Yellowstone!

We had a wonderful trip to Yellowstone this month! We headed there directly from Bear Lake. My parents met us there. They stayed in a "cabin" and we had our trailer. So they were able to eat meals with us in the trailer and we were able to use their shower when our trailer tank busted! Here is just a sampling of Yellowstone and some of the pictures I took. I had to narrow it down from the 150 pictures I took in only 4 days!


This is Old Faithful! We thought we had it timed perfectly, as we got there 5 minutes before it was supposed to erupt. However, it was 20 minutes late that time! So after a lot of little "teasers" it finally gave us a show! Gibson was ECSTATIC! When I have more time, I'll put the video on here of him yelling, "AWESOME!". It was the first gyser eruption he had ever seen.

This is a family pic in front of "Morning Glory Pool" - one of my favorite pools. It looks like a rainbow, it has so many different colors. But it's quite a walk to get to it and I'm still kicking myself in the butt for not bringing the stroller - what was I thinking?
Gibson refused to go on any more hikes this day, so he and daddy stayed to play in the river while mom, grandma and grandpa walked to see the Grand Prismatic Spring (a HUGE version of Morning Glory Pool).

This is a pool runoff into the river - I think it's absolutely beautiful! This is boiling water running into the river, so where Gibson was soaking his feet, the water isn't too terribly cold.
This is my mom and dad's "cabin"! It was SO tiny, but it was cute. I'm just glad Brady and I didn't have to try to fit on that bed together!

Our trailer was right on the shore of Yellowstone Lake. The lake was the highest I have ever seen it. The waves were huge, and they kind of intimidated Gibson, but he played in it a little bit.
This is Gibson by a very stinky (so I'm told) sulphur pot. It's just on the side of the road. I think the puke-green color adds a nice touch!
Everyday we would stop and have a picnic. This area was surrounded by wildflowers. This trip was the first time I'd seen the wildflowers in full bloom at Yellowstone - they were so gorgeous! What a treat!
This pool/cave is named "Dragon's Breath" and we have Gibson convinced that a dragon family lives in there. The cave is very spooky because the noises that come out of it really sound like a dragon roaring (again - if I get time, I'll put some video/audio of it on here). And the water is just bubbling and churning. We couldn't drag Gibson away from this one!
We were very fortunate one morning to come across a HUGE herd of bison in Hayden Valley. There were a lot of baby bison, too. Gibson was fascinated! The next morning when we drove past this exact same spot, there wasn't one bison.

This staircase is the "Uncle Tom's Trail" - more than 300 steps down to the base of Lower Falls. It's a nice workout, to say the least! I have a very hard time on this trail, as you can see through the stairs to 'nothing' below you. I hyperventilate if I look down, so I have to hike the entire way looking straight up at the sky!
A view of Brady and Gibson going up Uncle Tom's Trail. This hike is definitely worth it - the view of the falls is breathtaking! They are so loud, you can hardly hear yourself think.
Brady, Christen and Gibson at the bottom of Uncle Tom's Trail - Lower Falls in the background. By the way - this day was Brady and Christen's 11th wedding anniversary! What a way to spend it!
A view of Lower Falls - there's always a beautiful rainbow at the base!
Christen and her dad at the campsite! This was our last day - we were getting ready to leave.

Bear Lake 2008

Look at the awesome sandcastle Brady and Gibson built! (It's filled with seashells)
Our campsite! (All packed up and ready to leave)
The view of Bear Lake from our campsite!

Since the water has receded so much in recent years, the campground isn't next to the beach anymore. So we have to load up the truck and drive about 1/2 mile down to the beach. The first day we get there, we take our shade tent down to the beach and "claim" our spot for the week. Then everyday we pack up everything we need for the day (chairs, toys, food, beer, water, books, music, etc.) and head down to the beach for the entire day! We love the beach in Bear Lake because it is so shallow for at least 200 yards out. The kids can play in the water without worry and the water gets really warm because it's so shallow!
Gibson and his cousins playing on the floating island (before it's 'floating')! We drag this out into the water and the kids (and adults!) have a ball on it.
This ranks as one of my most favorite things it the world to do. Give me the beach, a beer and a book (oh - and Sassie!) and I'm as content as can be!
Gibson and Kayden playing with the remote control car.
Mom and Sassie taking a nap after a long, hot day in the sun! (Notice how Sassie is laying in Brady's spot on his pillow!)

What a Cool Dog!

Sassie's the best girl - and she's stylin', too!

Enjoy your summer!

Flawless, Amazing...

Vegas, baby!

