Island Park 2012

I'm going to be bold here and say that Island Park is probably my favorite place on Earth.  I really really love it there.  It is beautiful, it is removed, it is serene, it is associated with family and friends, it is paradisiacal to me.

In August we spent a week there.  We spent the first few days with our friends the Hurds who lived by us in Kuna and moved to Island Park a couple years ago.  We went swimming, rode 4-wheelers around their cabin, watched the Olympics, and relaxed.  We also took a little trip up to a lake in Montana but apparently I forgot my camera? My pictures here are a little backwards but I'm too lazy to put them in chronological order.

We spent the second half of the week with the Bird family.  We spent a day in Yellowstone, and of course did the traditional boating and fishing.  Great Grandpa Bird is an excellent fishing mentor, and Cam and Eli "caught" their first fish.  I'm a little vague on the logistical details of said "catch."

I feel so grateful that my kids get to spend time with their great grandparents.  Ray Bird is one in a million and having had 5 kids, 20+ grandkids, 50+ great-grandkids, and 2+ great-great grandkids, he knows his way around a toddler. 

Oh yeah- this old lady can still slalom.

Getting the kids out on the tubes is totally unpredictable.  Depending on the day any particular child could be wildly excited to tube or terrifically afraid. 

Miriam had a turn or two on the tubes, but much preferred the safety of Grandpa's lap.

The epic first catch.  Look at that pride! Richard swore to me that there were fish in the creek behind the cabin, but I have spent extensive amounts of Zen time by the creek and I'd never seen one.  He rests his case. 

Whether or not we have helmets on in the picture- we ALWAYS wear helments when we ride.

Waiting her turn for a zip around the cabin.

I bet you can't imagine how cool this seven-year-old felt driving this bad boy.  It was pretty funny to watch at first, but he got the hang of it.  It was also pretty funny to watch the Hurd's dog chase the 4-wheelers. 

Richard's allergies in Yellowstone were merciless.  I felt terrible for him.  Also, our van kept overheating, so as we spent the August day in the park, with temps reaching record highs, we had the heater on in our car.  SOooooo awesome.  Makes for good memories I guess. 

Perhaps because of the unusually hot temperatures our wildlife viewing experience was nil.  Yep folks, a day in Yellowstone and we didn't even see a buffalo.  We DID see a bald eagle on our way out of the park and that was it.  One lonely bald eagle.  But here we are waiting in anxious anticipation for Old Faithful.  That's why she's called Old Faithful, even when the buffalo can't be counted on, the geiser shows up.

Those hot pots can be pretttttty stinky. 

Mim wanted a picture by the "pink dirt."  She is filthy at this point. 

We are now a true American family, with a portrait at Yellowstone National Park.