Why don't we go to Yellowstone?

We realized Friday that we hadn't been to Yellowstone in three years (two weeks before Rebekah was born). So we decide to make a day trip of it on Saturday.

We had a little delay as Chad took the kids (all 5) down to the corner of the property to turn off the irrigation water and backed the end of the truck into the canal. We finally got it out with the tractor we've been borrowing since June and headed out of town at 10:30 AM.

We stopped in Jackson, WY for lunch and gas and potty and continued on to the park. We arrived at the Old Faithful geyser 10 minutes before the estimated eruption time and 30 minutes before the actual eruption. By the time it did erupt, I was back at the lodge with the 3 youngest in the shade and Chad was with the boys up in the crowd. About the time we decided to give up on the old girl, she showed her stuff and we took the kids on a walk around the area to see some things. While kneeling over the edge of the walkway to feel the run off from the geyser, Leah got a huge splinter in her knee. You may have heard her screaming. It would have been about 5:15 MST.

We stopped a few other places and got some pictures. I was so worked up about the kids getting in other peoples' way or falling off into the hot pools, that I finally decided it was better to walk in front of them and not watch. Then there was the time I was far enough back that the wind and steam took care of the problem for me.

There was a storm threatening and we got to see some BEAUTIFUL clouds. I LOVE storms and rainy season was my favorite season on my mission. I don't exactly love to be rained on, though. I would probably feel differently if I lived in an area that suffered from violent storms. Eastern Idaho doesn't get enough action for the novelty to wear off. :)

We saw quite a lot of elk, a chipmunk, a squirrel and a coyote. (Maybe it was a wolf, but I think it was a coyote.) No bison or moose on this trip.

We got home about 10:45 that night and fell into bed.

Leah recently earned a fingernail paint job. But she still had some fingernail polish on her fingers and I didn't want to work that hard, so we painted her toes. She loved it and the boys were quite intrigued. Then they slipped into brother mode and started teasing and poking her - thereby making it harder for me to paint. (Sorry for the sideways picture. This is not an award-winning blog. You get what you pay for!)

School starts in 8 days. But who's counting?

I have to give up my computer for a day or so. I hope to be back soon!