Our Summer Vacation

Our vacation worked out pretty good this year where we got to take two vacations in one. First we we went to (read Hannie's jacket):

Bob's uncle has a trailer in Island Park that his mom reserves for the family every year. Last year we didn't go because I was way to pregnant. This year there were 11 adults and three young kids all in the trailer (all were Bob's immediate family). I was surprised, but I didn't feel as cramped as Bob did. Except in the morning when Hannalee was awake and ready for the day to begin, but everyone else was still sleeping. (Which I don't blame them since my little early bird wakes up at 5:30 or 6:00.)

The trailer is behind Hannalee in this picture.

Hannie and her cousins. (She is much more interested in the truck.)

Check out the carpet in the trailer! It is like giant quilt. It's totally retro! We love it!

The drive there was OK. We left at 5 am on Monday and Hannalee slept all the way to Rexburg. But this stop made a great detour. I was able to see the new Rexburg temple and show Bob my old apartment. It has changed and grown a lot around there. Our apartment was on the south edge of campus and the last apartments to the south. All there used to be were potato fields. Now there is the temple, a couple of churches and lots of new apartment buildings there.

The rest of the drive to Island Park was pretty miserable with a crying, unentertainable baby.

The rest of the day we chilled because the rest of the family drove into Yellowstone and didn't get back till 10:00. I'm glad we didn't go, Hannalee would have been a wreck!

Tuesday we drove into Yellowstone with Bob's sisters, brothers, and mom. We visited Mammoth Falls, which has amazing build-up formations from all the years of hot spot run offs.

We even saw a bear!!!!!!!!!

On Wednesday, all of Bob's family went home except for Ruth and Jeff, but they went into Yellowstone again so we had the trailer to ourselves which Hannalee enjoy. (She took much better naps.) We also visited Masa Falls and did some hiking. We got this back pack carrier off of the KSL Classifieds right before we left. It was great.

Hannalee liked it so much she even fell asleep in it.

We also visited Big Springs, one of the biggest natural spring in America. It starts at the base of a mountain and quickly forms into a very large river.

On Thursday we headed out early and Hannalee slept all the way to Jackson Hole where we met up with my side of the family for part 2 of our vacation. My mom's brother brought up his river raft. But we got there too late I guess and weren't able to go the first day. Instead we headed into Jackson to "enjoy" the environment. (Quotation marks present. Hint, hint. Too many people.)

On Friday we rafted the snake river. I love rafting. My ambition in my younger years was to be a river raft guide in the summer, and a ski bum in the winter. (But I guess we all have to grow up.) Hannalee stayed with grandma while we ran the river in the morning. The water was very high this year still so the rapids were very calm, even Big Kahoona (I have no idea how to spell that) was tame. :( I got to sit on the very front and use the rodeo rope. Poor Bob was so nervous the whole time I was up there, and kept reminding me that I had a baby to think about. He also grabbed the back of my life jacket in case he had to pull me. :0)

The second run I got to go with my mom and Bob stayed with Hannalee and got a video of us going through Lunch Counter which was the biggest rapid at the current water level. It was great fun to go with my mom and even convinced her to sit up front with me through the big rapids. She even stood up to try out the rodeo rope. Go mom!

We also headed home that night. But didn't get there till 2:00 am. Hannalee was very excited to sleep in her own bed and slept all night. Home sweet home.