*Family vacation June 17-20, 2010 - West Yellowstone

Day One - June 17th


I can't believe that it's this time of year again. It seems like we just started talking about this trip and now we are taking it! This year Melissa, Patrick, Brice and I were in charge of planning the family trip. Melissa really did all the work. I just nodded my head and said.. that sounds good. We really wanted to go to Jackson Hole, but it is really expensive and so we decided on West Yellowstone. Miss found a great cabin for us to stay at in Island Park, ID., so it was perfect.



I was a little worried for this trip because I knew it would be A LOT of car time, and Madison is not such a fan of the car. We started out leaving the house at 8:30am. We dropped Sadie off at mom's along the way. We then met up with Brice's family in Brigham City to caravan up to the cabin. We stopped just outside of Rexburg, ID. for lunch and to go to a place I didn't even knew existed. It's called Bear World. It was really amazing. The have a lot of wildlife from West Yellowstone Park and you get to drive among them and watch them. It was a little pricey, but was a really good experience! They of course have a gift shop, but on the other side of the gift shop they have a petting zoo and some carnival rides. It was really neat!


Melissa, Brice and Madison outside the gift shop.

These little bear cubs were adorable! I almost wanted to take them home.

This picture looks like the one bear is trying to kick the other - typical kids playing!

Grandpa and Madi posing for a picture...

This Moose was huge! It was so fun to have my new AWESOME camera for pictures!

Grandpa, Grandma and Madi...

Madi loved the petting zoo. She went right up to all the animals. Wasn't afraid of any of them! Some would tease that she felt right at home!!!

Poking the pig to make sure it's alive...

She even tried to give this one a kiss!

This fawn was 10 days old...

This one was only 5 days old...

Taking in all the sights!

These ducks ALMOST made me wish we had a little stream in our backyard!

My sweet babe...

Dad helping out...

Grandma and the piggy...

just hanging...

After the petting zoo it was time to turn our attention to the carnival rides. You had to be at least 35 inches to ride the rides and Madi is only 27. Do you think she would let one of the cousins take her...NO! So of course I went along for the ride! (Literally)

Jordan, Amber, Brooke and Hannah on the sky coaster...

Brice and Patrick looking so enthused!

The first of my rides... the roller coaster - me trying to fold my long legs in the kiddie ride...

Madi loved this ride cause it was a car and had a steering wheel! She really did giggle on this one. She even put her hands in the air like her cousins in front of her!

Brooke and Mia...

Next was the train. Again Madi loved it. It was really difficult for me. The space in between seats was not very wide at all. I got in and put Madi next to me and she pushed my legs over. I was so cramped. The things we do for our kids!

Cute Little Amber waving to her family...

This ride I was least excited about. I already had a bit of a headache and though this might make it worse. Madi loved it. She kept laughing and didn't want me to hold onto her. I just tried my best to give her a little help to keep her from banging into the back of the seat!

Time for Bear World.... It was amazing. This is a very rare white elk.

A herd of buffalo....

This was the first bear we saw.

It was amazing to just watch them walk down the street...

Playing in the sunshine

I can't believe I caught this guy with his tongue out!

This is what I wanted to be doing...

This guy just looked mean!

It really was a cool place and I am glad that we went. Shortly after leaving Bear World we passed by the Rexburg Temple. I love to see the temples scattered across the country side.

The next stop (besides gas and potty breaks) was the cabin. It was really amazing. It was just a stones throw from where my family had a cabin when I was a child before my dad died.

The kitchen...

eating area...
Madi snacking on an apple.

They had these cute little kid leather chairs. Girls loved them.

There was a sign asking that shoes not be worn in the cabin. Madi LOVED it because there were 30 pairs of shoes for her to try on at any given time. Kept finding shoes all over the cabin!!!

Day 2 - June 18th
We set out to go see the Park today. I knew that Madison was going to have a hard time with a whole day in the car. I got Madi some fun things to play with in the car. These shades and necklace were a HUGE hit and she looked really cute!

Old Faithful was the first stop of the day, but we had to look at the wild life along the way. I think these are wolves, but they coul dbe coyotes as well. Who can be sure from this far away!

Old Faithful blew her top, as usual!

After watching Old Faithful we had to visit the gift shop. This is my hottie and my sweet baby haveing a snack and a break! (I think that Brice looks a little like Toby Keith in this picture).

After lunch we set out to go on a hike, Fairy Tale Falls was the destination...

We started out...

We quickly fell behind....

However we saw some beautiful things along the way....

We tried all sorts of different approaches to make it all the way on the hike, but...

we were the first ones done... I think we made it about 500 feet when Madi decided she was more interested in playing in the gravel on the path than walking the path. She was tired.. it was nap time. So we headed back to the car.

