recap

So to recap Yellowstone we had a great time.  We were exhausted (hiking 10 miles a day with little kids can do that to you) We were filthy.  We did take a shower on one day.  One night the boys were so dirty we didn't want to let them in the RV and jokingly bet them they couldn't sleep outside.  They made a bet with Scott that they could sleep on top of the RV all night.  In exchange he would take them out to a movie.  I was surprised that they actually made it all night.  We hosed them off the next morning we just couldn't take the filth anymore.  Coincidentally Paul was the dirtiest kid. 

We came back with a couple of stories.  Not the kind I was hoping for but they are still memorable.  We saw some of the most beautiful sights, and a bonus we didn't run out of food. (I was a little worried about that with the extra 2 people I hadn't originally planned for). A huge bonus the kids didn't fight. (I'm not counting the little squabbles that were quickly extinguished with the promise of work to those who did fight.)

 It turned out to be a really great vacation.

old faithful

We happened to hit Old Faithful at the perfect time.  We pulled up and walked out to find a good spot to witness this miracle.  We only had to wait 5 minutes until it started.  It was just a lot of steam at first then a little bit of water shooting up, then the enormous shaft of water reaching over 100 feet in the air.  It was quite an awesome sight.  As soon as Old Faithful subsided we headed off to see what other natural wonders were around.  All I can say is that we hit it at the right time.  It seemed like every geyser that actually goes off did while we were there, one right after another and we got to see them all.  Did we time it perfect or what?

The walk was very pretty with the river winding in and out and all around.

Brennen was our best camper.  He didn't complain even once, he sis everything he was told (I know I was shocked too) And he was seriously interested in everything we saw.  Even if we saw 50 just like it he wanted to know all about what he was looking at.  He needed to know the name of every little geyser, how it worked and what interesting facts came with it. He also wanted me to take a picture of everything.  He would say "hey mom, hey mom come here picture this." I was quite impressed with him and his desire to be in the know with where he was at.  Paul and William were more of your typical boys pointing out things like animal poop and bugs.  Paul stopped at one spot for longer than 30 seconds, when I came to see what caught his attention I found a dragon fly.  Apparently it was the coolest dragon fly he ever saw. (boys are so simple aren't they?)

 After we walked around the whole park we had to check out the lodge.  Inside was really cool.  It resembled a huge tree house, one you would build if your were a grown up.  The kids wanted to climb up to the top but were disappointed when they found out they could only go to the 3rd floor.

 

lodge

mystic pools

As we pulled up to the mystic pools a storm was rolling in. It was cool to see the storm rolling in as the air got colder and the clouds more sinister. The steam effect was magnified 10 times from the difference in the air.  As we walked along the path the steam from the pools was so warm and the air was cold it was like getting in a hot tub in the winter.  It is both nice and cool all at the same time.  We would walk through a thick cloud of mist feeling ahhhhh then a breeze would come and take the mist away and it turned into an ohhh sensation.  Making you welcoming the smelly steam with its warmth.  The only down side was all that mist meant making you very wet so when you stepped out your were freezing.  This place was probably one of my favorites.  The turquoise water, the orange bacteria mats, the warm steam, and the open skies, and it had a beautiful river running right beside it, so pretty.

a yellow stone

The whole time we were in Yellowstone Brennen kept asking, "are we in Yellowstone?"  Our answer always in the affirmative.  Finally his frustration got the better of him and he asks "well, where's all the yellow stones?"  
We all cracked up.  Then I saw the look on his face that he was so serious so I told him that was the name of the place not necessarily what was there.  He was a little bumbed, until he found his yellow stone.
We were walking along a trail in Norris geyser area when just on the side of the trail was this really large yellow stone.  Brennen was so excited he exclaimed "a yellow stone, a yellow stone!!"  Indeed it was.  so from then on he kept his eye open for yellow stones.  He even brought one home.

Brennen and his yellow stone

waterfalls

We hiked the upper and lower falls to see the amazing waterfalls and the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone.  This was a pretty hike but I'll admit I was a little nervous.  One side is quiet steep.  As long as you stayed on the narrow path it was fine, but 2 of our more adventurous hikers kept straying and jumping off logs trying to do tricks off rocks.  I was so worried they would miss and tumble down the steep ravine. They were so fast that I couldn't keep an eye on them because Peter insisted on walking the whole way even though he is the slowest person on the planet.  They would run ahead until I couldn't see them then I would shout for them to wait.  All was fine they didn't fall off the cliff but it didn't keep my mother radar from being on high alert.

The water falls were beautiful and the temperature was perfect.  This is the place where we saw the baby eagle in the nest.  As we basked in the glory of the torrent of water I was again reminded of the song "For the Beauty of the Earth."  It truly is beautiful.  On the way back the speeders headed off toward the RV with the older on promising the first one back to the RV $1.  Paul determined to win that $1 went faster than his legs could go.  He kept slipping and tripping over everything and nothing.  Finally I had to tell Paul that he was no longer allowed to run.  I wasn't sure I had enough bandaids.