We all baby-stepped to the end of the school year. We couldn't wait to start summer! And since I was finally feeling a bit more human, we decided it was time for Joey to make his first trip to the cabin. After all, we took Claire when she was just 7 weeks old and we were brand new parents then! As the veterans we are now, we figured it would be easy peasy. :) So we loaded the kids in the car and took off for a five-day vacay!
Because we were starting the summer off with this trip, we got the privilege of taking Great Grandma Lovell up for her summer stay at the cabin. Danny has wanted to head up to Ririe to see his Grandpa Lovell's headstone, and we thought Great Grandma would appreciate that. Oh, did she ever! It was so cool to hear her and Danny tell stories of Great Grandpa and other family members buried in that cemetery. And of course we had to get that generational picture...especially so our Joseph Perry could be pictured with him namesake. :)
Finally we reached the cabin, and Danny was sure to show Joey how to properly conduct oneself when they are at the cabin. :) Joey traveled so well in the car, but he was definitely ready to stretch out on the floor with his Dad. The older kids were ready to stretch their legs as well, so it wasn't long before we went for a walk to enjoy the beautiful surroundings. Our family just loves Island Park. It's our place! And it rejuvenates us all to be there.
The next day was Sunday, so we enjoyed a quite day at the cabin after going to church. We played games and enjoyed our time together. Things have been so crazy since Joey was born, we really needed this quite time as a family. Time that was free from the distractions of the ward, neighborhood, family, and friends. Danny was obviously feeling the hypnotic effects of the cabin, since he actually played Monopoly with the kids!
The next day we ventured into the park! We weren't interested in doing the typical tourist sites again that day, so we drove a different way...heading towards Mammoth. We didn't think we'd driven the kids that way before. We put on our audio book (Alcatraz, of course!) and enjoyed the beauty of Island Park. We stopped along the way for some amazing falls and obviously for a good (safe!) look at the wildlife. We stopped for lunch at a place that had some tables and a place to park. I nursed Joey in the air-conditioned car while Danny set up our picnic, and then we ate and let the kids stretch their legs for a while. Perfection. Even Joey got in the spirit and gave us some pretty cute smiles! We have the best newborns ever!!
In all our trips back to Yellowstone since our honeymoon, we've never made it back to the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone. It's one of the few places Danny and I got a picture during our honeymoon, so the scenery is nostalgic for me. I wanted to get a complete family picture there...I like to think Luke was there in spirit. :) Joey got the chance to try out the Jeep carrier...I think he couldn't have cared less. :)
As we were leaving the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone, we noticed traffic was seriously backed up. We knew there had to be something good. Well, there was! It was a bear!! I've never seen one in Yellowstone before, and Danny hasn't seen one since he was a kid! We parked, and Danny took the older three kids and ran down the road to get some pictures and a closer (yet still safe!) look. He ended up leaving them there for a minute and coming to switch places with me (I had stayed behind with Joey) so I could see. It was the coolest thing ever! This must have been an adolescent bear...he wasn't too big but he wasn't a cub, either. And he was so playful! The kids and I got to watch him toboggan down a snowdrift on his tummy! Coolest. Day. Ever! Then as we were continuing to drive, we saw a few more bears on the hillside! I don't know that we've ever been in the park in early June before...but that must be when the bears are out!
When we got to Mammoth, we determined that was a good place to hit the bathrooms and stretch our legs, and a good place for me to nurse Joey. Who, by the way, was a champ in the car all day! We got out and walked around the hot pots for a bit, enjoying the smell of sulfur. ;) Sulfer notwithstanding, it was a perfect summer day in the park.
Some might think it was crazy to take a newborn on a trip like this. But actually, it worked out better. Joey slowed us all down, so not only did we have fun but we actually rested and relaxed as well! We all enjoyed time just snuggling our favorite little guy. Especially Great Grandma. :)
The next day, Tuesday, we decided against going into the park again. Instead we hung around the cabin and played games. Like hide and seek in the crawl space? :) About lunch time, we got in the car and headed to Rexburg to see Mark and Megan. Having been a newly-wed once upon a time, I knew how much it would mean to Megan to show off her first married apartment. And since we didn't get to go to the wedding, Danny and I wanted to see them and give them both a hug from us. AND...Megan was dying to get her hands on Joey. :) Megan fed us a delicious lunch and we visited for an hour or so. I'm so proud of that girl!! Her apartment is adorable, and made Danny and I remember our first year together and how quaint it all was. And then we remembered how I was pregnant and puking and Danny was gone all the time...but some of it was quaint! :)
Since we were all the way in Rexburg, we decided to take our kids to my other most favorite place...Mesa Falls. I LOVE Mesa Falls. Again, it was one of the only places Danny and I got a picture during our honeymoon. So every time we're there it reminds me of that magical week with my sweetheart. I remember thinking how breathtakingly beautiful it was the first time Danny took me there, and it never disappoints.
When we got back to the cabin, the kids wanted s'mores. So Danny gave them a lecture on the proper use of lighter fluid...and then totally disregarded everything he said and made the biggest fire possible. :) You can take the boy out of Boy Scouts, but you can't take the Boy Scout out of the boy, eh? :) The kids thought it was awesome!! Then after another lesson in proper marshmallow-roasting, we all enjoyed our treat. And we did so inside of twenty minutes...the mosquitos were horrible!!
The next day was our last full day. And we decided to make our way back into the park. But first thing's first...we had to stop in West Yellowstone for some of my most favorite treat. Huckleberry ice cream cones!! It didn't matter that it wasn't even lunch time yet. It's always time for huckleberry ice cream! :)
Joey had done amazing on this trip, but we also knew he probably wasn't up to another seven hour day in the car. So we decided to hit the highlights and see the more touristy areas again. We had to go to our favorite place...the Grand Prismatic Spring. The colors are simply other-worldly! I never tire of seeing them, and they are always worth the crowd. We stopped for lunch at another picnic area, and it was beautiful and serene. I think Joey liked our lunch stops the best. :) We stopped at a new place on our drive this time...and place called "Dragon's Mouth Spring" that was really cool! I love how often we can go to Yellowstone, and there's always something new to see.
Our final destination was set for Old Faithful. It's been a while since we've seen the great geyser, and the kids were really wanting to guy a souvenir. And Old Faithful is chockfull of gift shops! When we got there, the place was absolutely packed. Like, there was absolutely NO parking. So Danny told the kids he'd pay them each $10 towards a souvenir elsewhere in the park if they'd be okay with skipping Old Faithful. Nothing persuades quite like cold, hard cash! The kids took us up on our offer and we found some other gift shops for them to spend their money on. They got really cute souvenirs, and Claire got a picture with a "Claire Bear", so she was a very happy girl. And we of course got our stickers for the car-top carrier! It was a great way to end our time in Yellowstone for this year.
The cabin, Island Park, Yellowstone...they are such magical places for our family. We love everything about being there! But we have yet to figure out how to keep it from ending. Just like every time, we eventually had to pack up and head home. After all, Danny and Johnny had Father's and Son's to get home to the very next day! We bid farewell to Great Grandma for the rest of the summer, packed up the car, and got ready to hit the road. But not before we put our new stickers on, officially signifying the end of our wonderful trip.
And what a wonderful trip it was...the perfect way to start our summer fun!
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