where the buffalo roam! Days 4 & 5

We've had a fantasic couple of days We spent a few hours in Jackson Hole, WY yesterday. It is very beautiful there. We had lunch and did a little shopping, but I could have spent the entire day there looking at shops. The boys were planning to raft there as well, but we didn't have enough time.

Here's a famous arch in downtown Jackson Hole that is make of antlers.

Last night we made it to our cabin and RV parking spot for the 3 days we are in Yellowstone. It is quaint and just perfect for what we need!

On the way we drove through part of the park and were able to see a momma black bear and her 2 babies right on the roadside. So cool! No pics though. I wasn't quick enough.

The weather here is fabulous. It was in the low 40s this morning when we left and then got in the upper 70s this afternoon. And there is NO humidity! You could have big fabulous hair all the time!! It would be my kind of place until I just heard that it gets 30 to 50 below zero in the winter. Way too cold for my liking!

Funny thing about this place is when wildlife is seen from the road people just jerk off the road really quick to get out and take pictures. Sometime it will cause a traffic jam for 30 minutes.  This is what the road looks like when it happens.

Today (Tuesday) we spent the entire day in Yellowstone. We saw geysers, mountains, lakes, rivers, waterfalls, elk, grizzly bears, antelope, and buffalo! Some of them were very close. A really neat experience. I suggest everyone visit here at least once in a lifetime. There are people here from all over the world which is really neat too!

a female elk

in front of a geyser

a geyser

a male 7x7 elk. we were SO close!

the views are just breath taking

a herd of buffalo

Zach and I are at the laundry mat now washing all of our clothes. Makes me so thankful for my own washer and dryer at home.

That's it for today! Stay tuned for more from Montana!

Garth Brooks told me Cheyenne had beaches - Day 3

After a restful night of sleep we are 6 smiling faces!

We left Denver around 8 this morning. First stop, Cheyenne, WY.

We were looking forward to the trolley ride of historic down town, but it was closed because it's Sunday. We were able to walk through part of downtown Cheyenne and tour the train depot!

 It was really neat to see how important the railroad was in the 1800-1900s.

Here's a piece of railroad trivia. Do you know why railroad conductors wear bandanas around their necks?

It was to keep the cinders from the fire from going down their shirts. I just thought they were a cute accessory back then!

Couldn't pass up a phot op with the giant boots!

Mimi and Kinley having a little outdoor playtime after lunch before we get back on the road.

So far I've only found one thing that is really bad about this RV...all the SNACKS! My sweet momma has stocked this place full of the best junk food ever...a giant sack of candy bars, honey buns, 5 kinds of cookies, brownies, gummy worms, trail mix (the not healthy kind), chips, crackers and I could go on. Needless to say I've had some kind of snack in my hand every waking hour. I can feel my pants getting tighter as I type this! Yikes!

A HUGE, GIANT THANK YOU to my cousin Leah for making homemade chocolate chip cookies, Iialian soaked crackers and some amazing trail mix for our trip. Leah, please forgive me for not giving you credit. We've already eaten most of the cookies and trail mix. Wish you were here!

We checked into our hotel just south of Jackson Hole, WY.

All the homes and businesses around here are rustic looking. Not sure why I didn't expect them to be.
Our hotel had a grill, so we had our own little cookout!

Kinley enjoyed playing in the rocks and getting to run around a little today after being in the "bus" (as she calls it) most of the day.

She also liked looking at the "bus-alo". But "not touch it"

Day 2. Another fun filled day. We'll see what tomorrow holds. Stay tuned!

Hello CO! - Day 2

We've made it across 3 states now...OK, NM, and now to CO.  We drove until early hours of the morning, found a spot to park and we all slept on the RV last night. Unfortunantly we weren't able to put the slide out on the RV, so things were a little tight...to say the least.  Kinley does NOT like to share a bed and is a bad bed partner!  I think between the 6 of us we might have gotten 10 hours of sleep, combined.

Oklahoma and New Mexico are running neck and neck for worst roads in all of America! Dear OK and NM Highway Transportation Dept, might want to check your roads! Thank you!  Bless all the truck drivers hearts. The roads are rough! I digress.

So we were back on the road by 5:30am.  I think we've all agreed that tonight we will get a hotel room! Praise Jesus!

(doesn't this look like a paparazi pic?! ha!)

