The next morning we swung by the falls in Idaho Falls. It was a hit with the boys.
They loved finding pine cones and tossing them into the river below.
We went upriver a bit further for a view of the Idaho Falls Temple and so that the boys could feed the ducks and geese. These geese are obviously well fed and not afraid of humans.
Some of them were not much smaller than Bradon, but he liked watching them.
After another drive we finally found ourselves in West Yellowstone. We stopped for lunch at that great frontier eating spot, McDonald's. We shopped in some souvenir stores and took pictures in front of a friendly bison. 
Next we headed into the park and set up our tent trailer at Madison Campground. I love that particular campground along the Madison River. What a beautiful setting and I have a lot of happy memories camping with my family there growing up.Our first activity was to take a drive along the Firehole River. Check out this fabulous waterfall and my three handsome fellas.
Next we headed to the Fountain Paint Pots. The boys loved the smell. I don't think Bradon knew what to think. I never got a picture of it, but whenever we would walk through a cloud of steam he would cover his face with his hands until he was back in breathable air.
Tanner found this fun tree that was just begging to be climbed in the parking area.
Next we headed to the Fountain Paint Pots. The boys loved the smell. I don't think Bradon knew what to think. I never got a picture of it, but whenever we would walk through a cloud of steam he would cover his face with his hands until he was back in breathable air.
Tanner found this fun tree that was just begging to be climbed in the parking area.
Midway Geyser Basin was a hit with everyone since it's right along the river.
Here's Tanner at our campsite. The boy was constantly dirty and hated washing up since they only have cold water at the bathrooms. My boys love pretending to be in a war against the Germans (World War II based). In the background you can see our German neighbors. We kept trying to tell them they should maybe choose a different enemy for a few days. After all, we're on pretty friendly terms with Germany these days.
What boy doesn't like dirt?
It was pretty cold in Yellowstone while we were there so we had several campfires. The boys loved roasting the marshmallows more than eating them.
The next day we made it over to Old Faithful where we waited, and waited, and waited for it's faithful eruption. Bradon was provided with his favorite form of distraction. . . technology.
Finally Old Faithful erupted and Tanner enjoyed the view from Dad's shoulders. I don't know how Brian can stand to have him up there so much, but he does it. He's a good and patient daddy.
Ethan celebrated the geyser's eruption with his own special cheer.
Bradon did a little celebratory dance with my cell phone.
We then headed over to the shopping area and found the ice cream shop. It's never too cold for ice cream. You should have seen Bradon's face light up when he spotted the ice cream sundae. He was truly delighted.
We then headed up to Norris Geyser Basin to check out more of the park. I love this picture of Ethan and my dad.
Bradon was determined to walk this loop and he did a pretty good job.
He loved the binoculars. I think they made him feel older and wiser.
I think Ethan must be like his dad. He rarely wanted a sweatshirt or jacket even though it was fairly chilly.
On the other side of Norris Geyser Basin Bradon and Tanner spotted this rabbit. Since we had recently captured a rabbit that was feeding on Grandma's garden they were fascinated to see one in the wild.
Back at the campsite that night Tanner managed to cover himself in dirt.
Pure bliss.
The next day was chillier than ever and my mom woke up really sick. I mean REALLY sick. We felt bad for her, but she was a trooper and came along with us. First stop was the showers at Canyon Campground. I just need to freshen up once in awhile. The best part was when I was in the shower with Bradon and he escaped underneath the door. Luckily a kind stranger kept watch over him until I could get dressed. So much for a leisurely shower.
Here's Tanner at our campsite. The boy was constantly dirty and hated washing up since they only have cold water at the bathrooms. My boys love pretending to be in a war against the Germans (World War II based). In the background you can see our German neighbors. We kept trying to tell them they should maybe choose a different enemy for a few days. After all, we're on pretty friendly terms with Germany these days.
What boy doesn't like dirt?
It was pretty cold in Yellowstone while we were there so we had several campfires. The boys loved roasting the marshmallows more than eating them.
The next day we made it over to Old Faithful where we waited, and waited, and waited for it's faithful eruption. Bradon was provided with his favorite form of distraction. . . technology.
Finally Old Faithful erupted and Tanner enjoyed the view from Dad's shoulders. I don't know how Brian can stand to have him up there so much, but he does it. He's a good and patient daddy.
Ethan celebrated the geyser's eruption with his own special cheer.
Bradon did a little celebratory dance with my cell phone.
We then headed over to the shopping area and found the ice cream shop. It's never too cold for ice cream. You should have seen Bradon's face light up when he spotted the ice cream sundae. He was truly delighted.
We then headed up to Norris Geyser Basin to check out more of the park. I love this picture of Ethan and my dad. Bradon was determined to walk this loop and he did a pretty good job.
He loved the binoculars. I think they made him feel older and wiser.
I think Ethan must be like his dad. He rarely wanted a sweatshirt or jacket even though it was fairly chilly.
On the other side of Norris Geyser Basin Bradon and Tanner spotted this rabbit. Since we had recently captured a rabbit that was feeding on Grandma's garden they were fascinated to see one in the wild.
Back at the campsite that night Tanner managed to cover himself in dirt.
Pure bliss.
The next day was chillier than ever and my mom woke up really sick. I mean REALLY sick. We felt bad for her, but she was a trooper and came along with us. First stop was the showers at Canyon Campground. I just need to freshen up once in awhile. The best part was when I was in the shower with Bradon and he escaped underneath the door. Luckily a kind stranger kept watch over him until I could get dressed. So much for a leisurely shower.My mom stayed in the car while the rest of us hiked down to the Brink of the Lower Falls. Brian was AMAZING and pushed the stroller up and down the bumpy switchbacks so that Bradon could make the trip too.
What an amazing view! There's really nothing like it.
Here's Brian at the brink. This was his first trip to Yellowstone and I wanted him to see all the major highlights. We did a pretty good job considering we had three small children in tow. Ethan and Tanner did amazing on this hike. They went all the way up and down on their own power without complaining. They were truly super troopers.
Once we finished the north side of the canyon it started pouring rain. We headed for refuge at the lodge and quickly discarded our picnic plans in favor of lunch at the cafeteria. Seeing no signs of the rain letting up we regrouped and headed to Artist Point. My mom and Bradon stayed in the car while we took in the amazing scenery and this stop.
We passed through Hayden Valley where we spotted many herds of buffalo, but not much else. We stopped at the Mud Volcano and got out of the car to look around. Soon I heard some people yelling at me that there was a buffalo right behind me. How could that be? We'd just driven into the parking lot and didn't see a thing and I didn't notice a buffalo when I got out of the car. I figured they were just trying to be funny until I turned around and there really was a buffalo right behind me. That got my heart racing.
My mom still wasn't feeling well so we stopped at Lake Lodge to see if we could find her a room for the night so she didn't have to sleep in the tent trailer. We didn't have luck here so we headed back to the car. On the road in front of the lodge were dozens of buffalo. They were surrounding the van and we could hear their snorts from right outside our window. The boys were thrilled and it was fun to observe them so close from the relative safety of our vehicle.
We made the drive back over to the Old Faithful area to try and find some food my mom could eat. We were able to find a room for my mom and dad in West Yellowstone so they left us for the night.
What an amazing view! There's really nothing like it.
Here's Brian at the brink. This was his first trip to Yellowstone and I wanted him to see all the major highlights. We did a pretty good job considering we had three small children in tow. Ethan and Tanner did amazing on this hike. They went all the way up and down on their own power without complaining. They were truly super troopers.
Once we finished the north side of the canyon it started pouring rain. We headed for refuge at the lodge and quickly discarded our picnic plans in favor of lunch at the cafeteria. Seeing no signs of the rain letting up we regrouped and headed to Artist Point. My mom and Bradon stayed in the car while we took in the amazing scenery and this stop.
We passed through Hayden Valley where we spotted many herds of buffalo, but not much else. We stopped at the Mud Volcano and got out of the car to look around. Soon I heard some people yelling at me that there was a buffalo right behind me. How could that be? We'd just driven into the parking lot and didn't see a thing and I didn't notice a buffalo when I got out of the car. I figured they were just trying to be funny until I turned around and there really was a buffalo right behind me. That got my heart racing.
My mom still wasn't feeling well so we stopped at Lake Lodge to see if we could find her a room for the night so she didn't have to sleep in the tent trailer. We didn't have luck here so we headed back to the car. On the road in front of the lodge were dozens of buffalo. They were surrounding the van and we could hear their snorts from right outside our window. The boys were thrilled and it was fun to observe them so close from the relative safety of our vehicle.
We made the drive back over to the Old Faithful area to try and find some food my mom could eat. We were able to find a room for my mom and dad in West Yellowstone so they left us for the night.We woke up to a cold morning, our last. Bri made a fire and Bradon did his best to stay warm.
I finally had him wear Ethan's coat in addition to his own since the poor little guy was just freezing. I think he was quite pleased with himself.
When my mom and dad arrived at camp that morning my mom was thankfully feeling a bit better. After breakfast we broke camp and headed south out of Yellowstone. We stopped near West Thumb to check out the amazing thermal features at the West Thumb Geyser Basin on the shores of Lake Yellowstone. Bradon was asleep so my mom stayed with him in the van while the rest of us explored the area. 
