Lagoon 2013

Last week was my birthday!  The kids kept asking me how old I was.  Lemme see...28?  29?  32?  I forget.  Some big number that Cora can't count to.  On my birthday we decided to take our annual trip to Lagoon.  My dad agreed to tag along so we would have an even number.  We rode on lots of rides, but I mostly seemed to take pictures of the kiddie rides...I guess because that is because I wasn't on them.

Here is my cute boy on one of the kid rides.  Cora is still far too short to go on much else, so we spent a good portion of our day in the kiddie land.  Dax was still very very excited to ride on all of these rides...Arden is starting to grow out of some of them.

 Look!  Lagoon has their very own version of the teacups!  No one wanted to ride in my "non-spinning" teacup and instead they all crowded in with Preston, who is pro-spin.

 See what I mean?  I can barely watch them go without getting a little sick:

 Dax and Cora wanted to go on the "Dino Drop."  Cora was excited to get on, but as soon as it started going up and down, she was more excited to get off as soon as possible.  Dax, of course, is loving it.

The kids did all of the little rides.  Cora is still excited to "drive" the autopia cars:

 Arden....not so excited:

 We did a lot of the bigger rides too.  The bigger kids (and escorts) did Bombora roller coaster,the Bat roller coaster, the big bumper cars, and the Wild Mouse while Cora did some more little rides like Bulgy the Whale.  Preston and all the kids did the Tilt A Whirl.  We all did the Odysea, the big Ferris wheel, the sky ride, the zoo train, and of course, the carousel.  For some reason, Cora was DYING to ride on the pig?

 She is still cute though.  Arden really wanted to ride on the cat.  I guess horses are just boring now?

 Look, I was here too!

Somewhere in there we snuck in lunch at air conditioned Subway/Arbys.  Did I mention it was like 100 degrees (again) this day?  It was.  Lucky for us there is a lot of shade at Lagoon.  In the afternoon we were feeling a little hot again and headed to Pioneer Village for some ice cream!  Yay!  That didn't cool us down quite enough so we then hit the log flume and got a little wet.  Then we went to Rattlesnake Rapids and got a LOT wet.  We enjoyed it thoroughly and felt much cooler.

After that, we looked around at the Pioneer stuff for a bit (Arden is especially fascinated with the dentist's office) and then headed back to the rides.  Dax wanted to get serious now.  He was finally tall enough to tackle some of the BIG coasters this year, and wanted to go on Wicked.  For those of you who may not have been to Lagoon lately, this is what I am talking about:

This coaster shoots straight up, then quickly straight down.  It corkscrews, goes upside down, through a tunnel, you name it.  Arden was a little nervous, but Dax was stoked.  I sat next to him on the front row.  As we shot up the hill I was busy screaming, but about halfway down, I snuck a peak at Dax to see if he was ok.  The kid was in heaven.  The look on his face was pure joy.  I wish I could have taken a picture of that, but my camera would surely have flown out of my hands.  Anyway...mouth open in an excited smile, eyes sparkling...if he was a dog his tongue would have been hanging out.  I love that kid.

When we got off, Arden and Grandpa declared they needed a break from coasters.  Dax wanted to do Wicked again, but the line was too long.  So, my boy pointed at Colossus (yup, the one with the two loops) and declared his intention to conquer it next.  Off we went.  I looked over at him on the second loop, and the look was the same.  The kid is fearless.

Cora had been being entertained on the Music Express and the Rock-o-planes (where she didn't let Preston go upside down), but was ready for a kid ride.  Arden was sad (not) that she didn't fit on the Baby Boats.  The line was long, so we told the littles they had to share a boat.  Dax was upset that the green boat was taken, but Cora was (obviously) excited to be in the pink boat ringing the bell:

 After a while, Dax took over the ringing, and Cora wasn't as happy:

While the big kids went on some more bigger rides, Cora and me went on the train again.  Choo-choo!

We just kept riding, and riding, and riding!  About 8:30 I thought it was probably time to get going since the kids are usually getting in bed around that time, but it was, "Mom, just one more time on the sky ride!"  "We are walking right by the merry go round and there is no line, can we go on it on our way out, please?"  Turns out, we didn't get out of the park until about 10 p.m.  I know all of the adults were exhausted, but the kids were so wound up it seemed like they could have kept going for hours more.

