Bison, Bears, and A Lone Wolf

(Small disclosure: Many, many pictures this post!)

This is the beginning of our road trip to Yellowstone. Thanks to Pinterest, I was able to keep the boys entertained most of the 4 1/2 hour trip with little gifts to open along the way. It was nice to talk and laugh and connect most of the drive as we anticipated a great four days in the country's first National Park.

It didn't take long for this bubble gum stick to provide lots of entertainment for all of us. I think I got gum stuck in my eyebrows only once...

We found a little lodge to stay in outside the park. Although it was 45 minutes away from West Yellowstone, the beds were comfy and breakfast was hot each day. They also had a big hot tub to swim in instead of a pool. This was one of the boys favorite activities to end the day.

Our first day in Yellowstone was visiting the many geysers on one of the main loops. I loved to see the different colors and amazing water displays. Watson loved to "read" the signs naming each formation. It was something Scott and Chandler had never seen before and they enjoyed their beauty too. There were quite a few people there but it didn't ever take away from our experience.

 This was another Thumbs Up trip for this family.

Of course we visited Old Faithful. It was an amazing site. A little different from the last time I was here. I don't think there were benches for the hundreds of people waiting to see it explode from the ground. There was another geyser you could watch from a distance while waiting for Old Faithful to perform. The Lodge here was amazing. I can't believe it has been around since pre-1900.

One of Chandler's top 5 best things of Yellowstone was seeing the bison/buffalo. This is one of the first sightings, I thought we were dangerously close. I had no idea later in the week we would casually picnic with one..We had many encounters with bison. Chandler was determined to get one to charge our car by playing a recording of a bison grunting, as well as grunting himself. It was kind of entertaining to see him with his body out the moon roof trying to agitate these huge creatures. OK, a bit terrifying for me. Luckily, none of the bison came toward us with any malice.

The waterfalls were amazing. It seemed most of the ones we saw were on another loop in the park. We stopped every now and then to hike a little and watch the water rush past us. The weather was perfect and the scenery was constantly amazing.

More bison, again. I thought Chandler was dangerously close this time....

This picturesque spot is Yellowstone Lake. We stopped for lunch and Chandler and Watson dipped their toes in the cool water. The beach seemed to be volcanic sand and the calm surrounding the lake was beautiful. There are two large lodges here and we thought we might stay in one the next time we visit the park. One of the "lunch ladies" told us you can have the cafeteria cook up the fish you catch from the lake during your stay. We will have to definitely plan more in advance next time, though, as reservations for the lodge are a year out.

We saw a lot of wildlife. Mostly bison and chipmunks. However, we were in the right place at the right time to watch a lone wolf explore one side of the road and cross over to the other side. We thought he was probably looking for a new spot for his pack.

Another loop we went on had formations called Tables. I was constantly amazed that the landscape could be so entirely different in such a short distance from each other. The tables were interesting to see. The minerals that coated most of the areas looked like snow.

We were lucky enough to see bears three times. One on our drive from the lodge we were staying at into West Yellowstone. We saw it from the road, it was pretty far away. We also saw a couple of bears from really far away while in the park. A huge group of people were sitting on the side of the road observing them and willing them to cross a river and get closer. One very nice lady from Alabama let us use her binoculars to get a closer view. (I must remember to bring binoculars next time.) On our final day in the park we saw a black bear pretty close up. We were lucky enough to see her and 2 cubs. It was cool to watch the cubs climb a nearby tree and the mother bear be protective of them.

Yes, here is our picnic with the buffalo. I can't believe how close we were and how unbothered the bison was. He was sitting near the road when we pulled in and Chandler picked the spot to have lunch. Watson was as calm as the bison but I was not. When he started moving toward us I quickly gathered up the picnic supplies and got myself and Watson buckled in the car. We enjoyed another 20 minutes of watching the bison from the car. He walked to the side of the car and to the front, munching on grass and flowers the whole time. This was much closer than I ever thought we would be to this huge animal. Again, he never charged our car, despite Chandler and Scott's efforts to agitate him. Thank heavens. 

Leaving Yellowstone was sad. We enjoyed our trip so much, although next time we want to stay in the park so we have time to explore more. Chandler loved it so much he suggested we make a yearly trip of it. Like Disneyland, I want to keep the magic alive, so maybe every couple of years we will be back.
Our top 5 of the trip:
1. Picnicking with the big bison
2. Seeing all the bears
3. Taking a hike to Yellowstone Falls
4. Seeing Old Faithful erupt and other geysers
5. Visiting the Wolf and Bear Preserve in West Yellowstone.
We loved our time together and are grateful we had a chance to see this beautiful place. We will be back!

Liberty, Happiness, Family & Friends

My mom thought it would be fun and patriotic to paint a giant flag on her driveway to celebrate the 4th of July. I told her I thought we should have the cousins do it with footprints and handprints. (Of course I saw a smaller version of this on Pinterest, my new bestest friend.) So, we got the kiddos togeher for some messy fun and got red, white, and blue dirty. Paris, Stratton and Watson loved washing their feet together in the tub outside. Everyone got messy but had just as much fun getting clean!

Watson's cute little toes! He loved seeing his footprints and leaving his mark. He kept right up with the big kids.

