amazing island park 2009

A few weeks ago we rented a cabin in Island Park with Courtney's family. We had a great time!

We arrived Thursday evening and stayed until Sunday morning. We stayed in an amazing cabin in Ashton right on the Snake river. Beautiful. The big hot tub was a favorite spot of the kids, and they could be found "swimming" there most any time of the day. We enjoyed peaceful walks, air hockey, ping pong, and card games, lots of laughs, and made more than a few good memories. Here are a few of the highlights. . .

Mesa Falls and a Grandma J devotional before heading home Sunday. . . (Kate didn't want to be in the picture).

Friday we spent the day lounging around and just plain being lazy! It was the anniversary of Sept. 11, so we watched some documentaries on that and reflected upon that day. Games were played, naps taken, and yummy food consumed. All in all, a great day.

On Saturday, we set out for Yellowstone in what we called the "Amazing Race". We split everyone up into 2 teams. Each team had a list of challenges to accomplish before returning to the cabin that evening. Among them were: find 3 "stinky pots", get pictures. . .watch old faithful erupt, eat an ice cream cone from the lodge, get pictures. . .wade into Firehole River up to the knees. Bonus points could be earned with pictures of wildlife (which held various point possibilities, depending on the kind). Also, each team could earn a bonus point for out of state license plates. 10 points were given if you had a picture of a team member with the license plate owner! Also, points were given for the first team to arrive at a challenge location, and the first back to the cabin.

The race is on. . .

It didn't take long for us to start recruiting poor strangers to pose for our out of state license plate pictures. (Turns out this is the wife of a celebrity of sorts-in the hunting world, anyway. Uncle Nate spotted her husband in the convenience store, and was thrilled to meet a guy he'd watched so many times on his hunting videos. Yip, they really do exist.)

Oregon

Michigan

Megan and Emmy posing at Stinky Pot #1.

More stinky pots.

Daddy, Grandma, and Grandpa waiting in line in front of Stinky Pot #2.

Grandpa exits Stinky Pot #2. Alive.

Stinky Pot #3.

Rival team members Ryenne, Madeliene, and Lauren. (Or as Uncle Courtney claims, stinky pots #4, 5, and 6.)

Aunt Shelly and I cornered these cool New Yorkian dudes and their license plate to get an extra 1o points. I think they were a little worried about our sanity. Good thing Aunt Shelly is so darn good lookin'.

This picture was taken just as Grandpa J exclaimed, "Oh my #*@! I forgot to pay for these!" (In reference to the candy bars in his hand. He had picked them up in the Old Faithful lodge and done the ol' five finger discount.)

Don't worry- he went back and paid- but not until we had all had a good laugh!

Aunt Shelly and kids o' plenty.

We got ice cream, and we've got proof!

. . And saw Old Faithful. Still as faithful as ever (give or take a few minutes).

Bridger commandeered Uncle Nate's ice cream cone.

Ymmm, gotta love ice cream hands all over your clean shirt.

Nothing that a little Spray 'n Wash won't take care of!

Wading in Firehole River.

Emmy and Megan were little troopers. They hung in to the last challenge and then finished our Amazing Race in style!

After the race, we met back at the cabin and then hooked up the camera to see everyone's picture proof and add up points. Everyone got some good laughs at the other team's "bear". (A picture taken of a bear in a movie on Darrell and Alyssa's van DVD screen. It was creative, you've gotta give them that!)

The Amazing Race turned out to be a great day!

All in all, we had a fabulous time with our family. We were bummed that the M and J families couldn't make it.

Hopefully this is a tradition in the making, because we're already looking forward to next year!