Family fun: Day 2

on our way to yellowstone aka "yellow snow", if you ask Cael we stopped in Jackson Hole. We took the kids to this really cool old fashioned candy store. We pretty much overwhelmed the store with all of us in it, but it was a fun atmosphere and the kids loved filling bags full of candy.
Yippie-i-o's candy store



Avery and Sophia were excited about their candy purchases.

We then drove through, and had a picnic in the Grand Teton's. This is one beautiful mountian range. I couldn't help but take a bunch picture, so enjoy, or don't it is up to you.






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After our picnic at the base of Jenny lake we headed into yellowstone national park. We drove over to old faithful and some of the mud pots.src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYs4QynSr8yMgn9EQ111I3P2bPn2QpY6UL9F1SEPFiopDVDzgeYuXgBskwC7hoxHq-OK8Ym_zrZvUH1dVKMBHJ0yL0C1pQw-jpe53kVwwKP2BS0mCVNQut8n2M88oc4Xms-4uptxlo18gR/s400/IMG_0058.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500152694873562898" />





On the way out of the park, back to our cabins in Colter's Bay we saw this...
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And this....

Thats right people, I FINALLY SAW A BEAR!!!! and not only did I finally get to see a bear I was no more than 30 feet away from it. Which was really cool, and kind of scary to be that close to it. I know it is not the best picture. it was getting dark and with my point and shoot camera it was a hard to get a good picture. I am in the process of having my family send me a better one. when I get it I will post it.

family fun:Day 1

This year the whole family met up at marks house to begin our family vacay. we had dinner, chatted, launched water balloons from a water balloon launcher, broke a window with said water balloon launcher, oops. The guys played paintball. Here are some pics from the first day.a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVPvEBaGckxkAyppcTW7uXaDLKnEleaY0WXhab080C5qaDwPIJhwEHyTPnwLMAENlpzEJVAT7Ux9A9yR0UDsyiLqHJTMbXGosdhp2lqqb8Wt62SzG0kjQ32Zw6r6hyFSWErj40l5xUfxj0/s1600/IMG_0014.JPG"><
the whole family eating dinner.


launching water balloons

Star Valley

Mark asked me several months ago if I would watch his kids of the weekend while he and Kammi went on a river trip with her parents. With kids this cute there is no way I could turn them down.

Krista came with me and since it was her first time I just had to show her the worlds largest elk horn arch (the second picture, not the one we're standing under).

Pretty impressive, huh?.

Island Park

Last minute road trips are the best. The monday before the fourth of July Bryant told me that his cabin in Island Park, Idaho (20 minutes outside of yellowstone), was available over the fourth. So we got everything together and headed out thursday after work.
Here is what we did...
Jumped off the bridge, I have suddenly developed a huge fear of jumping/falling of tall objects. So I almost chickened out and didn't do it. But clint grabbed me around the waist in a bear hug and jumped off with me. I wish I had a picture of it cause both bryant and Tina we amazed that Clint was still alive. He took the brunt of the fall, and there was so much wieght between the two of us that we went straight to the bottom, He scratched up his back and pulled muscles....Sorry Clint.

We also floated/almost drowned in the Henry's fork. Ok so we didn't almost drown, but we clint and I tipped our canoe and froze the rest of the way. We started floating around 8 thinking that would be a good time to see wildlife along the river, and it was, we went right past a moose and her baby. But we did not take into account that if we tipped our canoes on accident there would be no sun to warm us up. Luckily Bryant and Tina a gems and let me grab onto the rope and they towed us most of the way. Leaving Clint and I to sit in our canoe and shiver 3/4 of the way down the river.


We hiked to a really pretty lake, Shoshone Lake, I think it was called which is located in Yellowstone. We got to the beach and we were all so tired we just laid there in sun for awhile and enjoyed the peaceful sound of the water lapping up on the shore.

We went on short walks around the cabin, played games, watched movies, fireworks in West Yellowstone, made steak dinner and much more. It was a blast and i am so glad I got to go agin this year.

Lovely

For some reason I love this picture of me and my niece, sophia. She is just so cute!

Happy Fathers Day

I can honestly say that I feel like I have the best dad. He has taught me the value of family, faith, hard work, integrity, service, love, marriage, fun, and so. so many others. He always puts his family first. Lets me know of his love for me and the rest of our family. He always jumps right in in any activity that is going on, like hiking to the bottom of the grand canyon, or the top of timp, and participating in paintball wars, despite the injuries that might occur (refer to last 4th of july post.). He is always ready and willing to have fun.
Thanks for being such a great and loving example, Dad! I love you!

Strawberry Days

Any weekend called "Strawberry Days" promises to be a fun, if not delicious one. And sure enough this weekend held up to it's name!

The strrawberries and cream were so good! It really felt like summer, eating strawberries and with the weather finally being nice.


Friday night Bonnie, me, Tina and Bryant went to the rodeo. although it was kind of stressful before and we almost didn't go,due to trying to find someone to take clint's ticket since he was sick, I am glad we ended up going. It turned out to be lots fun. Just ask Bryant; He loved it, especially the part where I tackled him to the ground...yeah I will NEVER let him live that one down.

I didn't get enough of the strawberries and cream friday night so on saturday me, Stephanie, Marianne, and Krista went back for more. while were there we decided to also walk around the booths and the carnival. But honestly, it was only for the strawberries and cream that we went!