Father's Day Weekend

Me and the kids on our way up from the Lower Falls. You can see

the Upper Falls in the background.

Jake and Layne at the Lower Falls.

The whole family on the lookout of the Lower Falls.

The kids at Otter Creek

Watching Old Faithful in the rain!

Jake at Big Springs.

It's not often that we just get away without the worries of work or church or anything else, but this was one of those rare times when we really got to spend quality time as a family. Some may not call hours of time in a car quality, but in our case it's the only time everyone is actually sitting down and trying to hold still.

We had a great weekend at Great Grandpa's cabin in Island Park. I am amazed at how the kids remember things from year to year. They want to go back and do the same things each time we go. So, of course, we went to Big Springs to see the fish only there weren't any fish, only mosquitos. The kids got eaten alive. Jake loved the seagulls! We made tinfoil dinners over the fire and roasted marshmallows. We also popped popcorn and watched a movie together. (All things the kids had wanted to do.) On Saturday we decided to go through Yellowstone National Park. Neither Layne nor I had been since we were kids so we thought it would be a fun adventure. We saw lots of buffalo, some elk, and a few bald eagles. But the highlight of the day was the grizzly bear. He was amazing. He walked right across the road inbetween the cars that were all crammed there watching him, and then jumped in the lake for a swim. It was really amazing. We also took the kids to see the Upper and Lower falls near Canyon. We hiked down 600 feet in a series of switchbacks to stand on a platform at the top of the Lower Falls which dropped 350 feet. It was breathtaking. It made me a little dizzy just looking over the edge. The hike back up was interesting, though. Abby and Karlee were troopers, pushing on with every step. Kayci rode on Layne's shoulders and since we had forgotten the backpack, Layne also carried Jake. I don't know how he does it. We drove on a little further to Otter Creek and had a picnic. The weather had held out nicely to this point in the day. But as we neared the Mud Volcano and Dragon's Mouth Spring, it started to rain. The kids thought the boiling mud and the Dragon's mouth were awesome, however, they didn't like the smell! Last we headed to Old Faithful where Kayci couldn't wait to see the "Gooey Geiser" (a common Dora destination for those of you who don't know). It was at Old Faithful that it really started to pour. We were lucky enough to have an umbrella, but there were some people who were absolutely soaked. We watched Old Faithful erupt in the rain. The kids loved every minute of it. It was a long day, but one we'll never forget.

The next day was Father's Day and the kids were excited to spend an entire Sunday with their dad uninterrupted. We sure love him and are so grateful for all he does for us. We are truly blessed to have him in our lives! Thanks for a great weekend Dad!