Family Gathering at Island Park

Last year the kids decided it was time for another outing with our family and Uncle Stephen's family. The two families grew up more like siblings than cousins and the time to get away together had come. Millie and Anna did the research and found us a great cabin in Island Park, Idaho, not far from Yellowstone National Park. The cabin sits beneath the Sawtell Mountains and is nestled in a forest that looks out over a mountain meadow. Meal preparation and clean up was divided and shared by all, and some were assigned to provide activities for the kids and the adults. Meagan researched the Yellowstone sites, and between all the planners and workers, it was a great gathering.

So, on Wednesday 23 July, as soon as we finished school and work, Katy, Kris, and I headed north on I-15. We stopped in Idaho Falls for dinner and arrived at the cabin in time for the camp fire.

Everyone was there to welcome us to the camp fire

The fine art of making s'mores

Meg and Pop Pop enjoying a squeeze by the camp fire

Tucker LOVES s'mores and they love his face

Rob multitasking: roasting and eating

More good stuff follows in the next post.

OXO

D.

July 24 - Day Two

On Thursday 24 July we headed to Yellowstone National Park by way of the West Entrance. At Madison Junction we turned south toward the geyser basins. We stopped first at the Midway Basin where we had a look at the colorful rock and water and felt Mother Earth's hot steamy breath. We reconnected with everyone at Old Faithful Inn, where we ate lunch...outside. We finished just in time to watch Old Faithful break forth. It is impressive, but mobbed with tourists, just like us. The great old 1930s tour bus was parked in front of the inn, and we purchased a cool little replica to hang on our Christmas tree.

After supper, Katy entertained the little kids with a rousing relay. Grammy read several chapters of Winter Cottage to the binkers before they went to bed. Katy also spent many hours creating an entertaining version of the Newlywed Game for the adults. Kris and I did great. It pays to have lived together for many years. I guess, technically, we are not newlyweds. No wonder we did so well. Thanks Katy Kathryn; it was very fun!

On the boardwalk at the Midway Geyser Basin
with the Youngs

The complementary colors are dazzling

Anyone for boiled eggs?

Lunch time at the Old Faithful Inn, tightwad-style

Happy in the shade

The Inn is a great log-cabin-style Craftsman building

Yellowstone Tour Bus

Old Faithful

The fantastic log interior of the Old Faithful Inn

Firehole Falls on the Firehole River

Katy planned and hosted a fun relay activity for the binkers

Shaving balloons

Smile!

The beautiful meadow that surrounds our cabin
in the late-afternoon glow

Grammy reading Winter Cottage to the kiddies

Katy hosting the newlywed game

More great adventures in the next post.

OXO

D.

July 25 - Day Three

On Friday 25 July, we piled into our various vehicles and headed for the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. There was no cell phone reception but we tried very hard to caravan. There were a few hiccups along the way, but we did manage to meet up at the right times and saw some wonderful things. We stopped at the cascades on the Gibbon River and then went on to picnic at a wooded point overlooking the Yellowstone River, south upstream from Yellowstone Falls. We had lost contact with Phillip and Meagan, and when we reconnected, we learned that they had made a bison siting. So while they ate, we headed south to see a HUGE herd of bison. We finished the afternoon with a visit to Artist Point for a spectacular view of Yellowstone Canyon and Yellowstone Falls. On the return journey, we had a second encounter with the old yellow tour bus. That evening, Kris mesmerized the chilluns prior to bedtime with a few more chapters of Winter Cottage. Meagan treated the adults to a rousing game of Jeopardy, featuring an okole-charades category, where one spells with one's hind end. Fabulous!

Madeline, Lucy, and Camille at Gibbon Falls
on the Gibbon River

Lunch overlooking the Yellowstone River

The children reminded us they are bison not buffalo!

Quite an impressive sight

Lovely people posing at the Artist Point overlook

Lower Falls of the Yellowstone

I love that great old (refurbished) 30s tour bus

Millie and Ann being their lovely selves

Darling Dickie enjoying a vacation from shaving

More fun to come in the next post.

OXO

D.

July 26 - Day Four

On Saturday after breakfast we took family photos before Rob headed back to SLC prior to his flight to Washington D.C. We then made the short journey to Big Springs, a beautiful spot where a river bubbles up from the ground. The water is clear and beautiful and the river is filled with huge fish. There is a small cabin on the site built in the early part of the last century. It is charming and is my idea of the perfect cabin (in part because of the wonderful setting). In the evening Anna fed us supper and that was followed by a rip-roaring talent show (see Anna's post for a great video of Tucker's dance). The evening was filled with karaoke, zip line, Grammy's story reading, and games.

Early-morning view of the cabin

A closer look

Hard to get everyone looking perfect in the same shot

Our family shot

The traditional Taylor "running" with Rob as he pulls away,
headed for home -- this was a poignant run for LJ

Beautiful Big Springs

Looking for fish beside the Big Springs bridge

Fish!

One of several locations where the water gushes up to from the river

One of several sources

Some of the gang at the Johnny Sack Cabin

Max and Madeline's karaoke duel

The ladies congregate in the kitchen

Proud papa Phillip filming Meg's musical number

The crazy aunties go wild to Madonna's "Cherish"

One last camp fire with s'mores

A tutorial in marshmallow roasting

Katy and the binkers taking the Macarena dare

The sun going down on the Sawtell Mountains

Sunday after breakfast, clean up, and loads of towel washing, the Hastings piled in with us and we headed back down to the Wasatch front and real life. The reunion was so much fun! Thanks to everyone for such a great time. Will and Jaime, we missed you. We can't wait for the next time.

OXO

D.

Good Friends!

You know how you can get together with people after years of being apart and pick up right where you left off? Well, Paul and Karen West are good friends from London who moved to Perth in western Australia about ten years ago; they are those kind of friends and it has been that long.

The Wests were in Utah as part of a cross-country U.S. vacation -- I believe they visited 40 of the 50 states. On Monday 21 July they stopped in to see us and we had dinner here at home and then visited until almost midnight. The next evening Kris and I went to SLC to have dinner with them and their kids at the Cheesecake Factory. Their great children are all grown and it was fun to see and be with them.

Karen, Paul, David and Kris

Paul, Karen, Kai (sp?)

Kiri (sp?), Asher, Kai, Hunter, Karen, Paul, and Kris

Who knows? Maybe we will head to Australia sometime to join them on the beach.

OXO

D.