road block. This mother grizzley and her two cups were right up on the side of the hill. They were close so we were able to get a good look at them. We were very excited! (If anyone would like to see more pictures of the bears, I think D took A MILLION!)

Artist Point

This was a beautiful location. We were able to see the canyon and the water falls.

Sulpher and Mud Volcanos

They smelled! and they were muddy! What more can I say....

Fishing Bridge

We stopped at the Fishing Bridge visitors center. They had all sorts of neat animals to look at...mostly birds, and they had a beautiful beach. It was kind of cold and windy that day, but the kids still loved playing in the sand.

We saw Old Faithful erupt. It kept sputtering for several minutes but when it blew, it was incredible to see.

More Yellowstone

Our next stop was at the mineral hot springs. They had these decks that you could walk out on and see everything right up close. The girls were full of questions and very interested to see everything. We had to keep reminding them that it was boiling water and to please NOT fall in.

June 14, 2010

We had barely driven into Yellowstone, when we came to our first animal sighting. It was baffalo. They watched us awhile and then started to cross the creek toward us. I was up the hill in a shot!! The girls loved it!

June 13, 2010

We spent Sunday at Temple Square. We went to the church museum to the new "I am a child of God" exhibit and also went to the top of the conference center. We had a fun day!

When we got to Aunt C's house, we took a trip to the park to run off a little energy. It was a really fun park, but even more fun to be able to play with the cousins.

June 12, 2010

Bridge in Moab...on the way to vacation. We stopped and had a picnic and let the girls run for a few minutes. They did great on the trip up.

We only made the one stop in Moab...

June 1, 2010

Today is MN's 4th birthday! Her party had to be cancelled because of the stomach flu but she was still excited about presents and the cake. Thanks to everyone for the calls, gifts, and making her feel special today!