After we all got adjusted to the early start, we each had our turn at a shower in the RV.  Here's the "rules" of RV showering....1) get in shower, 2) turn on the water to get your body wet (watch out it may scald you OR be freezing cold, you pick!), 3) turn off water and lather, 4) turn on water to rinse, 5) get out.  I was told there was a prize for the quickest shower using the least water....but I haven't seen any glimpse of the prize yet.  Honestly the shower wasn't bad. After you get the temp adjusted it's fine.

After a few more hours on the road we made it Canon City, CO to see the Royal Gorge. We took an amazing tain ride along the wonderful Arkansas River (which starts in CO, for your geography trivia of the day).

Here's the train car that we rode on.

 It had giant windows so we could see the breath taking views of God's beautiful creation of Earth.

  We had fun eating, snacking, and watching the rafters while on the train.

Oh, I forgot to mention napping!...I'll give the sleepy girls credit, we didn't get many zzzs last night.

The Royal Gorge bridge was the highest suspension bridge for 80+ years and was just surpassed by a bridge in France a few years ago. It is amazing! And we even got to walk across it!

It also had an open air car where I was able to take a few pictures.

A view from the bottom of the gorge

A view from the top down

you can barely see the train tracks to the left of the river. that's where we traveled for our train ride!

After an fun time at the Royal Gorge park....

which included our first carousel ride. K was a little unsure at first, but ended up riding it a second time before we left the park.

Uncle Kent enjoyed it just as much!

Ok, back on the road.

Made it to Denver and we were all ready for night-night.  Half of us stayed in the RV and the other half in the hotel room.  Kinley was so tired from all the fun of the day. She wanted no part of rocking, reading, night-night milk or the normal bed time routine. She looked at me with her heavy eyes and said "bed momma". So precious!

She has been a little angel on this trip so far.  She can't walk around by herself in the RV while we are driving like she wants to, but other than that it's been great. Especially with all the help of grandparents and uncle Kent...and all the new toys. I kind of think Santa might have rented this RV just before we did and happened to leave his toy sack in the closet!

Stay tuned for more!

Is that the Grizwalds?

No, just the Smiths!

Bags....check!

(we aren't saying whose bags is biggest!)

movies and snacks.....check!

house / dog sitter to hold down the fort while we're gone....check!

We're off on a cross country adventure in a motorhome no less!

Mimi has a new toy for every hour on the road! Helpful with a 20 month old!

First meal on the road...so far so good!

Stay tuned for adventures from the road!

And pray we don't kill each other before we return home!

We Love the Lake!

We had such a fun time with Mammy and Pop and the Belle-Isle's in Hot Springs last weekend!

Kinley actually tolerated her new life jacket very well this year! She really loved being on the boat as long as no one was touching her and she forgot about her life jacket being on her body. ha!

In this picture she was saying "weeeeeeee" as the wind blew in her face.

Nash and Kinley are close in age and I know they will have so much fun playing together as they grow up.

Kylie was such a big help with all the kiddos!

I think we were all crazy for thinking that we could get a picture of all the kids looking at the camera and not crying. Ha!  It was like herding fleas!

Aren't their matching outfits darling?!! Thanks Mammy!

If Kinley doesn't start putting on some weight she may be able to wear her dress again next year.

We also got the see the Youngs which was such a treat! Ava and Kinley are about a year apart. Last year we went to Florida together. Look how much they've changed!  Ava's momma and I went to preschool through college together and were college roommates. I'll see if I can dig up some pics of the mommas when we were a little younger. I say this because Ava and Kinley look a lot their mommas!

This is a little documentation for me so quit reading if you want. Kinley had her well child dr visit yesterday. Ear were clear! She weighed 24lbs (25th-50th percentile) and was 36 inches (90th). She will be 20 months on Sunday. Wears 12-18 month clothes, size 4 diapers. Thank you Lord for a healthy baby!

ps it's 6:30am....guess this is my last resort time to blog..(sigh)

A Look Back

As I was charing my camera battery for the weekend fun with family we are gearing up for, I thought it would be fun to take a look back at last years pictures from 4th of July weekend.

It is so amazing how much Kinley has grown and changed in just a year. I watched a video of Mammy and Kylie trying to get her to clap. And she did and all of us cheered! Now she's spelling her name and learning her colors! What a blessing she is to Zach and me!

Here are a few pics. Check out her chubby cheeks!

 Posing with Uncle Sam

Freeze cousins...minus Presley she was still in the womb!

Hopefully K will like her lifejacket a little better this year. Fingers crossed

Mammy and Pop

Fun in the Sun

Happy Independance Day!

God Bless America!