One More Thing -- A Trip to Yellowstone

You've probably noticed that we've had a bit of a crazy few months around here.  Between our travels, my Dad's death, my kids going a million different directions, and Adam starting his mission...it's felt pretty nonstop.   In the weeks leading up to Adam starting his mission, we kept talking about how we realllllllly wanted to do "one more thing" with him before he left.  We went back and forth on what that one thing should be, but ultimately decided that a trip to Island Park, Idaho would be just the fun and nostalgic thing we were looking for. 

 Glen's grandparents owned a cabin in Island Park for many years and we would bring our family there every few years for Yellowstone adventures while they were growing up.   Sadly they sold the cabin a few years ago, so we didn't have an easy place to stay this time.  At first we shopped around for another cabin to stay in, but after lamenting over the high prices and less than ideal locations,  I had the bright idea that we should make it a camping trip.       

Camping, you ask?  Yes.  Never mind we haven't been camping in several years and a lot of our gear was still in boxes in the garage.   We like spending several hours tracking down items we haven't used in years, setting up our tent in the dark, cooking over a fire, getting bitten my mosquitos, and sleeping on hard surfaces.   Yeah, we're crazy like that. 

Seriously though...despite the rough/slow start and the weird amounts of wind and rain we encountered, it ended up being exactly the kind of fun memory making experience we were trying to create.   

  

We spent lots of  time in Yellowstone and went on as many hikes as we could...

Glen was excited to put his canoe to good use and to get in some world-class fishing!  

We saw "Singin' in the Rain," and "Tarzan" at the Playmill (a long-standing family tradition)! 

We cooked breakfast and lunch over the fire most days.  We took this picture after  Emma and I started a fire in the wind and drizzle, while Glen and Adam were out fishing. 

 It was one of our first times starting a fire completely by ourselves  and we were quite proud to start it in less than ideal conditions!  

We ate dinners and treats out on the town--in West Yellowstone before the shows.  

We weirdly didn't see much in the way of wildlife in Yellowstone, but we did enjoy the opportunity to snuggle together in the car during our drives, because it was cold and windy for part of the time!    What wildlife did we see?  A handful of buffalo, maybe 2-3 elk, and a bunch of chipmunks.   

We had forgotten the stark beauty of Island Park and Yellowstone and we enjoyed soaking in the gorgeous scenery there.    

I couldn't get enough of the wildflowers and took way too many pictures of them...

Actually...what am I saying?  

Is it possible to have too many pictures like these?   

I don't think so...  😍

This really may be one of the prettiest places on earth..

Of course we  made sure Adam got lots of love....

We finished off the adventure (after having to get our car jumped before we could leave the campground) with a stop at the Rexburg Temple to do baptisms together.  It was an awesome experience.  

After three nights of living the tent life, we were pretty exhausted by the end.

 But it was a good kind of exhausted.  The kind where you sack out in your smoke and unshowered body scented clothes while you bask in not having a rock underneath your left hip.  Yes, it was a great laid back trip filled with a lot of memory making experiences, but it was also pretty heavenly taking that first shower and sacking out in our own beds. 

Maybe we'll even go camping again...someday.  😄