Our trip to Vegas was so much fun! Besides Brady and I having a great time together, the purpose of my visit, the George Michael concert, was INCREDIBLE! His tour was to celebrate his 25 years in the business. I started counting and, although I wasn't a big WHAM! fan, I have been a huge George Michael fan for 21 years! (It was 20 years ago this summer that I listened to "Monkey" over and over and over on my tape player - I can't believe I didn't break the tape). I've been waiting that long to see him live. And it was SO worth the wait. One of the reasons I'm such a big fan is that I believe he is the best male vocalist, hands down. And he didn't disappoint. His voice was so absolutely incredible. I am so grateful that I finally got to see him live and experience his voice in person. I just wish I could follow his tour around the US this summer! :)

Christen inside the MGM Grand Arena before the George Michael concert! Cameras weren't allowed in :( so Brady took this picture as proof that I was there!!!! Bobbie went in another entrance, so we couldn't get a pic together.
We found this little oasis at the Flamingo hotel. It was almost like a mini-rainforest. It had a lot of waterfalls and ponds and lots of fun animals (flamingos, swans, turtles, HUGE koi). It was a nice reprieve from the heat (for Brady - you know I don't mind 115 degree temps!).
A view of the strip at night.
At the pool!
The water show at the Bellagio Hotel.

What a Swimmer!

I thought Gibson was a good swimmer before, but I can't believe the progress he made with just 2 weeks of lessons!

The beginning of his lessons - some back floating! Now he can go the entire length of the pool on his back (and no board).
His swim certificate!
Gibson with the other 2 kids in his swim class - they are both 6 years old!
The goggles made a world of difference! Now he loves to swim underwater.
Swimming underwater - he can go so far! He loves to jump off the side and touch the bottom.

Super Gibson!

I thought this was so cute that I had to capture it on film! Yesterday morning, Gibson was racing around the house in his Superman underwear and his "bands"! What a nut!

So Worn Out!

Yesterday was one of our "super" days at the gym where we're there from 10 am - 3 pm. Gibson had swam about 4 hours, played tennis for 1 hour and played with friends for 1 hour! So when we got home, I told him he had to have quiet time reading books on his bed. Then I settled myself downstairs on the couch with a book. After about 10 minutes, Gibson came downstairs with his blanket and said, "I want to sleep on the couch with you, mom." It was so sweet! He has never done that! He usually just sits there for about 5 minutes and then gets up. But yesterday, he was exhausted and slept for about 2 hours!

"Gardening in the Yard" or "Fun in the Sun"!

Look at these peonies!

Two sitting in my tool bag - what a big helper!

We are so excited! We finally "finished" our front yard. All of the major projects that we wanted to do in the front yard are finally complete. We removed all the major trees and stumps that needed to go. We put in the front island, put in the seating area, set up a light post and planted 3 new large trees. The whole project was finally completed last week with the addition of the new curbing! So Brady and I spent all weekend cleaning that up (not an easy task! - you have to remove the excess cement, build the beds back up with dirt and lay new mulch down). Now we just need to get the last backyard project completed (waterfall and dry riverbed) and the yard will be complete after 4+ years in the making!

I think our yard/garden is one of the reasons I love this time of year so much! I just absolutely love sitting outside and enjoying all the beautiful flowers and plants.

Lagoon!

Well, this was about our 5th time at Lagoon this year, but it was the first time I remembered to bring the camera! Here's some action shots of Gibson and Brady having a great time!

Learning to Ride a Bike!

This weekend, Brady took the training wheels off of Gibson's bike and started to teach him to ride it. Gibson would start going on his own, but then he would forget to keep pushing the pedals and quickly fall over! He just needs a little more time and patience and he'll be riding it in no time!

Swim and Set

We had a very busy, but fun day! Gibson started both his swim lessons and his summer tennis camp today (his coach said he's ready for some competition play). We got to the gym just in time for swim lessons at 10:15 this morning. Then, we had five minutes to dry off, change into his tennis clothes and get to the courts! After tennis, Gibson played with friends at the gym while mom did yoga :) and then we swam for another 2 hours (after another wardrobe change)! Good thing I packed us a lunch (along with the rest of the house - seriously! Multiple changes of clothes, sunscreen, yoga equipment, tennis equipment, waters, etc.). It was a nice day and I am glad we were able to enjoy some of the sunshine finally!

Baby Lukas

I got to see my nephew, Lukas, again today. He is so cute, sweet, soft, cuddly... I could go on and on. And I could hold him forever! What a precious boy! There's a cute picture of Brady holding him, with Gibson sitting there. It's hard to believe that only 4 1/2 years ago, Gibson was that size (even smaller!); look at that size difference!

Tired?

On the way to Courtney's house today, Gibson fell right to sleep in the car. I knew he was tired and that it would only take about 5 minutes for him to zonk out, but I just don't understand how he could be comfortable!

Favorite Rose in Bloom

My favorite rose, the Tropicana, has started to bloom! It has the most amazing colored-flowers: a deep coral orange color (I just wish I could smell them!).

Spoiled

Just in case you were wondering, Brady and I are just sleeping on the floor now. The animals have finally taken over! (Left to right: Baby Girl, Two, Sassie and Lily Lou)

Also - on a different subject, Courtney and Daryl have decided to name their baby Lukas Evan.