Colter Bay-- Labor Day Weekend 2013

Our favorite trip of the summer finally arrived!!! We love the Jackson Hole trip!!! This is going to be a long post so stay with me.  

This year we went with all of Randy's family, the Titensors, the Nortons, the Nelsons and the Shields. 

We stayed in Colter Bay in the Tetons. Our camp was on Jackson Lake. We arrived late Wednesday night in Jackson Hole so we spent the first night in a church parking lot. We left first thing in the morning and got set up then headed for the lake. 

This lake always takes my breath away. The clear glacier water against the beautiful Tetons is magnificent. The kids wasted no time at all getting wet. 

In the first few minutes we found a baby frog. It entertained the kids for quite some time. In fact in came back with us to camp and later got released after some convincing and tears from the little girls. 

The Nortons came with us down to the beach. 

Randy's bromance Justin. 

Lance and Kendra joined us with Miss K

Aspen and Addie trying to decide what to name the baby frog. 

Harrison was completely entertained by all the rocks. He could throw them all he wanted and NEVER EVER run out. It was great. 

Addie Claire and Aspen were the only ones brave enough to go out deep. The boys were being wimps. 

Tiger Nelson. He was such a ham the whole trip. 

We had to wrap things up. A storm was heading over the Tetons. It was starting to get cold and overcast. 

Harrison rode at my feet on the way back to our camp. He thought he was pretty tough stuff. 

He saw Nanny and Pappa pulling into camp on the way and got pretty excited. 

Hanging out back at camp.

The kids were so excited to get their PJ's on and get into their bunk beds. They love sleeping in the trailer. 

This was our view from our camp. BEAUTIFUL!!! 

Unfortunately there was a fire in Yellowstone the week we were there so there was a bit of a haze in the air. It made for some pretty sunsets.  

The next morning we took the bikes out for a ride. 

Jason rode his bike in a super dorky way. Even his wife Kellyanne was making fun of him. 

Todd and Justin

Melissa Todd and Waytt

We took turns making dinner. We were making fun of Kendra for the way she was stabbing the heck out of the potatoes. 

Kamie brought a big ream of paper that she set out on the tables so the kids could color. Addie and Claire loved coloring. 

Harrison always carried around a stick to play ninja. 

Tamara took the girls down to the lake again and the girls caught some guppies. 

  Miss K was loving being outside!!

Doesn't Randy look so relaxed. I think he was in that chair for several hours. 

Who needs toys when there are so many rocks and dirt to play with. 

Claire and Pepper played veterinarian. 

Pepper was the nurse that had to take care of all the animals. She held them for about an hour. Harrison was mad. He didn't like her hoarding the toys. Pepper was determined and didn't let them go. She was a good little nurse. 

That afternoon we headed to Jenny Lake. On the way some of the trucks pulled over to help a truck stuck in a ditch. While we waited Brad and I walked down to the bottom of the Jackson Lake dam. Brad asked me a million questions about it that I couldn't answer. He was so intrigued with how it was built. He has such an engineer brain.  

Once we got there Melissa and I wanted to get some pictures of the kids. Harrison didn't want to participate and Claire was trying to make him. He ended up falling into a puddle after his tantrum. 

He only wanted to get sympathy from Melissa (one of his other mothers)

Jenny Lake is always so clear and beautiful. 

Walking around the shore. 

We were going to take a small hike with the kids but soon after we got there this huge, black, ominous cloud came over the mountain. 

We quickly bailed and headed for the trucks. These pictures don't even do this cloud justice. I was nervous. 

We could see a wall of storm heading straight for us. 

We made it to the trucks JUST before the giant hail pellets started coming down. 

It was the craziest storm. 

Tamara and Justin made it to Jenny Lake before us and got stuck in this storm on the hiking trail. They said they could actually hear this storm before they could see it. They had to seek shelter under pine trees until it passed. They said it was horrible and amazing all at the same time. 

On Friday we drove to Yellowstone. We spent all day there. I knew we would be doing lots of driving on this trip so I packed TONS of activities for them to do in the car. The kids were SOOO good. I couldn't have asked for better.

Harrison thought it was funny to stick banana chips in between his toes. It kept him entertained for a long time. 

Our first stop in Yellowstone was Fire-hole River. The last time we stopped here was when I was pregnant with Claire. 

After pictures we changed our clothes in the truck and went swimming. There is a warm spot in the river where the kids jumped into a rapid and floated down. I left my camera in the car dang it!!! The kids loved it. Even Harrison loved the water after he realized I wasn't going to let him go by himself. 

After Fire-hole we made a few stops in West Yellowstone. 

These board-walks always make me nervous with the kids. You hear all the horror stories of scouts going off the trail and being burned up in one of the hot pots. I kept telling the kids they could die if they went off the path.

The kids loved watching the Geysers. 

Our last stop was Old Faithful. It is tradition to make at least this stop. We made a picnic lunch to eat while we were there. The kids found some dead logs wedged between trees. It took them no time at all to see the teeter totter potential. 

Tim couldn't help but join in. 

Then Randy followed suit. 

Even Nate and Jenni had a turn. 

Who needs a playground for a picnic??

After lunch we headed over to Old Faithful Lodge to see the Geyser. Claire was playing in the dirt around the board walk and of course got it all over her face. 

Waiting...waiting...waiting...

...happily waiting...

...okay this is taking forever...

Finally!!!

Worth the wait. I have seen Old Faithful several dozen times and it still amazes me. 

After Old Faithful we ALWAYS get ice-cream at the lodge. 

This is Randy's favorite part of the trip. He could sit in those rocking chairs all day long. 

Carter, Reagan and Harrison loved going up and down these steps. Again who needs a playground??? 

Yummy!!! I wanted to go around and ask everyone for a bite of all the different flavors. 

Me and Liss

I love Kam's cute little pregger belly!!!

And Tim's huge pregger belly!!!

While they were standing there Brad realized that he had finally grown as tall as Aunt Kamie. Next year I am sure he will have a few inches on her. 

On the way back to camp Claire drew this picture of the day. She drew the pretty geysers, the bubbling mud, the blue pool....and a dead guy who stepped off the board-walk. I guess I need to tone it down a notch. At least she listened to my warnings. 

When we got back to camp we enjoyed a yummy dinner. The kids were excited to be out of the truck. They wanted to run around with all their friends. 

Dinners up there were a HUGE production. 

We let the kids stay up to have a fire and smores. When it got dark enough we cracked out the glow sticks.  

Saturday we headed down to Jackson Hole to spend the whole day. We spent the morning shopping. We always race to Shirt Off My Back. They always have hoodies on sale. Jackson Hole just wouldn't be the same without buying the traditional hoodie. Even when I was on bed rest with Harrison and didn't go on this trip, Randy took the kids alone and got the kids a hoodie. 

Justin looks good in fur!!! Don't you think??

After a while the boys got tired of shopping and had to take a rest. 

After going in almost every store we went and got pizza at a new place we hadn't tried yet. It was just okay. We usually get pizza at Mountain High. We will have to go back there next year. 

Marci and Zak met up with us for the day. They moved to Rigby ID this year. We have missed them dearly. It was fun to catch up and see them. 

After lunch it was a bit more shopping. 

Matt had to stop at the candy store. The kids were ecstatic to get something fun instead of clothes. We love Uncle Matt!!!

Claire and Lyndsee. These two play so good together. It was nice to have a girl on this trip her age. 

The traditional antler picture. 

LOVE these girls!!!

When we were all shopped out we went to the Alpine Slide. 

Brad was so excited that he was old enough to ride the lift up himself. 

Melissa took Wyatt

I took Claire. She was funny to ride up with. I had on flip flops and she was so worried that they were going to fall off. I finally had to take them off so she would enjoy the ride instead of worry. 

Marci was nice and took care of Harrison so Randy could snap our pictures coming down. 

Jenni took Lyndsee

Nate took Carter

Tim took Reagan

Matt and Tori

Claire wanted to control the sled the whole time. She was too young to go by herself but she would have been fine without me. She wanted to go pretty slow. 

Lyndsee did the no hands approach. 

Carter too!!!

Matt's stink face. 

I LOVE LOVE LOVE this picture!!! Even though you can't tell if Reagan liked it or not. Tim did!!!

Tori's worry face. 

After the Alpine slide we had a little bit of time to kill before the dinner show. We took the kids to a park with a cool climbing wall. 

Brad did some carving with his new knife he bought shopping. His tongue was out the entire time. 

The boys watched a couple of episodes of Duck Dynasty on Randy's phone.

The babies on the swings. 

After the park it was time for BAR J. 

I have no idea why Claire is making that face. She is getting more and more sassy. We are in trouble. 

Harrison loved clomping around in his new cowboy boots. 

The kids got to walk around the grounds before dinner. 

Reagan enjoying some sugar packets before dinner. 

We have seen this show so many times I could almost recite it. I love it. It cracks me up every year. 

At one point the kids were having a little jam session. They were swaying and singing. It was so cute to watch!!

After the show the kids wanted to meet the REAL cowboys. 

We love BAR J!!!

The next day we stayed at camp!!! 

We were exhausted after all the running around. 

In the morning we set up a craft table and let the kids make rock and stick creatures. 

 While the kids crafted the men lounged and has relief society. 

The babies watnted to get in on the action. 

Of course Reagan was on the table and trying to get her hands on anything she could reach. 

Harrison trying to get Rudy to eat a rock. He was not successful. 

We put a googlie eye on Reagan's forehead. After a while she forgot it was there. 

When Harrison saw it he wanted one too. 

When Reagan saw Harrison's third eye it scared her and made her cry!!! 

It was so funny. 

Harrison wanted his on all day. If it fell off he would beg to have it put back on. He got a kick out of it. 

Of course we had to try one on Miss K. 

Wyatt had to show me his fishing pole. He was going fishing with his dad. 

After lunch a few of us went back down to the lake to swim and stick our feet in the water. 

The babies loved playing in the water and throwing rocks. 

The kids convinced Tamara to swim out to a buoy.  

The next morning we packed up and headed for home after breakfast. I always hate leaving the Tetons. However I don't like catching up on all the homework after missing a few days of school.