Girls Grand Expotition 2012… Day Four: Time to Relax in Bozeman

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After three wonderful but busy days on the road, it was time to relax and enjoy a few days in Bozeman. After a restful night of sleep and some sleeping we slowly started our day. What I thought had been allergies had now turned into a cold, so I was feeling a bit under the weather but still ready to have some fun!
“Mom, I just woke up… What’s with the camera in my face already?”

Abby was hiding from me. I guess she wasn’t too thrilled with taking pictures first thing in the morning either.

after a yummy breakfast/lunch we finally made it out of the door.
we had to make a stop at the local camera shop.
my camera desperately needed to be cleaned. luckily it was only the sensor that was dirty. easy fix!

“As you can see, this is a tepee. Tepees are a type of dwelling used by many of the Plains Indians.”

“This is the jawbone of a Mammoth. Big, isn’t it?”

Just making sure that the house did indeed fall on the Wicked Witch of the East.

Abby’s favorite exhibit in the museum, the mama Triceratops with her baby.  You can actually see the baby breathing.

“What mom? Its not like I smuggled my string cheese into the museum and got mommy in trouble for having food near the exhibits  Oh wait, I did. Woops!” 

while my camera was being cleaned we headed to The Museum of the Rockies to see the dinosaurs.
due to limited time, we quickly wandered through the new Napoleon exhibit.
we then blasted through the history of Montana and scurried past the Native American display.
abby didn’t complain about missing the Native American display, one of the mannequins scared her.
when we arrived at the dinosaurs we found several paleontologists putting together a new display.
the display was a newly unearthed triceratops. Abby watched in awe as they put together its rib cage.
after the dinosaurs, we headed to the Yellowstone discovery area but it was closed. 😦
at that point it was time to go back to Grandpa and Grandma’s house.
The rest of the evening was relaxing and simple. We all spent time talking, laughing, watching TV and just enjoying the time together. We went to Mackenzie River for some yummy food and enjoyed some people watching as well. What a great day and there is plenty in store for tomorrow too!

Girls Grand Expotition 2012… Day Three, An Unforgettably Gorgeous Day!

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Refreshed after a much needed night of sleep, we started our third day bright and early. The fire near Jackson seemed to be creating allergy issues for me, but I certainly wasn’t going to let that stop me. We got up, packed the car, enjoyed our breakfast and then hit the road. Well, sort of…
once in the car we stopped moments later for pictures with the famous antler arches.
then we stopped for gas.
we were then caught in a construction stop for about 15 minutes.
finally, we were moving along…
Mommy and the Girls underneath the famous Jackson  antler arches.

once we were moving we crossed into Grand Teton National Park.
we stopped for pictures in front of the sign.
we stopped for a lot of pictures on our way to Moose Junction.
from Moose Junction we took the road in towards Jenny Lake.
Mommy and the girls about to enter Grand Teton National Park

Auntie Kelli and the girls about to enter Grand Teton National Park.

the road towards Jenny Lake gave us spectacular views. 
you couldn’t tell there were fires nearby.
it also gave us a lot of places to stop and take some great pictures.
the day was perfect. the skies were blue with the perfect wisps of clouds.

The Tetons approaching Jenny Lake

The Tetons are growing as we get closer to Jenny Lake.

we decided to take the Jenny Lake Loop Drive.
we made a stop at Jenny Lake for some pictures. 
the girls were cranky so Kelli was the only one to get out for pictures. it was a beautiful view though.
by the time we reached Hoback Junction, the girls were growing restless.
we quickly drove to Oxbow Bend, which looked beautiful with the willows starting to change color.
after our photo op, we hit the road and began the quick trip to Yellowstone.
It almost doesnt look real. The willows are starting to turn at Oxbow Bend.

on the road out of Teton and through the John D. Rockefeller Memorial Parkway we hit construction.
two construction stops along the way slowed us a bit.
after the last construction stop, we decided to take a break at Colter Bay.
we stopped to shop and I found two replacements for my favorite key chain.
after a potty break, lunch and souvenirs we were back on the road and only 20 miles from Yellowstone.

