Yellowstone & Island Park

For Labor Day, Leslie and Morgan invited us and Chris & Kacie's family up to Leslie's family cabin in Island Park, WY.  The kids were so excited and Kennedy sent Rachel and Allie the cutest little packing list before we left. 

The cabin was unique and had lots of lofts and room for everyone to stay comfortably.  It was right on the lake and the weather was beautiful (a tad bit cold for some of the water activities, but it didn't stop us).  We went to a smaller reservoir one day with a rope swing and some paddle boats and creatures galore!  Chris & Morgan wore their speedos for the occasion, of course!  

Trying to go into Yellowstone on Sunday during the three-day weekend was a DISASTER!!  I can't even fully explain the terribleness, because I am still traumatized.  I will try ... basically, we drove 45 minutes to get there and then there was awful traffic getting to the pay booth in the park.  I want to say that after being in the car for nearly two hours, we had finally paid to get in but then had hit traffic again with NO END IN SIGHT!  Andrew was having major stomach/"labor" pains, and Brandon even pulled over in the park after getting through the entrance to let him try to poop in the trees - is that even allowed at Yellowstone?!  Doesn't matter, because nothing helped and he wasn't even able to go!  Carson was also being miserable, so we turned up and drove back to the cabin.  We did make it back into the park a little later that evening and we saw Old Faithful and a few bison and a couple other stops.  Then we sat in traffic to get out of the park for at least an hour and a half.  It was not that awesome.  It's just not very kid friendly, people!  You don't need to take children there.  Save yourself the headache and just go to Bear World outside of Rexburg - that is fun for kids!!  We stopped there on the way home, and it was SO awesome!  We saw all sorts of different animals and tons of bears from the car, and then played in a petting zoo for awhile.  

We did enjoy the time after the kids were asleep (with the help of melatonin) and the adults chatted and played games!!  Other highlights included the hugest moose I have ever seen walking right through the cabin property, the boys playing jet ski football (up until Morgan gouged his ankle), paddle boarding on the lake with Brandon, stopping at the fresh water spring to fill up all the water bottles, trip into town for ice cream and braiding hair with the moms. 

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