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Grandpa and I were asked to baby-sit the kids while Logan and Rachel took their amazing anniversary trip. We were so excited to see them and planned lots of fun things to do while they were here. Unfortunately, Grandpa was out of town for the first couple of days, but we still had lots of fun until he got back.
On Friday, June 19th, Rachel and I coordinated with each other for us to pick up the kids. I drove towards her and she drove towards me and we ended up somewhere between Missoula and Butte and met each other at mile marker 171. I pulled off the road onto a side road and there they were! When I went over to their car the kids were so excited to see me and I was so happy to see them! We loaded all the car seats, luggage, pillows, blankets, stuffed animals, life jackets, suitcases, and finally, kids into my van, had a final kiss for each of them from Rachel, and we were off! It was a long 4 hours back (with a very active stop at McDonald's for a potty break and dinner), but we sang songs and told stories and before we knew it we were at our house. Allison and Clayson literally pulled in right behind us, and the fun began!
On Saturday we got up and ate breakfast and then discovered the magic of The Hourglass. I had bought a large hourglass for decoration, but we found that when we played the "Beat the Hourglass" game, things got done fast! In no time at all the kids were dressed and ready for the day. Clayson had never been to Bear World so we just had to take him. We were one of the first people through the gates and enjoyed seeing all the mountain goats, buffalo, deer, elk, wolves, and of course, bears! After that we got out of the car and went to the petting zoo and fed the fish. We stopped in the room with the animal hides that the kids could feel and I think Addy would have taken the grizzly bear hide home if we'd let her. She just couldn't stop petting it! Of course, the rides are always the best part of Bear World (how ironic is that?) and since there were hardly any other people there the kids had a ball going from ride to ride, again and again! We finally left the rides and did one more pass through the park before we went home. This time the "teenage" bears were all playing in the water and one of them was chasing all the other ones around. The best part was when he was chasing another bear and then switched directions and jumped into the water with a giant splash!
We all enjoyed our time with Allison and Clayson. Clayson was always playing with the kids and Allison was the perfect hairstylist and book reader. On Sunday everyone walked to church with them while I finally got myself ready. It was great having them here! That night we all went to our friend Amy's house and tried out her zip line. The kids were scared at first, but they quickly caught on and did it by themselves. They loved that zip line! Allison and Clayson had to go home that night. We were so glad they had come!
Grandpa finally came home on Monday! We made a big welcome home banner and put it on the garage door. After lunch we all went to Rexburg Rapids! It was a hot day and the kids loved playing in the water. They just played and played and played! The Lazy River was everyone's favorite and some of us tried NOT to get splashed by the moose, while others tried to get splashed on purpose. We all came home tired and a little sunburned.
On Tuesday we went to the library. We missed the lesson they had on robots, but Iron Man was there and we got to make an Iron Man craft. Then we went and played on their computers and played with their toys. Everyone got to check out one book. We looked at the giant fish they have in a tank by the door. After that we went to the park for lunch. The kids ate and played on the toys. When Grandpa came home from work he took everyone to Mesa Falls while I stayed home with Lindsey. We both really needed naps! Everyone had a great time at Mesa Falls. They got to feed the big fish at Warm River and stopped for ice cream at Dave's on the way home.
Wednesday was jam day. I had promised Evelyn that we could make raspberry jam from our raspberries. We both put on our aprons and measured out all the ingredients we would need. Maren thought she wanted to help too, but she was kind of in and out the whole time. We learned that making jam is a long process and requires a LOT of stirring! Everyone had a turn stirring at one time or another, so we could say that everyone helped make the jam. When it was done we put it in the window sill to set up and the next morning we had pancakes with homemade raspberry jam. Yummm!
When Grandpa got home from work that afternoon we went to the splash park and the carousel. We have taken the kids there before, but this time everyone was a little older and they all just disappeared into the crowd once we got there. They all had fun playing in the water, and even LIndsey liked it. She would go right up to the spouting water and splash in it. The carousel is always a hit and everyone had their favorite horses. We rode on it twice and the second time we could hardly get them off! Of course, the carousel also means cotton candy. We were all good and sticky by the time we went home.
That night we had a hot dog roast in the backyard and roasted marshmallows. The kids thought of a million different things to do with the apple tree while they were here. Whenever we weren't off doing something they were always in the backyard being creative.
The next day Grandpa didn't have to go to work for very long so we had more time with him. We introduced the kids to Jamba Juice and we each got their own smoothie. Addy and Jack both had Strawberries Wild and Maren and Evelyn both wanted one with pineapple in it (but I can't remember the name). I had Caribbean Passion, but the one we all remember is that Grandpa had Razmatazz! After we got the smoothies we drove to the start of a trail that led to the The Dollar Store. We parked the car in a shady spot and started the hot walk down the path. Luckily, the smoothies kept us cool! We had lots of fun walking and talking, and Grandpa kept finding all different reasons to say, "RAZMATAZZ!!" He taught us all how to say it with a flair and it became the word of the day. We saw trains and Rexburg Rapids (from the outside) and had stick races on the bridge. We had fast walkers and slow walkers, but we all finally made it to The Dollar Store right as our smoothies were being finished up. Once inside the store everyone got to pick one thing. It was an easy pick for Maren. The mermaid doll was the only thing she even saw! Evelyn looked and looked. Jack picked some swimming goggles for when they go to the lake. Addy couldn't decide for a long time, but finally picked a big picture of Disney Princesses that she could color and hang on her wall. Evelyn finally decided on a bigger version of the same mermaid doll Maren had picked. Each one was very happy with their choices and we had a fun walk back to the car talking about their new treasures.
That night Courtney came to join in the fun! She got here just in time for our big day in Yellowstone the next day.
We got up, beat the hourglass to get ready, and headed off to Yellowstone. Once there, we had a picnic in West Yellowstone before heading in to the park. We drove until we found a whole bunch of "smoke" and then got out and walked around to see the hot pools and mud pots and geysers. The kids were fascinated and we learned about what makes the water so hot. It was a very hot day so we moved quickly. The next stop was Old Faithful. The kids played in a big grove of shady trees while we waited for Old Faithful to go off. When it was over we went and got ice cream at the lodge, which was clearly the best part of that hot day!
We finished that fun day with a stop at the Grizzly and Wolf Center in West Yellowstone. They have a lot of information about bears and wolves inside, and a big open bear habitat outside that allows visitors to see bears up close in a place as close as they could get to their natural surroundings. They have a program called "Keeper Kids" that lets kids go hide fruits and vegetables under the rocks and branches in the habitat while the bears are gone, and then they release them to come out to eat. We signed Evelyn, Jack, and Addy up and they got to learn about bears a bit before getting a bucket of food to go hide. They did a good job hiding their carrots and apples in places for the bears to find. Then they came out and they let the bears back in. It was fun to watch as the bears found the food the kids had hidden.
That night we tucked the kids in bed one last time. The next morning we got them all up and put them in their car seats at 6:00 am. This time Grandpa was there too and we headed back towards Logan and Rachel, who were driving towards us. When we met in the middle it was a sad time having to say good-bye. We had so much fun with them all. I hope they will always remember the fun time they had at our house, because we sure will. We love those guys!
On Friday, June 19th, Rachel and I coordinated with each other for us to pick up the kids. I drove towards her and she drove towards me and we ended up somewhere between Missoula and Butte and met each other at mile marker 171. I pulled off the road onto a side road and there they were! When I went over to their car the kids were so excited to see me and I was so happy to see them! We loaded all the car seats, luggage, pillows, blankets, stuffed animals, life jackets, suitcases, and finally, kids into my van, had a final kiss for each of them from Rachel, and we were off! It was a long 4 hours back (with a very active stop at McDonald's for a potty break and dinner), but we sang songs and told stories and before we knew it we were at our house. Allison and Clayson literally pulled in right behind us, and the fun began!
On Saturday we got up and ate breakfast and then discovered the magic of The Hourglass. I had bought a large hourglass for decoration, but we found that when we played the "Beat the Hourglass" game, things got done fast! In no time at all the kids were dressed and ready for the day. Clayson had never been to Bear World so we just had to take him. We were one of the first people through the gates and enjoyed seeing all the mountain goats, buffalo, deer, elk, wolves, and of course, bears! After that we got out of the car and went to the petting zoo and fed the fish. We stopped in the room with the animal hides that the kids could feel and I think Addy would have taken the grizzly bear hide home if we'd let her. She just couldn't stop petting it! Of course, the rides are always the best part of Bear World (how ironic is that?) and since there were hardly any other people there the kids had a ball going from ride to ride, again and again! We finally left the rides and did one more pass through the park before we went home. This time the "teenage" bears were all playing in the water and one of them was chasing all the other ones around. The best part was when he was chasing another bear and then switched directions and jumped into the water with a giant splash!
We all enjoyed our time with Allison and Clayson. Clayson was always playing with the kids and Allison was the perfect hairstylist and book reader. On Sunday everyone walked to church with them while I finally got myself ready. It was great having them here! That night we all went to our friend Amy's house and tried out her zip line. The kids were scared at first, but they quickly caught on and did it by themselves. They loved that zip line! Allison and Clayson had to go home that night. We were so glad they had come!
Grandpa finally came home on Monday! We made a big welcome home banner and put it on the garage door. After lunch we all went to Rexburg Rapids! It was a hot day and the kids loved playing in the water. They just played and played and played! The Lazy River was everyone's favorite and some of us tried NOT to get splashed by the moose, while others tried to get splashed on purpose. We all came home tired and a little sunburned.
