Yellowstone Day 1 and Day 2

We started driving on July 6th and stopped near Coeur d'Alene for the night.  The next day, we drove to West Yellowstone and camped there for the night.  The next morning, the 8th, we met up with my family who stayed in Idaho Falls the previous night.  We met at this cute restaurant called The Running Bear and had breakfast together before driving into Yellowstone together.  

 Hayden next to the restaurant that is on 'Hayden St.'

 Eating breakfast.  Us and my sister Charee and her kids--John, Emily and Rachel

 My brother Tad, his wife Solviej and two of their 3 kids--Iris and Mailei

 Tiffany, mom and dad and Hayden

My brother Tad took this picture of us (that's our trailer) as we were entering the park.

We got there and checked in and found our spots.  Luckily, we were able to get 3 spots close together.  We camped in Grant Village, which is where we usually stay.  We camped there when we were growing up, too...so it's like tradition.  

 Putting up tents

 My brother Tad working solo

 Me and Tad...I love this picture!

 Micah and Grant.  I think they really liked our trailer and kept hanging around hoping to go in more!

 Trying to organize all the food that my parents brought. 

 My nephew Hayden helping to move stuff around inside of the U haul.

 We brought ice cream in our freezer--so we stopped to have an ice cream break.

 Mailei and Paige had fun together

The kids hanging out.

We decided to hike down to Yellowstone Lake.  This is Grant and Micah--best buddies.

Kids on their way down to the lake--Lydia, Maggie, Paige, Emily, Rachel, Hayden, Micah, Grant and John

 My sister Tiffany is the photographer in the family, so anytime I post a beautiful scenic picture, it's hers.  

 Charee, Mindy, Tiffany and Solviej.  We were missing my other sister Megs and her family!

 Throwing rocks in the lake

 When we left the lake, most of us took off and went straight back to camp.  My sister Tiffany stopped to get a picture taken of her and her boys and my other sister Charee was kneeling down taking the picture.  All of a sudden, my nephew points behind Charee and calmly says, "bear".  Walking along the path right behind Charee was a grizzly bear.  Luckily everyone stayed calm and the bear just kept walking.  I think after it passed they started walking away from it--they were all scared!  But then, they realized that they should've taken a picture and carefully followed it.  The above picture is the bear walking away down the path.  After they came and told all of us about it, Tiffany and Tad went to find it again to take more pictures.  They took the one below when they found it again.  Pretty crazy.

 Boy cooking hamburgers for dinner

My sister-in-law Solviej is a knitter.  My brother asked her to knit this hat with beard attached and we all thought it was awesome.  Isn't she talented!! He got so many comments on it--especially when he was out looking for the bear.  

July 9th

 Some of the crazy members of my family decided to get up at the crack of dawn and drive around and see animals.  My daughter was one of them.  Me, I was warm and cozy in my bed until they came back.  :)

 Lydia, Tad and Grant

 They saw quite a bit I think--buffalo, elk, deer, coyotes...I'm not sure.  They had fun though.

 I love how the kids wore their jammies and just put on coats over them.  

 Cute Lydia--she's always loved nature and animals.  

 Later that day, we were headed to see Old Faithful.  We stopped at Shoshone Lake to take in the view and take some pictures.  

 My little family

 Everyone (minus Tiff)

 beautiful flowers, courtesty of Tiffany

Tad and my parents.  Funny, dad!

 Walking up the path to see the Lodge and Old faithful

mom and dad

 Garrett and Noah waiting...

 waiting...

 waiting...

 poor dad was so tired from getting up to go search for animals.  

 Cousins...Micah, Grant, John, Emily, Iris, Rachel, Mailei

 Finally she erupted.  Beautiful Old Faithful

After seeing Old Faithful, we went and got some ice cream. 

Then we went to walk around the hot pots.

 So Pretty!

We didn't walk as far as everyone else, so we came back and got a picture with grandma and Grandpa.

Then we went back to camp.

 Look at this girl.  She is so silly...and so dirty.  She and Noah had a GREAT time playing in the dirt.  

 Paige and her new toys she bought as a souvenir.

 Noah and Mailei playing trucks

 What a cute, filthy little boy!

 All the kids watching Uncle Garrett start a fire without matches.  Micah and Grant were especially impressed.  

 Noah and his trucks

 Such a cute picture of Mailei

 Dad cooking

 Beautiful sky

I'm not sure when she took this picture, but I think it is really cool.  

We ended each day sitting around the campfire and chatting after getting the little kids in bed.  All of my siblings remember as kids having to go to bed and hearing the adults talking and laughing and we were always mad that we had to miss out.  I'm sure all of our kids will say the same thing when they are older.