Day 3: Tuesday, July 1: We got up and Jackson and I went for a ride in Grandpa's airplane. We flew over Palisades and the Hoback Junction just below Jackson Hole, and over the mountains just south of the Tetons. It was very fun and pretty. Then we packed up and stopped by Grandpa and Grandma Nye's house to visit them for a bit. Then we headed to Island Park and spent the night at the cabin.

In front of my dad's plane after our ride. He made us wash the plane before we took off. It's not every day you get to wash an airplane.
My dad's collection of cars inside his airplane hangar. Jackson was like a kid in a candy shop.
The first thing London did and the Nye's was sit down in the water and get soaking wet. How fun!
Grandpa Nye had arranged to sell his hay to someone behind his house in a field. Jackson was outside when they came to pick it up. We were all in the house and Jackson ran over to the men getting they hay and started shouting at them to "not take my Grandpa's hay!" We had to run out there and tell him it was ok. It was so funny!
We finally got to Island Park around 8:00 pm. I love this picture. Island Park is so beautiful and the sunsets from the cabin are stunning. The pictures don't even capture it. I also thought the kids looked cute too. And the flowers were in bloom and just gorgeous!

Day4: Wednesday, July 2nd: We woke up to a gorgeous morning at the cabin in I.P. We took lots of pictures of the flowers. Then we went to Big Springs to feed the fish. Big Springs is a natural spring that bubbles up from the ground and starts a whole river-the Buffalo River I think. The water is crystal clear.

The flowers are seriously unreal!
Look at that hair. Behind London is where the spring starts. The water is so clear and clean you could drink it for real.
Feeding the fish off the bridge. We saw fish, ducks, seagulls, and a muskrat from this bridge.
This picture doesn't capture how pretty these purple flowers are, but I had to post it anyway.
Jackson on the bridge at Big Springs with a mosquito bite on his forehead which was swelling up by the minute.

More of Day 4 Wednesday: I just had to post these few more of Day 4. We drove into Yellowstone Park and made our way to our campsite at Bridge Bay by Yellowstone Lake. We set up camp and went down to the lake. It was so pretty. Mommy and Londie in front of some hot pots
We had been at the campsite for about 2 minutes and I looked at London and this is what I saw. Let the dirt party begin!
Wes says this is his favorite picture of the whole trip. I guess I am very skilled in taking pictures. This is Yellowstone Lake. It is the largest freshwater lake in the world above 7,000 feet and it is freeeeeeeeeeeezing! It is so cold, you are not allowed to swim in it at all.

Day 5: Thursday, July 3rd: London woke up at 6:30 am ready to go for the day. We headed north to Mammoth Hot Springs with Uncle Dave's family, and Aunt Paula's family. We had a great day!

Our campsite at Bridge Bay, Loop H-if you ever go is the best loop to be on.
Tatonka! Sadie, Sarah, Abby, Jackson, and Nathan-cousins
Us with Dave's family, and Paula's family on Craig's pass near Tower Falls. This isn't even all of us who came on the trip. We are missing 9 people in this picture.
Drum roll please............we saw a Grizzly! Yea! That is the first time I have ever seen one in the park and we actually saw 9 bear altogether. The rest were black bear. This totally made our whole trip. I have never seen that many in a single trip before. It was very cool. We acted like very excited tourists.
Eating dinner at the campground. Wes, Bailey, London, Jackson, and Max.

Day 6: Friday, July 4th: Independence Day! We relaxed at the campground and went on a fun bike ride with everyone. The kids played in the lake; we relaxed some more at the campground and went to a fun 4th of July parade at the Lake Hotel.

Jackson woke up and his eye was swollen shut from a mosquito bite on his forehead. He thought it was so cool! This actually happened to me when I was little too. I guess he inherited his reaction to mosquitos from his mommy. We went through about 2 bottle of repellent in 4 days.
We went on a fun bike ride on a scenic drive (Gull Point) which was closed because the lake was so high that water covered half the road. It made it really fun on the bikes.
The cousins played on the beach and in the water. I don't know how they stand that cold water. Brrrr! Sarah, Jackson, Hannah, Abby, Max, and Bailey.
Abby and Jackson know what camping is all about!
Jackson and Max trying to dry off

What could be greater than riding your bike through an enormous puddle? I had to post this video to capture the moment of how fun this was for the kids. They all got soaking wet of course.