The weather had changed and it finally started warming up a bit. Hooray for sunshine!
Following are some of Tanner's "secret" pictures. Don't tell him I posted them on the blog. Sometimes Tanner needs a little TLC to keep him moving and in this case Brian took secret pictures of him along the walk to keep him entertained and happy.
I just think they're a bunch of cute pictures of him, but don't tell him I said so.
All too soon our time in Yellowstone was coming to an end.
We took the southern route out of the park so that we could drive through Grand Teton National Park. You can't beat the scenery here.
My dad had us stop at the lodge where we found this perfect view of the beautiful mountain range.
After leaving the Tetons we stopped in Jackson for a picnic and then headed over the pass back into Idaho. I wanted to stop in Rexburg, Idaho for the night so that I could check out my old college stomping grounds. Back then it was Ricks College, but now it's BYU Idaho. We stayed the night at a Marriott near the freeway that was very new and nice but strangely decorated for the area. Here's my parents van pulling the dear tent trailer. It's seen better days, but it served it's purpose. It did feel nice to sleep in a real bed that night. Oh yeah, and it was nice to take a shower and get rid of the lovely campfire smell.
I couldn't believe how much Rexburg has changed since I was a student there. It hardly looks like the same place. However, I was pleased to see that Dorm 1 is still standing and looks the same. I have great feelings for the place. It was a good school and I had wonderful roommates who helped me become a better person. I think my time at Ricks helped me begin to figure out the type of person I wanted to become. It's nice to see that the school has grown so much and can now serve so many more students. It was a nice stop for me.
I finally had him wear Ethan's coat in addition to his own since the poor little guy was just freezing. I think he was quite pleased with himself.
When my mom and dad arrived at camp that morning my mom was thankfully feeling a bit better. After breakfast we broke camp and headed south out of Yellowstone. We stopped near West Thumb to check out the amazing thermal features at the West Thumb Geyser Basin on the shores of Lake Yellowstone. Bradon was asleep so my mom stayed with him in the van while the rest of us explored the area. 
The weather had changed and it finally started warming up a bit. Hooray for sunshine!
Following are some of Tanner's "secret" pictures. Don't tell him I posted them on the blog. Sometimes Tanner needs a little TLC to keep him moving and in this case Brian took secret pictures of him along the walk to keep him entertained and happy.
I just think they're a bunch of cute pictures of him, but don't tell him I said so.
All too soon our time in Yellowstone was coming to an end.
We took the southern route out of the park so that we could drive through Grand Teton National Park. You can't beat the scenery here.
My dad had us stop at the lodge where we found this perfect view of the beautiful mountain range.
After leaving the Tetons we stopped in Jackson for a picnic and then headed over the pass back into Idaho. I wanted to stop in Rexburg, Idaho for the night so that I could check out my old college stomping grounds. Back then it was Ricks College, but now it's BYU Idaho. We stayed the night at a Marriott near the freeway that was very new and nice but strangely decorated for the area. Here's my parents van pulling the dear tent trailer. It's seen better days, but it served it's purpose. It did feel nice to sleep in a real bed that night. Oh yeah, and it was nice to take a shower and get rid of the lovely campfire smell.
I couldn't believe how much Rexburg has changed since I was a student there. It hardly looks like the same place. However, I was pleased to see that Dorm 1 is still standing and looks the same. I have great feelings for the place. It was a good school and I had wonderful roommates who helped me become a better person. I think my time at Ricks helped me begin to figure out the type of person I wanted to become. It's nice to see that the school has grown so much and can now serve so many more students. It was a nice stop for me. The boys once again loved the swimming pool at the hotel. They can never get enough swimming time. I personally thought this pool was a bit chilly and since I almost let Bradon drown we soon gave up swimming for observing.
Sorry Bradon. I'll try not to fail you in the future.
Tanner and Ethan tried out all their best moves and Brian indulgently photographed them.
We had a really great time on this trip. I'm always happy to visit some of the places that I love with my own family. Ethan especially loved Yellowstone, and by the end I think we had won over Tanner. Bradon's always just happy to be along for the ride.
Sorry Bradon. I'll try not to fail you in the future.
Tanner and Ethan tried out all their best moves and Brian indulgently photographed them.
We had a really great time on this trip. I'm always happy to visit some of the places that I love with my own family. Ethan especially loved Yellowstone, and by the end I think we had won over Tanner. Bradon's always just happy to be along for the ride.We went to Walt Disney World three years in a row so this vacation was a nice change of pace. However, the boys are already requesting another trip back to the World. How long do you think we'll be able to stay away?
Thanks Dad and Mom for joining us on this trip and for all your hard work doing on the trip. We love you!
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