Thanks Lagoon, it was fun!  See ya next year.

Summer Fun WITH Pictures

I am so glad that I found my camera!  Posts are so much more fun with pictures.

In fact, since I am so tired (Arden had a bad dream about a tarantula biting Preston and came and got in bed with us at 4 a.m., and then Daxton had a bad dream about a monster eating him and came in bed with us (and Preston headed for the couch) at 5 a.m.  Problem is...Dax never went back to sleep), this post is going to be pretty much ONLY pictures.  I don't have the strength to try and think of words to write.

Since our trip we have been staying close to home, but still trying to have fun (despite the fact that it is 100 degrees every day!)  Here are some of our adventures:

First up - mini golf at Cherry Hill!  This was the first time we have been mini golfing in well...ever.  Arden was just scary because she was swinging her club like she was trying to drive her ball 300 yards off the tee at Pebble Beach.  The kids enjoyed the fun obstacles, Dax especially liked this castle with a dragon:

 Cheese!

 Look out world!

 Cora had a special technique when it came to hills.  She just put her club behind the ball and walked it slowly up the hill.  Not sure how many strokes that should count as.

It was HOT, so after our 18 holes we had to stop and get some beverage.  And say cheese again:

A few days later we made another trip to the rec center pool.  We have a family pass since Preston plays raquetball a couple times a week, so we have been to the pool a few times this summer.  Arden likes to try and do handstands on the bottom of the pool.  She wanted me to take a picture of her handstand, but before I could get the picture Dax came and helpfully tipped her over:

Arden back floats just like her mommy.  Head out of the water, rest of the body doesn't seem to want to stay at the top of the pool:
 

 Cora is a little fishie:

 It is hard to smile while holding your breath!

 Dax wants to get an underwater shot too:

 Last week my dad had his company party at Boondocks and we got to tag along.  My favorite was the bumper boats, but I was too busy watching Arden shoot Grandpa in the head with the water gun to take any pictures of that part.  Dax and Grandpa took a spin on the go carts:

 Cora's favorite is still the mini-carousel.  She must have gone on this thing 8 or 10 times:

We did ANOTHER round of mini golf.  The course and Cherry Hill was more fun, but the kids liked the last hole here.  If you got it in the center, the big Tiki mask told you that you were awesome and then fire shot out of its head.  Here is Cora, totally cheating so that she could be sure to get the show:

We played lots of games.  The kids always enjoy playing one particular game where they get to shoot skeleton pirates and sea monsters and stuff.  Look at Cora's concentration!

 After that we went bowling.  The kids still like to use the ramp usually.  I like it when they use it too, because when Dax doesn't use the ramp he kind of does a shot put kind of thing that I worry will leave dents in the lane.  Dax also has flair with the ramp, though.  Similar to goal kicks at soccer, Dax takes a LONG running start (like, to the back wall of the alley) and then runs as fast as he can up to the ball to push it down the ramp.  Cora is a little more mellow:

Thanks for letting us tag along, dad!

The Rest of Yellowstone

So, where was I?  Oh yeah, Island Park.  After we floated down the river and threw rocks, we headed back to the hotel.  I went on a lovely run at sunset.  It was nice to be alone for a bit...well, just me and John Denver, running through the wilderness.  Awesome.  

The next day we got up and cleaned up our Island Park cabin, and headed to West Yellowstone.  Grandpa and me had a lot harder time putting the luggage bag on top of the car without Preston's help, but we managed somehow.  When we turned the corner to go through the Yellowstone gate, I could not BELIEVE how many cars were in line to get in.  It was ridonkulous.  After we waited in line for a bit, we made it in!

We struggled to find a parking place but visited a couple of geyser basins.  Then we went to one of the kids' favorite places in the park, Artists Paint Pots.  It is a little big of a hike, but they like to listen to the sounds of the mud popping out.  Cora and Daxton were starting to feel the sleep deficit a bit and were a little grumpy.  Luckily, Arden was still willing to smile for me:

Arden got ahold of the camera and took a bunch of interesting pictures.  I just like this one because Dax looks so dang excited.  At least the part of Dax that you can see:

 We saw a few elk, a bald eagle, and a whole bunch of buffalo/bison.  (I like to say the word "buffalo" more than I like to say the word "bison," so I usually refer to those big brown things as buffalo, even though I realize that is not technically correct.  Bufff-uh-low!)

