Island Park...first half!

Our annual Island Park vacation. Best time ever. I was so looking forward to it this year. Knew it was going to be kinda bittersweet though. First year without our Grandma. And if anyplace was her place, it was Island Park and those Tetons. She loved it there so much and was the whole reason we all started going in the first place. Knew it would bring back so many memories. But they were good memories, treasured memories. What better place to feel of her love then to be there all together. I think it was just what we all needed. A sense of healing in a way. To cling together as a family again and to be in that place that meant so much to her.

We left bright and early Tuesday morning. No matter how prepared I think I am for vacation, I always end up being up half the night trying to get us all packed. Moms of young families. Where you pack for your kids....well its a lot of work. Didn't get to bed til almost 2:30 and then woke up at 6:00. I was pretty happy that its kinda a drive to get there, cause I got to nap a little. I was just a bit tired.

Our first stop as a family was the cemetary. Couldn't leave without visiting our angel.

Still waiting on that headstone. Hoping it gets here soon. We all arrived there to find a freshly brought flower arrangment, and attached to it was a little note.

It read:
"To my sweethearts. When today starts without me, promise me one thing. You will remember heaven is closer, at the cabin filled with family. When today starts without me, and I'm not here to see. If the sun should rise and find your eyes, filled with tears for me. I wish so much you wouldn't cry, the way you did that day. While thinking of the many things, we didn't get to say. I know how much you love me, as much as I love you. And each time you think of me, I know you miss me too. When today starts without me, don't think we're far apart. For everytime you think of me, I'm right there in your heart. Love you, Grandma. PS..please remember, to buy jelly beans at the store, make sure grandpa has his coffee and nighlight, take a family picture on the dock, enjoy the beautiful Tetons, and most of all remember to make that will last forever!"

Have no idea where the flowers came from, who wrote that note. But holy crap. We were bawling. I think it was just what we needed to hear, perfect begining to our little week as a family.

Then we hit the road, we always stop about an hour out. Somewhere in Idaho at this little small town diner. It is so yummy. Here is me and Drake bug waiting for the rest of the family to get here. We somehow got ahead of everyone. Oh and my little green tupperware filled with S'more bars. I made them the day before and didn't want those precious babies to melt in the hot car. And of course it didn't occur to me to put them in the cooler until the cooler was buried underneath the rest of our stuff. So I packed those lil guys around all day with me. All for the sake of a good S'more bar!

I just love these girls! The best part about this trip is the chance to be with them for 6 straight days! So grateful my mom got the chance to come again. Even though its my dads family, we just love having her with us. We don't really do a vacation with her side and she is constantly going on biking and camping and 4-wheeling trips with Dean's kids but we never get to have any little trips like that. So its so nice to be able to have a little trip where we all can be together.

Biscuits and gravy. I love to order this when we go out to breakfast. Thiago absolutely hates this meal. Anything gravy/stroganoff like, so it is not something I ever make. But I love it.

Then we hit the road again. This picture makes me a little sad. Right smack in the middle of world cup. And if you followed World Cup at all. Well you know how that ended for Brazil. Oh boy. I had one unhappy husband. My goodness, they just fell apart. Thiago was so emabarassed by the way they played this World Cup. They are known for playing beautiful. And boy did they not play beautiful. This particular day is the last game the US got to play. Thiago got this app that could get all the games live on his phone. He propped it up on our dash so I could watch and he could listen. I have a hard time following if I am just listening. I have to see what is happening. So we spent 3 hours in the car, watching this crazy game that went into overtime and poor US lost in the end.

Technically aren't supposed to have as many people as we do in the cabin we rent. We rent the biggest one on the island. But there are 46 of us. So thats alot. The lady we rent it from was coming by when we first arrived to give us a few things, so some of us snuck out so it didn't look like such an overwhelming number. Haha. Sneaky sneaky. So we just took some of the kids down to Henry's Fork. They weren't complaining about that.