More of Day6: 4th of July!

Playing with rocks in the gift shop
Jackson the forest ranger
London giving Grandpa Nye a kiss. She gives him lots of kisses
The 4th of July parade in front of the Lake Hotel
Family Picture: Yellowstone Lake

Day 7: Saturday, July 5: Today Jeffrey, Kathleen, Grandpa, Jim, Max, Wes, and Jackson rented a fishing boat and went out on the lake for a few hours to fish. Then we went to Canyon and hiked down Uncle Tom's Trail to see the Lower Yellowtone Falls, which was gorgeous of course. We spent most of the day with Jim and Lindsey.

Max and Jackson in the fishing boat. The wind was blowing and they all got really wet on the way back, except for Max and Jackson who hid under Grandma's coat and ate potato chips.
Yellowstone Falls
Mommy and London
Jackson eating a huge strawberry icecream cone
Oh man, look at those filthy feet!

Day 8: Sunday, July 7: We got up and checked out around 10:30 and everyone went their separate ways. We had a great time with all the Nye's. Then we did a little sightseeing on our way out of Yellowstone and headed for the cabin. We met my dad there and we drove up to the top of Sawtelle, which is the mountain with the ball on top. You can look over the whole valley and it was breathtaking.

Saying goodbye to Paul and Claudia
Gotta have a picture of Old Faithful (Old Thankful as Jackson calls it)
Daddy and Jackson by an old Yellowtone tour bus
Londie and Daddy on top of Sawtelle
Londie with Henry's Lake in the background

More of Day 8: Up on Sawtell and in Island Park

On top of Sawtelle. I never knew how much my dad and I looked alike until this picture. It helps that I am not wearing any makeup and I am squinting hard cause the sun was so bright.
Shortly after we got off the mountain, a lightning storm passed over. It was beautiful and Wes (being the great photographer that he is) caught this snapshot of lightning. He was pretty happy about capturing it.
Jackson holding up the ball on top of Sawtelle
Daddy
Grandpa

Day 9: Monday, July 7: This is the last day of our vacation. We had a big breakfast with my dad, then we left the cabin and drove home to Springville.

There were just endless fields of beautiful flowers. We had to stop and take a few pictures. We have so many pictures of pretty flowers that I won't even begin to post. They would need their own blog.

All tuckered out from the trip. They pretty much slept the entire way home.

Summer Activities

I have been meaning to post these for a while. Not only are we finishing our basement, which should be complete sometime mid-July, we have been busy planting an apple tree, and a peach tree in our backyard, planting a garden (which I don't have a picture of, but will post one later), and doing some domestic canning.

(above) our apple tree
Jackson is the best helper in the whole world, just ask Wes.

(below) our peach tree

Yes, you heard right. I canned some chicken all by myself (ok, with the help of my awesome friend Lindsey). I now have 24 jars of boneless skinless chicken breast to add to our food storage. It was pretty fun, but unless you buy the chicken at a way good deal and already have your jars, it actually costs about the same or a little more to do this than to buy canned chicken at the store. But it was fun anyway.
Oh, yes, did I mention we have a new addition to the family? A little girl just about Jackson's age. They look very much alike too!

Hot Air Balloons!

It was Art City Days in Springville a couple of weeks ago, so we woke up real early (6:30 am) to go watch the hot air balloons take off. We went with our friends, The Mathews, and my friend Lindsey got this shot of our boys. Isn't it great! Look real close at their faces. They were so excited about the balloons. Right when a balloon would take off, the people inside the balloon baskets would throw candy, so there was a huge mob as the balloon was taking off. Both boys got trampled, which of course scared the little guys to tears....and they also ended up without any candy which then brought on more tears. They did end up snagging some fruit snacks in the end so all was well with the event.