 We were trying to do the "lower loop," but unfortunately there was a big traffic accident that had the road completely blocked off.  So, we took an unexpected break and hung out on the beach instead of just sitting in the car.  Who knew there was a beach at Yellowstone?  The sand had little pieces of obsidian mixed in with that, which is what makes it look so dark.  The kids, of course, had a GREAT time...throwing another 8,547 rocks.  (We sure did our part to return as many rocks as possible from the shores of the various water bodies of the greater Yellowstone area back into said water!)

 We finally worked our way back to Old Faithful.  Of course, as soon as we got there I saw a gigantic wave of people heading AWAY from the geyser that we had just missed.  We quickly ran to the ice cream parlor to beat the rush.  We were happily sitting on the porch rocking chairs when Dax licked his scoop right off the top of his cone.  It was more than his tired little self could handle and he burst into tears.  The line for ice cream was now down the stairs, so we all agreed to share ours and he calmed down.  We soon headed back to West Yellowstone to check into our new condo.  Pretty soon (right before bedtime) Preston and my sister and BIL showed up!  YAY!  I-am-so-happy-to-see-you-Preston-now-put-those-grouchy-kids-to-bed!

The next day I woke up with a huge headache and a sore throat.  Joy.  Why do I have a cold in July?

I cold medicined myself up and off we went.  Our big project of the day was the hike to "Fairy Falls."  Cora had been DYING to go on this hike since she heard the name of the waterfalls.  I tried to tell her that she would almost certainly not see Tinkerbell and her friends fluttering around the waterfall, but I am not sure she believed me.  We did some creative parking since there were so many cars in the parking lot and headed over to the sign to see what we were in for.  The first line of the sign said "Fairy Falls Trail:  1.0 mi."  No problem, let's go!

Turns out that it was 1.0 miles to the Fairy Falls trail HEAD, which was another 1.6 miles in.  That is 2.6 miles, total, 5.2 miles round trip.  Whoa.  Oh well, in for a penny, in for a pound.  We walked and walked and there was only a little bit of whining (hey, I have a cold!).  Finally, we made it.  The falls are very pretty, even without any colorful pixies floating around.

Have I mentioned about the flowers on this trip?  I don't know how I don't remember the flowers at Yellowstone from my childhood.  They knocked my socks off:

 Guess what Dax did at the waterfall?  Surprise!  He threw rocks!

The kids' favorite part of the hike were the parts where we got to cross streams.  By the time we were heading back, most of the kids wanted to get carried.  Even Dax got a ride on Preston's shoulders for part of the way.  It was pretty warm, and we used up every last drop of water we had carried by the time we got back to the parking lot.  But we made it!

We quickly found a picnic table for a late lunch and then headed BACK to Old Faithful.  We got some more ice cream (Preston and Manda missed it last time).  This time we actually stuck around to see the main attraction.  It started raining a little right after the "explosion," which is what Arden kept calling "eruptions."  It got so windy that one of the big lodge pole pines right near the boardwalk blew over while I was watching.  We decided it was time to head back to the hotel.  I snuggled down in a blanket on the couch to nurse my cold while the other grownups thankfully entertained the kids by playing uno with them while we waited for the West Yellowstone fireworks to start.   I unfortunately didn't take any pictures, but it was a pretty good show!

The next day we were going to take Preston down the river since he had never gone, but unfortunately after we drove clear back to Island Park we found out that everyone else had the same idea, and we would have had to wait for hours to get a raft.  Okay, drive back to the hotel and hatch plan B, head up to Mammoth. Unfortunately after we drove clear up there, we find out it is raining like crazy.  Okay, head back to the hotel again and hope it stops raining before the rodeo we have tickets for.  No such luck.  Good thing my dad brought a zillion ponchos and umbrellas.  Don't I look thrilled?

 It POURED for the first 20 minutes or so of the rodeo, but after that it stopped and it was actually a beautiful night, complete with rainbow.  The rodeo was a pretty small with local talent, but it was actually really entertaining.  They had a little kid (well, he was probably 12 or 13) riding bulls!  Sure, it was a little bull, but seriously?  Wow.