We continued the celebratory week with the traditional 4th of July breakfast at Grandma Nettie's. Everyone got plenty to eat--except the scones fell in short supply this year. Weird. Luckily, Grandma made more quickly the late stayers got a second round of the yumminess.  Our little family was super lucky to get a visit by our good friends, the Pierce's. They moved to California last summer and we have missed them greatly. We spen the 4th of July with them eating good food, watching fireworks, laughing and playing together. Their stay was much too short but we are so glad we got time together. We can't wait to see them again.

Cute Lindsey, Sweet Sadie, and funny Alec Pierce

Jovial Bill in the background.

A thumbs up!

Happy Birthday to Me!

Sweet Scott started my birthday celebration by making one of my favorite cakes, Lion House Poppy Seed. He did a perfect job of it and I enjoyed eating it for breakfast the rest of the week! Challey also made me a birthday cake--I think it should be called Chocolate Forever. The boys were funny and cute as they sang Happy Birthday. Ask Watson how it goes, he does the best version ever!

I felt so special because of the sweet birthday wishes from friends and family. I feel so blessed to be a part of my little family. They make each day special and fun. Scott makes me laugh every day and I look forward to many more birthdays together!

Father of the Year Around Here

Watson was filled with all kinds of anticipation Father's Day morning. He couldn't wait for Dad to wake up and open the presents he helped pick out. There weren't too many surprises for Scott since 2 year olds DO NOT keep secrets.  However, it was fun to see the excitement of it all for Watson and Scott.

Watson did pick out the airplanes and ties, he couldn't wait for Dad to see them (or to play with them together.)

Yes, the ties are pink, thanks to Watson. He was so excited to have "matching" ties with Dad. We missed Chandler this year as he was on vacation with the other half of his family...it wasn't quite the same around here without him. Although he did write some cute things about Dad in our special book--he loves to watch "Twilight Zone" and likes that Dad finds the good side of things.

I'm so grateful for Scott. He is a fantastic father. I love how he is willing to drop what he is doing for his boys. He wants them to be happy and know they are loved by their dad. He works really hard to make it possible for me to be home with Chandler and Watson. He is always striving to be better, he doesn't even know how great he already is. I love him. Chandler loves him. Watson adores him. We are lucky to have the best dad on the planet!

Road Trippin'

What an adventure! To kick off a fun summer we decided to road trip a little to a national park we hadn't seen before. We packed up our camping stuff, loaded up the car and headed to Bryce Canyon. The boys did great on the drive and we enjoyed seeing parts of Utah that were new to us.  We decided to stay at Ruby's Inn and Campground, just outside of the park. The first night there we slept in a cute, little cabin. It was kind of fun being in such close quarters together.The second night of our trip we stayed in the teepee. I would definitely do that again, but only when it was really hot outside. We did shiver and freeze when we slept in the teepee, it was quite memorable. Luckily, it was warm enough during the day we relaxed after hiking in the canyon with a dip in the pool. Watson is fearless around water and it was hard to keep up with him.

Chandler loved the massive rocks to climb and was always ready with a thumbs up when I pulled out the camera.

Happy boys. Hiking, chasing chipmunks, and getting dirty--that's all it took for a successful family trip.

This may be the last summer Scott can tote Watson around. He was a good sport to nap when he could.

Look at all the formations! They were incredible to see close up and from a distance.

The End is Here

Yes, that is Chandler, (almost) all grown up. He is almost as big as his 6th grade teacher, Mrs. Kimble, and almost as big as me. I can't believe he has finished his time in elementary school. This past year at Bell View has been quite the adventure!  Some highlights include going to the State Science Fair competition and being "Prince" in the 6th grade play of Romeo and Juliet. He did tremendously well academically and really created some great friendships. We are so proud of his hard work and diligence. I don't know who is more nervous for him to start middle school, him or me!

We Couldn't be More Proud

Chandler was excited, and a teeny bit nervous, about receiving the Aaronic Priesthood. He met with Bishop Greer the evening of his 12th birthday and answered all the Bishop's questions with confidence. Scott ordained him and gave him a beautiful blessing on May 27th. We are so proud and excited for him to serve in this great opportunity. He has done a good job preparing for this time and has fantastic leaders and teachers who continue to love and support him as he grows in the Gospel.

Watson wants to be just like brother, in every way. I'm thankful Chandler is willing to set a good example and doesn't mind his little shadow--too much.

What?! Really?! He is 12?!

May 9, 2012 was a big deal around here. Chandler turned 12. He has had major growth spurts this last year and his age is catching up to him. He is a responsible, loving, sensitive, fun, funny, fantastic, (all of a sudden) young man. We love him with everything we have. Watson absolutely adores him and really won't give him a moment of peace. We are so proud of who he is becoming and want him to continue moving forward with condfidence and faith.

Our family birthday party was small and quiet--he requested it be this way.  He wanted to save the pomp and circumstance for his BIG present, a new phone (his iphone 4 is nicer than my "smart" phone.) Family gifts included money, itunes gift cards, candy, lots of A1 (he loves the stuff--even puts it on watermelon), and Grandma Nettie's famous salad dressing.

We celebrated his special day with some special things, 30th Anniversary Cheesecake Factory cheesecake, his new phone, and wings for dinner. What more could a 12 year old boy want? He was happy and grateful.

Happy Easter!

Here is our Easter best!
 

 

 

 

We missed Chandler this year, but we know he had a great time with his other family. I'm grateful for this time of year to think more on the miraculous sacrifice and life of our Savior. I'm thankful for the talks shared during sacrament meeting and the spirit there. I'm thankful for the time and traditions we have together as a family. I feel so blessed to know what I know, and have what I have. Life is truly beautiful.