Highlights from today - (click here for today's pictures)
Highlights from today: (click here for today's pictures)
Highlights from today: (click here for today's pictures)
Highlights from today - (click here for today's pictures)
Highlights from today - (click here for today's pictures)
Highlights from today: (click here for today's pictures)
Highlights from today: (click here for today's pictures)
Highlights from today - (click here for today's pictures)
Highlights from today: (click here for today's pictures)
Highlights from today - (click here for today's pictures)
Tara went to Lil' Mandy's wedding this afternoon at Garvin Woodland Gardens in Hot Springs (click here for pictures). Mandy and Tara were suitemates in college. The temperature was perfect for a wedding and the gardens were in full bloom. Mandy looked gorgeous and it was great to catch up with old friends.
Highlights from today: (click here for today's pictures)
Highlights from today - (click here for today's pictures)
Highlights from today - (click here for today's pictures)
Highlights from today: (click here for today's pictures)
Highlights from today: (click here for today's pictures)
Highlights from today - (click here for today's pictures)
Highlights from today: (click here for today's pictures)
Highlights from today - (click here for today's pictures)
Highlights from today: (click here for today's pictures)
Highlights from today - (click here for today's pictures)
Our last Upward soccer game was last Saturday and tonight we had the award ceremony (click here for more picture) with all the kids and families. The guest speaker was also a juggler and unicyclist. Because Robby didn't look away quick enough and he had to get up a stage as a prop. After the speaker and video, snacks and drinks were served in Sander's Hall (the recently announced new name for the church's fellowship hall in honor of Bro. Paul).
Highlights from today: (click here for today's pictures)
Highlights from today - (click here for today's pictures)
Highlights from today: (click here for today's pictures)
Highlights from today - (click here for today's pictures)
Highlights from today: (click here for today's pictures)
Highlights from today - (click here for today's pictures)
Highlights from today: (click here for today's pictures)
Highlights from today - (click here for today's pictures)
Highlights from today: (click here for today's pictures)
Highlights from today - (click here for today's pictures)
Highlights from today: (click here for today's pictures)
Highlights from today - (click here for today's pictures)
Highlights from today - (click here for today's pictures)
Highlights from today: (click here for today's pictures)
Highlights from today: (click here for today's pictures)
Highlights from today - (click here for today's pictures)
Day 7: (click here to see Day 7 pictures) Our final day on vacation was spent quickly packing up to head to the airport at 6:30. We dropped of the rental car and passed through security easily. Our flight to Salt Lake City was around 30 minutes and after a short layover (just enough time to go to the bathroom and change everyones diapers) we were on the plane to Little Rock. We were in the back of the plane but Reagan did get her own seat so we had a little room to move around. We were home on time and the day went smoothly. We even decided to head to Wild River Country for the church's family fun day. Reagan loved the water and but didn't enjoy all of the kids. Anderson even enjoyed dipping his feet in the water thanks to his bumbo!
! We did see some later in the day though. Then we headed back into Grand Teton National Park for one last drive. We drove to Signal Mountain and around Moose Meadow while looking for the one last animal that we haven't seen: a moose. Unfortunatly we never found the moose but on our trip we have seen bison, deer, elk, swans, eagles and bears. After our drive through the park, we headed to Jimmy's to split some hamburgers. Then we walked through the town; they were celebrating Elkfest and auctioning off thousands of elk and moose antlers. We left Wyoming and headed into Idaho towards Idaho Falls. Surprisingly, Idaho is beautiful and Reagan, Anderson and Virginia took a walk along the river as Robby and Tara caught up on some laundry. After take out supper from Chilis, we all took another swim and began packing up to catch our early flight out tomorrow.
we started off with a cinnamon roll breakfast in our room. We loaded up the car and headed for Grand Teton National Park via the John D. Rockefeller Memorial Parkway. The drive was beautiful along Jackson lake with the mountain range in the background. Our first stop was at the Chapel of the Sacred Heart and then another back picture spot at Jenny Lake. We continued our drive around Jenny Lake and stopped for a picnic lunch and Reagan got a chance to wade in the cold water. We toured the visitor center at Moose and the Chapel of the Transfiguration (a small Episcopal church with mountains in the background). We left the park and headed for our hotel in Teton Village, the Snake River Lodge. After checking in, we ventured to Jackson for a walk around town square. In Jackson we stopped at the Bunnery to grab breakfast for tomorrow and a snack for tonight. We ate barbaque at Bubba's which must be a local favorite. And as we left Jackson, Tara stopped for some hot chocolate at Cioccolato-another restaurant seen on the food network. We all hit the pool for a swim in the heated indoor/outdoor pool and then watched the days pictures while eating our carrot cake before heading to bed.
