Jacksone Hole, YELLOWSTONE, Bear World and Craters of the MOON!

We had a great family vacation with just the 6 of us. Well it was as exciting as it was tiring! Sydney and Steven did great, but Tori and Reese got a little restless in the car...we spent 25+ hours in the car between 4 days. This was a first for all of us and we really didn't know what to expect. As we entered the park I realized we were totally unprepared food wise and I had only packed snacks, not realizing there was nothing but gas stations for hours either way. LOL! I guess I thought there would be McDonald's in the park or something. OOPS! So next time we will remember to bring more substantial food. But it was totally worth it and the best vacation ever!!



WARNING: OVERLOAD OF PICTURES!!!

Tuesday we set out about 9:30am. First stop was the Idaho Falls Temple, where we got out and stretched our legs. It was very pretty with all the flowers and I loved the falls that flowed in front of the temple. I missed having my friends Lindsey and Brittny not living in Pocatello and Idaho falls anymore!! Once we got to Jackson Hole, WY it was dinner time and we went to Bubba's BBQ (where we had heard it was a great BBQ place!). After dinner we walked down town and bought the kids all Jackson Hole T-shirts.








Wednesday morning we explored Jackson Hole on our way out and then headed off to Yellowstone Park. On our way out we saw the beautiful Teton mountains, Mormon Row (which was a small little city where the mormon pioneers had settled and grew crops and survived the winters). When we entered the park we saw mud pots & tons of geysers, lots of buffalo (one that was seriously 5 feet..ok 10 feet away from our van, but as soon as it raised its head and looked at us we hit the gas and were out of there..SCARY!) and a few waterfalls. We ended the day up in the North corner of the park, about a mile out in a city called Silvergate and we stayed there at the Grizzly Lodge. Not my favorite place at all...it was a small little hill billy town and I barely slept in our creepy old room which backed up literally to the forest full of wild animals! But it was a fun adventure....I guess ;)


Here are our rooms: Of course these are the pictures off the site and probably the best these rooms have ever looked! LOL! The TV didnt work and the carpet was about 40 years old and I dont think they knew what dusting was..HAHAHA!
















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Thursday was our last day in the park. That morning was freezing (in the 20's) as we left Silvergate. We went to Mammoth Hot springs, OLD FAITHFUL, saw 2 different herds of elk with one bull elk bugling and more geysers. We played lots of musical car seats and bought coloring books to help distracted the little ones so they wouldn't get bored. As we got to Mammoth Hot Springs right outside the visitors center, on the lawn was a herd of elk, just hanging out. There was a ranger right there to warn everyone to stay 75ft. away and to get behind something if the bull elk got up. Old Faithful was fun but we had to wait 1 hour and 15 mins for it to go off again. Reese wouldn't sit nicely on the benches (or anywhere) so we took turns walking up and down with her. She LOVES people and is always saying HI and Bye bye to them.

















West Yellowstone-Final overnight stay. This was my favorite place to stay because our place had a WASH MACHINE and pool and was super nice!! In the morning we went to breakfast at Running Bear and Steve and I both thought it was the best breakfast place we'd ever been! Then we headed out to Bear World.




Bear World is this drive thru wildlife place that has a petting zoo and kiddie rides for the kids. We drove thru the park first and saw tons of bears, bison, 2 wolves (that riped off a sewer drain tube off the RV in front of us who stopped and we weren't suppose to stop)a moose, deer, and a herd of elk. This helped satisfy the kids want to see a bear since that and a moose were the only two big animals we didn't see in the Yellowstone Park. The kids loved the rides, petting the deer and watching the bear cubs wrestle. They each got to pick out a souvenir at the gift shop. Sydney picked out bear birthstone earrings, Steven a toy buffalo and Tori got a bear birthstone necklace, and me/Steve some FRESH Peanut Butter FUDGE :). It was really fun!



















We went to the Craters of the Moon in central Idaho. Its where a volcano erupted thousands of years ago and spewed lava over 1100 square miles and can be seen from space. It was a fun place to visit because they had all these nice walking trails thru the lava and up to these lava cones where one was called the Snow Cone. It was called this because in the center of it is snow year round. It never melts! Of course we had to bring some lava rocks home. Steven was so pumped about his "hot lava." He cant wait to show n' tell it!





The ride home and last picture taken on our trip.

Soccer Steven

Steven has started fall soccer this year. He is the smallest and the least experienced the team ....but you wouldn't know it by watching him play. He is very fast and keeps up with the ball. He is still not as aggressive on the field yet, but with each game he gets a little more into it. His 2ND game he was sandwiched between two bigger kids and I have to say he held his own. I love watching them play. I think he has found his sweet spot as the goalie. Its still early on but he played that position last game and was the best at it, not one ball past him! He is still working on his first goal and came close last game, so we will see as the season cont. what happens.

Ma & Pa Kanooth visit

Again Dad was here on business and this time he brought "Bean bag" aka mom with him(she's going to be mad at me for that one). It was so nice to have my mom here to play with the kids and have dinner with while Steve and Dad were gone at work. She was a great help....sometimes I couldn't get her to stop helping :) We all missed them when they left!


Mom and I had lunch/recess with Sydney and Steven at school.


Tori LOVED playing Barbies with Grandma and Steven loved wrestling Papa.


We, and when I say we I mean my mom, canned about 60lbs of peaches the first day she was here. It was fun.... I had never canned before and probably never will again..jk! It is SO much work but I guess the end result it totally worth it.
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Visit from Papa Brooks and Uncle Sean

We had a great time with Sean and Steve here last weekend. Steves grandma past away last year and said that she wanted me to have all her sewing stuff. So Steves Dad abd brother came all the way over here to deliver it. I thought it was just a sewing machine....10 boxes later. I gotta get back in the sewing groove. :)
We had fun going to Tucanos, Cabellas, U-swirl, and the State Penatentory.







I dont think Steve likes that headline too much.....Woman get away with murder in Idaho.....LOL!

Western Idaho fair

The face boards (whatever they are called) and the swings were the best part of the fair.....

Back to school- 1st & 2nd grade 2011

The kids had a great first day of school. They both love their teachers! Steven has Sydneys old teacher from last year and Sydney is in a 2nd-3rd combo class. They were short teachers this year with less funding so instead of having larger classes they took some of the high achievers(dont know what else to call it...) and some 3rd graders that were a little behind and slapped them together. They also considered what students could handle being in this kind of class. All in all, I think it will challenge Sydney and be a good thing for her. Steven had a great day and was all excited when he came home. I was so happy for this because he has a harder time being away from home. He had an older boy who was his buddy for the day and really like that. Sydney said she got lost one time, which kind of scared her, but she said she figured it out and was fine (she is so much like Steve).
Steve had the day off so it was nice to be with the little
girls and get some shopping done with not so many crazy kids tagging along.






Here is a picture of my BABY growing up too fast! She will be in nursery at church next month and I HATE IT! She is getting big too fast!


and Tori is on my lap helping me with this post and wanted this picture of her on here..so here we go.