On Tuesday we went to the library. We missed the lesson they had on robots, but Iron Man was there and we got to make an Iron Man craft. Then we went and played on their computers and played with their toys. Everyone got to check out one book. We looked at the giant fish they have in a tank by the door. After that we went to the park for lunch. The kids ate and played on the toys. When Grandpa came home from work he took everyone to Mesa Falls while I stayed home with Lindsey. We both really needed naps! Everyone had a great time at Mesa Falls. They got to feed the big fish at Warm River and stopped for ice cream at Dave's on the way home.
Wednesday was jam day. I had promised Evelyn that we could make raspberry jam from our raspberries. We both put on our aprons and measured out all the ingredients we would need. Maren thought she wanted to help too, but she was kind of in and out the whole time. We learned that making jam is a long process and requires a LOT of stirring! Everyone had a turn stirring at one time or another, so we could say that everyone helped make the jam. When it was done we put it in the window sill to set up and the next morning we had pancakes with homemade raspberry jam. Yummm!
When Grandpa got home from work that afternoon we went to the splash park and the carousel. We have taken the kids there before, but this time everyone was a little older and they all just disappeared into the crowd once we got there. They all had fun playing in the water, and even LIndsey liked it. She would go right up to the spouting water and splash in it. The carousel is always a hit and everyone had their favorite horses. We rode on it twice and the second time we could hardly get them off! Of course, the carousel also means cotton candy. We were all good and sticky by the time we went home.
That night we had a hot dog roast in the backyard and roasted marshmallows. The kids thought of a million different things to do with the apple tree while they were here. Whenever we weren't off doing something they were always in the backyard being creative.
The next day Grandpa didn't have to go to work for very long so we had more time with him. We introduced the kids to Jamba Juice and we each got their own smoothie. Addy and Jack both had Strawberries Wild and Maren and Evelyn both wanted one with pineapple in it (but I can't remember the name). I had Caribbean Passion, but the one we all remember is that Grandpa had Razmatazz! After we got the smoothies we drove to the start of a trail that led to the The Dollar Store. We parked the car in a shady spot and started the hot walk down the path. Luckily, the smoothies kept us cool! We had lots of fun walking and talking, and Grandpa kept finding all different reasons to say, "RAZMATAZZ!!" He taught us all how to say it with a flair and it became the word of the day. We saw trains and Rexburg Rapids (from the outside) and had stick races on the bridge. We had fast walkers and slow walkers, but we all finally made it to The Dollar Store right as our smoothies were being finished up. Once inside the store everyone got to pick one thing. It was an easy pick for Maren. The mermaid doll was the only thing she even saw! Evelyn looked and looked. Jack picked some swimming goggles for when they go to the lake. Addy couldn't decide for a long time, but finally picked a big picture of Disney Princesses that she could color and hang on her wall. Evelyn finally decided on a bigger version of the same mermaid doll Maren had picked. Each one was very happy with their choices and we had a fun walk back to the car talking about their new treasures.
That night Courtney came to join in the fun! She got here just in time for our big day in Yellowstone the next day.
We got up, beat the hourglass to get ready, and headed off to Yellowstone. Once there, we had a picnic in West Yellowstone before heading in to the park. We drove until we found a whole bunch of "smoke" and then got out and walked around to see the hot pools and mud pots and geysers. The kids were fascinated and we learned about what makes the water so hot. It was a very hot day so we moved quickly. The next stop was Old Faithful. The kids played in a big grove of shady trees while we waited for Old Faithful to go off. When it was over we went and got ice cream at the lodge, which was clearly the best part of that hot day!
We finished that fun day with a stop at the Grizzly and Wolf Center in West Yellowstone. They have a lot of information about bears and wolves inside, and a big open bear habitat outside that allows visitors to see bears up close in a place as close as they could get to their natural surroundings. They have a program called "Keeper Kids" that lets kids go hide fruits and vegetables under the rocks and branches in the habitat while the bears are gone, and then they release them to come out to eat. We signed Evelyn, Jack, and Addy up and they got to learn about bears a bit before getting a bucket of food to go hide. They did a good job hiding their carrots and apples in places for the bears to find. Then they came out and they let the bears back in. It was fun to watch as the bears found the food the kids had hidden.
That night we tucked the kids in bed one last time. The next morning we got them all up and put them in their car seats at 6:00 am. This time Grandpa was there too and we headed back towards Logan and Rachel, who were driving towards us. When we met in the middle it was a sad time having to say good-bye. We had so much fun with them all. I hope they will always remember the fun time they had at our house, because we sure will. We love those guys!
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