They kept jumping from the dock to this little boat that was tied up. But there was a bit of a current and that boat kept floating away. I thought for sure one of them was going to fall in. And Lincoln did. Didn't get too wet, barely hit the bottom of his shorts. Little dork!

Made Theo take this cute lil picture with them. Too pretty of a backdrop. My mom was taking it, and I love her dearly but she is a little camera challenged. Only took her about 20 attempts. We were laughing so hard. Luckily not too many people were around, just this little old couple and I am pretty sure it made their day. They were laughing and clapping and saying "more, more". It was too funny! My poor hubby. He is dang good sport, putting up with me and all my picture shenanigans!

Brothers three!

Next day. Love mornings at the cabin. Most people sleep in a bit. But there is always a little group of us that wake up at 6:30 and go get a lil workout in. Me and my aunt and cousin Kylie are the only die hards. The rest do some mornings, and then ditch out on others. This year Ash went with me every morning too. Not everyone likes to run, so I usually run up and ahead and circle back to the walkers. But oh it really sets my morning off beautifully!! I love it so much. The air is crisp and cool and lovely. The scenery is to die for! And burning all those calories makes me feel a little less guilty for all those treats I eat on vacation. Anywho, we always come back and have a big ol' yummy breakfast and then get ready for the day. Then we wait for my cute uncle who is kinda our lil tour guide to tell us the plans of the day. I seriously love this family so much. It is always just so chill and go with the flow. Nobody fights or puts up a fuss about anything. We all get along so well and just have the best time together! Which I know is kinda rare for families. Feel really lucky!

These two have a funny little friendship. They are only about 10 months apart from each other but you put them side by side, and Katelynn just towers over him. She is so long and tall, and my kids, well....they aren't tall by any means. So it always looks like this older girl playing with a little baby. But in actuality they are about the same. And they get along so dang cute. Always together. Always holding hands. Babbling back and forth. They make me laugh!

Half the places we stop at I have no idea what they are called. All I know is they are beautiful.

Sweet Gramps. Just isn't himself without her. He tried his best to have a good time. But you could see that empty little look in his eyes all the time. Just breaks my heart.

Love this picture of Drakey bug. Already got it printed and hanging on my picture board. Something about the colors, and the light, and his stance. Just love it!

After a little exploring and a few billion pictures, we headed into West Yellowstone. Always start at the Imax. And Grandpa always gets a few buckets of popcorn. Which all the kids spill all over the floor of the IMAX shop. Poor employees.

Each year I let the kids pick out two souveniers. One the first day and one the last day. Well, ok, technically Carson and Linc got two the first day, cause they chose 2 smallish things so I was ok with that. For some reason they wanted these little glass eagles. Now I am sure most parents would say no that is a waste of money on a little glass knick knack, but my weirdo kids get the biggest kick out of crap like this. They really do treasure this kinda stuff.

All the usuals. Including the candy store, the corner store, the Christmas decor store, the book store that sells the amazing sugar cookies. My kids always beg for a snack at the Dairy Queen. Good times.

Next day was the day we floated the river. Always a good time.

Such a pleasant river trip this time. I'm probably boring, but I hate all the water fights. Hate getting wet and cold like that and trying to keep it away from my kids. But we were sooo far ahead of the rest of our families rafts that we were completely out of reach. So just a nice, relaxing float down the river. Lincoln boy fell in at one point. Can't even tell you how. We had alot of the kids in our raft. All my kids, and a few of my sisters, yet my sisters were in a different raft. So Linc was kinda dangling on the end where Thiago was rowing, and next thing we know he was in the water. He had a life jacket, and it was way shallow and Thiago had him out in like 10 seconds. Didn't even phase him. He just kinda laughed and smiled and that was that.

I am always really good at taking pictures the first half of the day, then I kinda get tired of it by the end. So not many pictures of all the fun nights once we get back to the cabin. We would make big dinners, kids run around like the crazies they are, shooting each other with their new bow and arrows. Puzzles, Phase 10, reading, visiting, eating, snuggling cute new baby twins. All that and more.

Hang on for part 2.