Boyers Head West

Travel Day   Monday June 27  I have rarely woken up to see a bull out my window, but that was my view this morning! Our Airbnb was called the Arrowhead Ranch in Cokeville, WY. I wish we’d gotten to spend more time there. It truly was in the middle of nowhere surrounded by fields, cows, bulls, and barns. The kids had fun running around and exploring. We hit the road again and headed to Moab UT. We made a road trip playlist and I’ve started playing Willie Nelson’s “On the Road Again” each one of our travel days. Liam loves it.  We made it to Moab by dinner and ate at our tiny house Airbnb. It’s cozy, but it works. The hosts even left us giant chocolate chips macadamia nut cookies which was so kind! Hopefully we’ll get a good nights rest and be ready for our 8am reservations at Arches NP tomorrow!  Waking up to a cow outside my window  Arrowhead Ranch  Checking out the bulls and cows  Our Airbnb in Moab, UT 

 Grand Teton National Park  Sunday June 26 We left our Aunt Vicky and Uncle Hank’s house in Montana and drove five hours to see the Grand Tetons, since we weren’t able to camp at Yellowstone. I remember seeing the mountain range on a trip when I was nine with my Aunt Jeanne, but I definitely appreciate their majesty more as an adult. The Grand Teton (the largest in the mountain range) reminded Dave and I a little of the Matterhorn in Switzerland. It was truly awesome the way the rocks jutted up to the sky. They were shaped and formed by tectonic plates and earthquakes. The only downside of this stunning areas was all the amazing mountain bikers and trails we saw. Dave’s heart broke a little not having our bikes with us, but he’s determined to come back again and enjoy that part of the national park too.  On our way  The Grand Teton  Moose sculpture at the visitors center  We got our stamp in our national park passport book and headed to Taggart Trailhead to...

Last Day in Montana   Saturday June 25  Grandma, the two older boys and I went into downtown Helena today for lunch, a stroll down the walking mall, and some shopping. Dave stayed with the two littles to pack and make sure they got naps. It was so nice to have special time with Caleb, Josh, and Sara. Tomorrow we leave early and head for the Grand Tetons. We’ll make our way down to Arches NP where we have reservations Tuesday.  Lunch (and dessert) at a delicious Mediterranean grill Beautiful mural of strong Montana women  Fun toy store we visited  Josh and me  Statue of a “bullwhacker”  Me and my mother-in-law Sara  I appreciate our time together, her easy going nature, generosity, and all the family stories.  Walking mall…lots of restaurants and cute shops  Grandma, Caleb, and Josh  Lupine…makes me think of the story of Miss Rumphius my mom read to me when I was little. She made the world a more beautiful place by planting this hear...

  A Day of Play  Friday June 24  “Life is the art of the turn.”  -Ann Voskamp Originally today we were going camping with Grandma at Yellowstone NP. However with the floods that recently happened our camping reservations were cancelled and we had to change plans. I felt that the above quote was very appropriate. We have to continue to be gracious and flexible on this adventure. So we gave the kids a choice of either going to the local children’s museum Explorationworks or going to the pool in town. I love how well Josh knows himself. He said, “mom, I would love the pool, but since the slides are closed it would be too hard for me to look at them.” Also, the high today was 71, so it was a little chilly to swim for this Florida crew. So off to the museum we went! In honor of one of the founders admission was free today, which was nice. There was a really cool exhibit called “Sportsology” with a variety of activities that tested strength, speed, and flexibility. The boy...