Grandpa and Uncle Paul weren't to far behind us. Grandpa has bad kness and Uncle Paul has some health issues too. We heard the falls were beautiful though...

We headed back to the cabin. Madison took a nap on the way home. Brice took a nap when we got back to the cabin so that left me to wander around after Madi. Madison was so glad to be out of the car and able to roam around. Of course she was even more excited to play in the shoes left behind... crazy kiddo!

Day 3 - June 19th

Today we headed into the park again. The first stop was Artist Paintpots. It was a quick little hike and Madi did really well. Yellowstone is an amazing place. Where else can you see water boiling out of the earth?

This pool was really cool. It would be really still and then you could see the bubbles starting beneath the surface. All of a sudden it was rapidly boiling. AMAZING!

Madi was aking the easy way through the walk/hike

Madison was so amazed by what she saw... her concentration was intense! :)

She was watching mud boil. Who wouldn't be fascinated by that?

Madi had her moments of independence when she wanted to walk by herself!

But there was still time for loves and mooching a ride!

The whole gang waiting....again......

The next stop was Mammoth Hot Springs. I really like that place. Along the way we stopped here at Roaring Mountain. I wish I would have zoomed in a little more so you could see the steam rising out of the mountain....just squint and look in the middle.. the white puff.. that's it! :)

This is my cute Hannah posing....cheese!

Mammoth Hot Springs.

waiting once again for everyone to get ready to go....

Got time for a smooch?

It's all about the shades......

This buffalo was just in a field in Mammoth. He was just hanging... Austin actually smiled for a picture.

You see quite a bit of buffalo in Yellowstone.

This was another place I was grateful to have my awesome camera and lenses... BEAUTIFUL

I don't know if it's the boiling water or if this was burned by something else, but I was amazed to see that this stick was ash.

It was time to head home. We ate lunch and then packed up the cars. The wildlife we saw on the way home was AMAZING!! In all my years of going to West Yellowstone I have never seen a bear. As we were driving along the road people were stopped. Come to find out it was a black bear! It was amazing!

As long as he was headed up the mountain I was great. He then turned to come down the mountain towards our car. I told Brice I had seen enough and we could go!

Not much farther up the road people were pulling over on the side of the road and getting out of their cars. Of course I had to go look. When I found out it was a black bear I decided the picture wasn't good enought to risk my life. I snapped a quick one and headed back to the car.

Another buffulo....

Not being a wildlife expert I am not sure what this little dude is. But man he wouldn't break his concentration for anything. People were driving by snapping his picture and he was intent on what he was watching. Cool picts though....

This is what Madison thought of all the wildlife....

We decided to make one last stop. We stopped at lower falls. We were going to go to the upper falls, but people were pretty much done.

Madi playing with the big kids before going down to the falls....

Some pictures of me and my babe!!!!

I gave Madison some fruit snacks to eat along the way. She loved them. She even said "more" along with the sign. She is getting so big!!! Crazy stuff.

Grandpa and Grandma walking along the trail....

The guys... Jordan, Austin and Aarone.....

The Lower Falls

Uncle Paul and Aunt Wanda

On the way out of the park as we passed the Bald Eagle nest we saw there was a bird in it. Couldn't get the camera up quick enough.. but we got this...

Then a minute later I spotted him. Again...GREAT lens! Thanks babe!

See... that was a lot of wildlife.

Day 4 - June 20th....Happy Father's Day!!

We were in charge of breakfast today. We made Suasage egg casserole.. so eazy an yummy. Madi finally found Uncle Pauls boots. I couldn't resist helping her into them. She was funny as she was trying to walk around in them. Paul loved it!

Madi was ready to go home. Here she is ready to drive the truck. She was making her cute little car noses.. so cute!

So that was the trip for this year. I was in such a hurry to get home and Madi out of the car that I got a ticket! :( UGH! I think it was Friday that Madi kept lifting her arms in her "I don't know shrug" and she would say "Puppy?" I kept telling her that Sadie was at Grandma's. She really has become attached to Sadie. It was so cute that she just kept asking for her. We stopped at mom's on the way back to pick her up. Sadie was so excited to see us, and Madi was so happy to see her. She just kept clapping her hands and saying "puppy!" Madi went right up to Sadie and gave her a kiss and laid her head on Sadie. Love that my girls love each other so much.

It really was a fun trip...small amount of drama, but overall a great trip. I am really glad to be home though. Had to water the flowers and gardens. The chickens faired pretty well, still had food and water and were still alive. Now comes all the unpacking, laundary and putting things away..... I so need more time in my life!