Yellowstone: Part 2 - Dragons and Buffalo

After lunch on Thursday we got back in the car and headed to our next destination.

We stopped by a place that had something to do with Dragons, (not so good at remember the names!) and it was pretty cool, and poor Triffen thought that there was a real dragon in the cave! It sounded like a dragon because the waves and/or the pressure echoed in the cave, sounding like a dragon and to top it off there was steam coming from the cave too!

Here is the "Dragon Cave"

So after we walked around, we got back in the car and kept moving! Still no sight of any wildlife (besides the deer than ran across the road in Cody!) And so we trucked on looking and hoping to see Buffalo! And as I so quickly learned when there is a line of cars going 15 mph it isn’t because road construction or anything like that it is because there is some sort of wildlife (possibly right next to the road, or even waaaayyy off the road that it is so tiny you’re not even sure it is anything!)  The first Buffalo we saw on the trip was HUGE so huge that I thought it was a statue at first!! Haha, and some people couldn’t get out of their car fast enough to take a picture! I was fine and dandy to stay in my van!

This is the first Buffalo we saw, and it was close to the road - and so big (in my mind I really thought it was a Hippo at first! haha!) This picture doesn't do any justice to how big it seemed in real life! You can't see his head in this one, and he is kind of hidden in the tree's.

Here is a very blurry picture of him! But it was exciting because he was the first bufallo we saw on our trip!





As we kept driving our eyes were pealed to see more Buffalo, and we sure did - way far away! So we let the kiddos stop to get a good look at them!

You can see them way out there, but like I said, these where the first ones we had seen!

As we came upon the next traffic jam or people looking at wildlife, we got to see these two guys!

It was pretty funny, because they were just eating along side the road and then all the sudden they came on to the highway, weaved through a couple of cars and then went back off to the side of the road! My moms sarcastic comment was " they weaved through those cars like someone had paid them to do it!" That is some of my Grandpa Asay's humor coming out in her!

Just taking their dear sweet time!

Then to our surprise as we drove a little farther we came upon a whole herd of Buffalo, probably somewhere in the range of 500 +

 This guy here was sleeping, and we heard him snort! It sounded more like a lion growl, but the kids thought it was pretty funny! Triffen was convinced there was a lion out there!

 We couldn't keep Triffen and Lauren in their seat! Good thing we had the van and plenty of room (and good thing traffic only let us go 15 miles per hour!)

Yellowstone: Part 1

A couple weeks ago my mom had mentioned something about going to Yellowstone and I agreed that would be fun (because I haven’t been to Yellowstone, only maybe once to drive through) and a couple days later she called saying that we would be going in a week and spending the night one night! Yippee! The crew was my mom, Lila, my girls, Kandace with her boys, and Dylan. So we started to Yellowstone on a Thursday and in our van we took Lauren, Triffen, Sawyer, and my Mom,  (with the iPod, and iPad of course!) We drove, and drove and the kids were very good, I suppose it was because we were stuffing their faces with Cheeto's!

When we got into Yellowstone we had to release some of the kiddos energy so we stopped by Yellowstone Lake and let the kids run around. The kids couldn’t help but get in water (under much protest by the adults!)

Triffen and Benson just itching to get into the water!

So happy to be out of the car!

Grandma giving in and taking off Benson's shoes so he can get in the water! Geez Grandma!!

Dylan and Jaxon showing off their rock skipping skills!

Me and my girls!

Dylan and Jaxon made it look so easy throwing the rocks out into the lake as far as they could, and us women found that it isn't as easy as it looks! haha! Here is an action shot of them trying the throw the rock the farthest!

Lila stayed strong and held her pose so that I could capture the moment!

We took Triffen's pants off because he had already soaked the legs, and to no surprize he got his underwear just as wet!! So what do ya do?!

Dylan and my Mom, Dylan was such a great help with the kiddos!

Sawyer enjoying the lake, she wouldn't even take time to look at me for a picture!!

After the lake we drove alittle farther trying to find a place to eat. We stopped at a place called Fishing Bridge (I think!)

Everyone chowing down on some sandwich's and watermelon!

*Due to overload of pictures I decided to break it up into 2 parts! Stay tuned for what comes next!

Girls Camp

I had the opportunity (for the 3rd year in a row) to be the Byron Camp Director (the first year I went, I was the assistant). I love Girls Camp, so I was excited to go with these girls! The theme this year was "Arise and Shine forth, that thy light may be a Standard to the Nations." Sometimes the planning part of camp can be overwhelming (and this year I had a hard time finding idea's for this theme, because they also had an Olympic twist to it as well. However, at the last minute of course; I came up with some pretty cool stuff!)

These were my girls (getting ready for their skit, hence the wig on Jamie!)

Macey, Maddy, Jamie, Cheyenne, and Sara

Jamie could not get enough of the wig! She had to stay in charactor until the skit - I suppose she needed to feel and really be the part!! Haha! I love her humor!

The opening ceremony - we walked around camp with our nations flag. Our nation was Macedonia.

Doing the skit!

That night they had a dance. I was concerned that this dance wouldn't be much fun, because I have never heard of a dance a Girls Camp - but it was a BLAST!! I forget how much fun you have when you let your hair down ;) The girls who were in charge of the dance, I guess you could call them the DJ's did an awesome job involving everyone, and I think everyone had a fun time!

The second day was certification day, and I was in charge of the 3rd years. After we got them certified there was time to spair to play some games! They had to rearainge themselves to be in birth order without falling of the log (they fell of the log many times, but they sure tryed not too!)

That afternoon they did Olympic games - which were so fun! I helped with the game where you take a tarp and you try to fit your whole group on it (groups where about 8 girls) then when you could fit everyone on - you fold it in half, and you see how small you can fold it. It was amazing to see the team work and how small the groups could get it!

That night ended off with some Snipe Hunting!! Turns out that Snipes don't like tooth paste (that is new to me!) Poor Macey was our only 1st year that hadn't been on a Snipe hunt!!

The next morning was the Hike. I chose the 3rd year hike because it was the longest and I felt like I needed to be cool or something and choose the longest hike. I'm glad I did, but BOY-O-BOY was I sore!!

We ended the 3rd day with Testimony meeting, which is always so spiritual. And I am blown away by these Young Women and their strong testimonies! And I learned so much from them, and they all helped strengthen my testimony! It is sometimes a wonder why we go through all the trouble for Girls Camp, and then when you get there - you remember why! It is a time where the girls can bond and where leaders can bond with the girls!

This was when we had cleaned our cabins and where ready to leave (YAH!).

Girls Camp was GREAT!!

Fun, Fun, Fun

How does a normal night of watering flowers turn into this..

 Sawyer is bringin water over to me in this bucket to wash off my toes! (and I am not sure what Lauren is doing!!)

I guess it turned into a pretty good night!

Don't Shoot Your Eye Out!

For Christmas Erik just HAD to get Lauren a BB Gun, and we haven't done anything with it until just now! Erik was glowing with pride when he was telling Lauren how to shoot the gun! And dear sweet Lauren is such a girly girl, but she enjoyed it because her dad enjoyed it!!