YELLOWSTONE

Welcome to Yellowstone: the world's first National Park (under some debate). We never made it up to Yellowstone last year, but this year we decided there couldn't be a better time to visit than during Memorial day-- for real. It was a forecast called for a blizzard and the park was pretty empty compared to what it usually is. I forgot how cool this place is (the last time I was here was 2003 for a 6 day backpack). Yellowstone boasts the world's largest geysers, the most geysers, boiling mud, huge waterfalls, bison, wolves, bear, the most remote (meaning farthest from any road) wilderness areas in the lower 48, hot springs, warm rivers, freezing temperatures and the freakiest death stories ever (death by being gored by a bison? Eaten by a Grizzly? Boiled by a hotpot? SICK)!

We met up with some friends from our ward in Moab and Sven's wife, Brenna (although we didn't take any pictures with them. . .whoops).

On our way up to Yellowstone; the snow in the valley at Grand Teton is just about gone (but the peaks are still loaded).

Once we were in Yellowstone there were 6ft-10ft walls on the road side. This photo doesn't do it justice. Everywhere around here is 250% of normal snow pack.

First stop was Old Faithful Lodge for a quick feed Liesel/go to the bathroom/change diaper break. I love this lodge-- built in 1904, its rustic, huge and beautiful and feels a little haunted. This is one of the lanterns hanging in the hallway and it was pretty fitting seeing that there was a mama Grizzly and her two cubs on the road side on the way home!

I was pretty jazzed to find Infant Geyser (that's why I'm pointing at the sign). Our infant was more interested in her jacket.

I don't know why, but I kind of thought that Old Faithful was the only geyser that went off often, but we saw about 10 sputtering and spewing steaming, smelly liquid.

In front of Saphire pool. This one was our favorite and it was HUGE. We only saw like 1/10th of the park (if that). Our next trip will be for John and Mindy's wedding (B's friend from High School) getting married in the Park in August. Can't wait!

L is 6 months old!

6 months of Liesel definitely goes faster than 6 months of pregnancy. I can't believe all that Liesel is learning and how she's becoming a real little person. This is her sporting her new shades.

Liesel has totally learned to sit up!

Check out the snow melt in front of the cabin-- its almost gone!

She's really into making crazy faces these days. She'll scrunch up her nose and sniff really loud while pursing her lips. It's hilarious.

She wants to grab anything and everything and put it in her mouth, including my arm.

And she's just really, really cute.

And she's started sucking her thumb.

She's always making us laugh, she's almost always in a good mood and she started solid foods last week (so far she likes peas, green beans, banana but not apples. . . uh, I totally didn't wait 4 days before introducing new foods. . . but honestly, do you know anyone allergic to peas?) She is still waking up several times a night and she's started developing stranger anxiety. I can't wait to see what the next 6 months will bring!

I'm not an addict, It's cool.

I first questioned my peanut butter consumption levels as a child, recognizing that my favorite snacks all included the tasty spread: ants on a log, peanut butter and banana toast, Reeces cups, mud cookies. . . and my first memory with Erin Barr is us eating peanut butter spoons in my driveway (and off my driveway. Ewww). And of course I featured George Washington Carver for my report during Black History month. And then in college when I could single-handedly consume an entire large jar of Adams in two weeks and would secretly buy the peanut butter cookie with the Hershey kiss on top every time I passed that Otis Spunkmeyer counter? And now it's my breakfast (PB toast anyone?) my lunch (how but a PB toast?) and my dinner (how 'bout a salad with some PB toast?) and my desert (how bout a spoon with PB, honey and two chocolate chips?). Oddly, it was one of the only things that I didn't feel adverse to during early pregnancy (and Cheerios). Liesel is almost 17lbs and I'm pretty sure she's made up of 98% peanut butter.

So what is to be done you ask? I'm not sure; I'll just float this off to the world of cyber confessions and hopefully that's the first step toward recovery.

Stevie Nicks, you were right. . .

children DO get older. Happy almost 6 months Leesie.

on being rich

Lately I've been thinking about what it would be like to be wealthy. I mean, really stinkin' wealthy-- the kind where you can buy organic meat, Egyptian towels and baby Patagonia jackets (oops). Brian says that what we don't have in wealth, we make up in lifestyle. That is so true. It's really really true. I mean, I've got my pack full of water, almonds and dolphin-safe tuna and as soon as Liesel gets up I'm donning my snow shoes and exploring one of the most beautiful places in the country.

The Cowboy State

There is something utterly western about living in Wyoming. Maybe its because there are more sheep and cattle than people, the mountains and sweeping plains, the absence of gun laws, or the Moose cow and calf in our backyard.

Liesel's first Wyoming game hunt. She digs the Tetons so far.

Angela's Wyoming high heels.

Wyoming spring.

# 1 fan of Wyoming spring.

Sport climbing at the Rodeo Wall.

Wyoming 5.10

From Moab to Moose

Liesel in her SUV. This is the Chariot, her ride through town (Moab). It's amazing how much she likes it-- she never complains like in her carseat. I think it's because she can see everything passing by in her little window. I was trying to soak up as much sun as possible while still in Moab, so even with packing pressing I still was biking to do errands.

Playing in the front yard; this massive plastic exersaucer actually made it up here when B decided he couldn't let his little girl go without. . .

A few days before we left I hiked Tower Arch with the girls. It was a super cool hike and completely avoids the hoards of people that are already swarming the parks down there.

My Grandma Collette (mom's mom) and Liesel Collette.

Welcome home! Back in Jackson (or Moose is our town actually). It's a white world up here! And it is currently snowing as I type this (which is good; I was a little worried it might actually melt by July and we couldn't have that).

Liesel rockin' her new puffy. We figured she couldn't be part of the fam without one, right? Okay, it was mostly just too cute to pass up but I have to say I'm amazed at how warm it keeps her.

There's something funny about shoveling 4 ft of snow

Stretch Armstrong style

Something about this makes me laugh out loud. Every time.

I am so in love with this little girl.

Something Special

Every once in a while I can convince Brian to do something a little out of the ordinary. On Sunday he not only agreed to 1) color-coordinate clothing but 2) take a kissy picture (which he swore he'd never do again about a year after we'd been married). Leslie graciously agreed to meet us and use her awesome photography skills to snap some family photos. All of us tried in vain to get Liesel to smile; there are just too many interesting things in a park (couples making out, oddly large geese, thousands of caterpillars . . . ). Here are some favorites: