Yellowstone!

Last week we took a little family vacation to Yellowstone, compliments of my dad. We had a great time and Ella got to see and play in snow for the first time! We didn’t see that many animals however, which was rather surprising, but we had a great time anyway. We left on Tuesday morning, spent the night in West Yellowstone (dad had a free motel room there, complete with swimming pool that he and L went swimming in), drove through Yellowstone again on Wednesday and were home Wednesday night.

A fun time was had by all, just different things made the trip fun for different people. For me it was seeing the bison (especially the babies) and elk and seeing some of the geysers and stuff as an adult and realizing that they are not normal! As a kid I really took Yellowstone for granted but wow! How weird to have boiling hot water shooting up hundreds of feet out of the ground...

For four year olds however, different things are fun for them. After experiencing all of the natural wonders of Yellowstone, eating at Old Faithful, and generally just partying the whole time, Ella’s most exciting experience was when she puked. Yes, throwing up beside the car on the Chief Joseph highway was what thrilled her the most (this is only the second time the kids thrown up in 15 months). I have never seen anyone take such delight in such an experience.

We got home and my grandmother called so Ella got to tell her great grandmother about our trip. I quote, “Grandpa drove and drove us and we got to stop at bathrooms!” Yes, that was the cheerful synopsis of our trip to Yellowstone. It is true – preschoolers truly ARE enamored with bodily functions! At least she didn’t tell her great grandma how she’d puked...

Going up over the Beartooth Pass there were lots of big snow drifts. It had just opened the Friday before.

Bear bait!

Ahhhh... grabbing snow for the first time!

Granny built a little snowman :)

Filling up the cooler with snow - L thought this was so cool!

Ella thought that not only was it pretty neat that you could eat the snow, but that it was free and there was lots of it!

Granny taught Ella how to have a snowball fight. Then poor old Granny got a snowball in her face and down her shirt! But no one felt very sorry for her somehow... ;)

Ella, with a straggly elk behind her, at Mammoth. She thought they were goats at first!

We saw quite a few of these old fellows, walking down the road stopping up traffic. At the end of the trip we did not have very kind feelings about these fellows...

Ella by a really cool hot springs

This was such a deep, BLUE pool - truly beautiful!

Ella with her grandparents

Dad and L in Old Faithful Lodge

There she blows!! Old Faithful Geyser actually came through :)

Grandpa got us ice cream :)

Enjoying it in the sun on the porch of Old Faithful Lodge

Ella reminded me of a little bear cub the whole time. She continues to just grow and grow!

Sporting Grannies sun glasses