e Visitor’s Center to get a few more stamps for our passport books. We drove towards West Thumb (even over the continental divide 2 times) and stopped for a quick snowball fight. We took a ½ mile loop around West Thumb geyser basin along Yellowstone Lake. Deer were on our path but we still made it to see fishing cone-a geyser that fishermen used to cook their fish in right after they had caught them. We continued the drive toward the lake region with a quick view of Lake Yellowstone Hotel. Our next stop was a bear sighting at Hayden Valley-this bear was very far away. Then, we visited Artist Point on the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone for a view of the lower falls. We had a quick picnic lunch before an ice cream stop. Then we made a drive along the North Rim of the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. Afterwards, we made our way back to the hotel with stops at Firehole Canyon Drive and the Fountain Paint Pots. We had supper at Snowlodge and then watched the people in our hotel before one last view of Old Faithful.
Falls, just one of many wateralls that we had seen. Since some of the loop was still closed due to weather we backtracked on our way to Old Faithful. Up until then we had seen lots of bison and whitetailed deer and a bald eagld, but we had not seen the elusive grizzly bear. Virginia spotted the bear first. It was quite a distance away-we didn’t even get a picture-but we did get a picture of the traffic jam that our bear sighting caused. We made it to Old Faithful just in time to see an eruption before checking into our hotel. We are staying at Old Faithful Inn which is beautiful and a must-stay (despite the no bathrooms in the rooms or no tvs). The lobby is filled with rocking chairs and piano music. We ate supper from the deli on the observation deck and then took a walk before grabbing our places for another Old Faithful eruption. Afterwards, we celebrated the day with some ice cream and called it a night.
Day 2: (click here to see Day 2 pictures) After breakfast at the hotel, we made a quick stop at Wal-Mart and then made the drive to Craters of the Moon National Monument. We made the 7-mile loop around the moon-like landscape with a stop for a quick walk around. We made the drive back to Idaho Falls for a picnic lunch near the falls and then stopped down the road for ice cream at Reed's Dairy. We headed up Highway 20 to West Yellowstone, Montana where we checked into the Comfort Inn. Next, we went to the IMAX to watch "Yellowstone" and then supper at Wild West Pizzeria. Then it was back to the hotel for a swim and then Reagan, Grannymom and Grandpa went on a short walk.
& Anderson and then Grannymom & Grandpa before picking up Robby from work for a quick trip to the airport. No security lines at the airport so we made it to our gate in no time and found some lunch at Burger King. Our first Delta flight took us from Little Rock to Salt Lake City in about 2 1/2 hours. After we walked from Terminal B to E, it was time to board our flight to Idaho Falls, Idaho. It was only a 30-minute flight. We arrived around 5:45 pm and picked up our rental minivan (Nissan Quest) and then drove to our hotel, Best Western Cottontree Inn. We ate supper at Smitty's Pancake House and then came back to the hotel for a quick swim and then to bed.
Highlights from today: (click here for today's pictures)
Highlights from today - (click here for today's pictures)
Highlights from today: (click here for today's pictures)
Highlights from today - (click here for today's pictures)
Tonight we celebrated Stephanie's graduation from UAMS-she will receive her Masters and will now be a Nurse Practitioner! (no, she can't prescribe us any meds!) There were a few guests at her party-35 of Stephanie's closest friends and 26 of their children (click here for all the party pics). Needless to say the party spilled out into the back yard. The kids were entertained with beach balls, bubbles and chalk. And the adults stayed occupied with Barbeque sandwiches, potato salad, slaw, baked beans, chips and dip, fruit shishkabobs, graduation hat cookies and oreo delight. The kids munched on corn dogs, chips and dip, cupcakes and popsicles. It was a great party and thankfully the weather cooperated with us!
