Yellowstone 2009

Last month we headed up to Island Park for a little vacation with the Leatherwoods before Leslie and Mike and their family took off to live in Arkansas for four years. We dawdled our way up there and stopped at the Idaho Falls Temple for a little bit.


We have been to Yellowstone a few times in the last several years, once when London was a newborn and once when T.J. was a newborn. It was a lot nicer making the drive this time with no diapers, bottles, binkies, or crying. Our kids are good travelers. I make sure to load them up with coloring books, crayons, treats, iPods, Game Boys, DVDs, books, and they're all set. We hardly heard a peep from them. I read most of the way, which was so nice, and Dave drove, which was a nice change of pace since I usually drive and he sleeps. Thanks hon!

We have always wanted to stop at Bear World (just before Rexburg), but the price and the kids being too small to really enjoy it have stopped us. We impulsively decided to go for it this year, and we were not dissapointed. That place is amazing! The kids said it was their favorite part of the trip. They have 40 black bears and 3 grizzlies just wandering around the park, not to mention all kinds of other animals like moose, elk, wolves, etc. You drive through (with the windows rolled up), and the bears just walk right up to your car and all around it. They were particularly interested in the bins of food we had on the trailer on the back! The kids had a great time, and I have to say, even being the non-animal person that I generally am, I really enjoyed it. We drove through the park twice and then stopped by the little petting zoo. I highly recommend it. I think it's worth the money.

We made it Old Faithful just in time to see it go off. I almost missed it due to not being able to find parking. That place is a zoo on the 4th of July weekend! The kids thought it was pretty cool and wanted to know what made it work. Of course, Dave and I had no answers for that. Science is not really our thing.

The cousins found a cool log that worked as a teeter-totter at our picnic spot. They've got a whole boys vs. girls thing going on there.

The kids thought the mud pots were pretty stinky.

I'm not sure how she talked Brian into this, but he carried her for the whole hike.

Too cute!
By the falls - one of our favorite spots.

Artist Point. We had never been to this spot before, but it is beautiful!

London is always willing to pose for a picture. She watches for my hand to make a motion like I might be going for the camera and she starts working on her pose right then. It's like a shoot-out in an old western film - before the camera is out of the holster, she's posed and practicing her smile.

Jackson taking in the sites and making me nervous by hanging over the rock ledge. He loves to make me nervous.

The cousins found a cool slippery slide to play on and got nice and dirty before the hike back up the hill.

Our favorite spot in Yellowstone, overlooking the falls with the yellow stone in the background. Beautiful!
The whole gang at the falls with the yellow stone in the background.

The kids wanted to stop for this mama elk with her baby right across the river.

We had a fun night of skits and singing for our last night.

The kids built a cool fort in the back of the cabin with their cousins.