They had all the usual rodeo events, but my kids' favorite part was the rodeo clown.  He not only got bulls to chase him around, but he told jokes and did little comedy routines between events.  Arden is totally into jokes lately so she was excited to hear some new material. (What do you get when you light a match on a duck?  A firequacker!)

The next day was our last full day.  We went to a few more geyser basins.  These pretty blue pools are my favorite kind:

 We went on another (shorter!) hike to Mystic Falls, and got someone to take a picture of the whole lot of us:

 Then, lunch!  Arden told me she was getting tired of sandwiches, which made sense to me until Preston pointed out that Arden wanted a peanut butter sandwich in her lunchbox every single time she brought lunch from home, which was about 80% of the time.

 After lunch it started clouding up, then it started raining.  We were passing a herd of buffalo and the rain turned to hail.  The buffalos started running for the trees!  We had been thinking of hiking down to the brink of the falls, but the hail changed our minds for us, and we decided instead to do the much shorter "Artists Point."  Still, we had to huddle under our hatchbacks and wait for the hail to stop:

But the waterfall still looked pretty!

 The next day we headed back home.  We STILL didn't see any bears, but overall it was a fun trip!  Here is how we all felt at the end:

ThE EnD!

Floating Down the River

When I was a kid we used to visit Island Park most every summer, staying in a friend's cabin.  One of our favorite things to do was canoe down Henry's Fork from Big Springs to Macks Inn.  This year I decided the kids were old enough, so we rented a raft (cheaper than renting two canoes) and jumped in.

I mostly sat on the front of the boat and tried to steer us as best I could.  Grandpa sat in the back and paddled, and Grandma sat in the middle and tried to hand out snacks and generally keep everyone happy.  The kids were really excited to "help" paddle the raft.  Grandma, Grandpa and me were dodging paddles left and right as the kids scurried from one side of the raft to another or changed the direction they were paddling.  Grandma was doing a version of Kung Fu pretty much the whole ride as she tried to deflect wayward paddle handles.  Arden sat behind me for a while and I caught a paddle to the head five or six times.  Oh well, it is the thought that counts, right?

Dax is looking like a seasoned river guide in this picture.  It was perfect weather.  Nice and warm so that you wanted to have your feet in the nice, cold water. 

 It took us 3 or 4 hours to slowly float ourselves down the river, so we took a few stops along the way.  We stopped here to look at the beautiful wildflowers (and find a tree for Dax to water....shhhh).

There were so many wildflowers everywhere this year.  I wish I knew the names of more of them.  The orange ones here are Indian Paintbrush, and my mom told me the purple ones are Lupine.   They were EVERYWHERE. 

 Here is the raft crew, getting ready to jump back in and see some more river.

 Well, maybe just a little more splashing first.

We saw dozens and dozens of trout swimming below our raft. We saw and heard lots of birds, including quite a few red winged blackbirds.  The kids kept teasing each other that they saw alligators swimming in the river.  Once we started passing some cabins, they really did see one!  Someone had put a fake alligator near their dock, and the current of the river made it look like its tail was moving.  I wish I would have snapped a picture of it.  I was hoping that we would see a moose, and just a little bit before Macks Inn, we finally saw a mother moose.  Her baby is in the willows behind her, but you can't see it in the picture.

 Arden sat by Grandpa during some of the ride, and decided once that she was going to push him out of the raft.  He laughed and pretended he was going to fall, but then Dax saw what was happening and ran over with all his little boy momentum to help Arden push, and soon Grandpa wasn't pretending anymore.  Overboard he went!  It was hilarious (sorry Dad) and funnier because I would never have dared to try that on my dad when I was little.  He would have thrown ME overboard and made me float down the rest of the way myself.  But you know how it is, grandkids can get away with all sorts of things.

Here is Grandpa and Arden, pre-dunk.  It looks like Arden might be hatching a plot in that sneaky little head, doesn't it?

We made it down to Macks Inn with everyone still in the boat, so I call it a success.  We were all a little sunburned and a lot hungry, so we headed to the cafe across the river and ate some delicious pizza and a much-needed Diet Coke.  After that we got some ice cream cones and I ate mine while I watched the kids throw about 7,452 more rocks into the river.

I will finish up the trip next post!