The girls at the South Entrance of Yellowstone National Park. This would be Kelli’s first time entering this wonderful National Park. I did not get a picture of her at the sign on my camera, so I will have to get one from Kelli.

after a quick drive we arrived at the South Entrance of Yellowstone National Park.
this would be Kelli’s first time in Yellowstone, so we had to stop for pictures.
we took pictures of Kelli, the girls, the girls and I and more.
we also watched several men from back East fish the Yellowstone. they caught a few too!
after taking it all in, we got back into the car and crossed the boundary into Yellowstone.
Kelli crossing the Continental Divide over Craig’s Pass. Another first for Kelli!

our first stop was Lewis Falls. one of my favorites.
we then drove to Grants Village and around Yellowstone Lake to Fishing Bridge.
on our way we stopped to see the Lake Hotel. Such a pretty place and not well known either.
from Fishing Bridge we drove a few miles out towards the East Entrance.
we didn’t see Wolves or Bear as we hoped, but we saw a lot of Bison.
from there we turned around and headed back the way we came, diverting our travel towards Old Faithful.
on our way over Craig’s Pass, we stopped at one of the two markers for the Continental Divide.
this was another first for Auntie Kelli, so we had to stop and document it.

One of many beautiful thermal pools along Firehole Lake Drive.

we reached the junction at Old Faithful and headed towards the West Entrance.
we had a bit of extra time so we decided to explore the Firehole Lake Drive loop.
the thermal pools were gorgeous in the afternoon sun.
fall means that water levels are low but Firehole Lake and its surrounding pools were spectacular.
A lone Coyote out for an afternoon hunt. Our first non-hoofed animal sighting of the trip.

after finishing our drive around Firehole Lake, we headed towards the West Entrance.
along the way we saw our first animal that didn’t have hooves, a lone Coyote hunting rodents in a meadow.
we cut off at Madison Junction and headed towards West Yellowstone.
along the way, we saw a Bald Eagle perched at the top of a pine tree.
from this point we drove and didn’t stop. our destination was my parents house in Bozeman.ft
The drive through Gallatin Canyon and the outer borders of the park was beautiful, especially at the time of the afternoon that we did it in. Within an hour and a half we had arrived at my parents house and boy were we happy to see them. I have to say I was a little sad, because it meant the big road trip portion of our trip was over but we still have a long weekend in Yellowstone and some down time in Bozeman to enjoy. What a great day! I certainly hope Kelli felt the same way!

Girls Grand Expotition 2012… Day Two and the Journey Continues!

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If Day One was great, then I can easily call Day Two amazing. I have done the trip from Porter Ranch to Salt Lake City many times in my life. Probably more then I can count actually, so it isn’t always as impressive to me. The being said, I enjoyed it more then normal because Kelli has never been through most of that route before. However, the trip from Salt Lake City to Jackson Hole is one of many favorites and a trip that brings back a lot of childhood memories, so I was really looking forward to it and to sharing it with Kelli.
Today was definitely filled with a lot of pictures. Unfortunately I had a few issues with my camera, one of which was improper settings that I didn’t bother to check. So a lot of my pictures turned out grainy and dark. Oh well, that’s life! Anyway, this is how the first part of our day went…
woke up excited and ready to hit the road, breakfast was pretty yummy too! 
stopped in Ogden for some gas, ice, snacks and of course, coffee!
once we reached Brigham City, it was time to cut off towards Logan Canyon. I think I was a bit giddy.
drove through Logan and found that a few of the places we used to stop at for picnic items as a kid.
started up Logan Canyon, the trees were beginning to turn and a storm was looming in the distance. 🙂
stopped at Ricks Springs, a spot my family always visited when I was a kid. Ah, memories.
reached the top of the canyon and the Bear Lake overlook. Perfection.
stopped in Garden City for a famous Raspberry shake and some lunch. Yummy.
drove along Bear Lake on our way to Jackson. On a partially cloudy day, the lake was amazingly blue.
Ricks Springs

Another generation enjoying a beautiful day  and a stop at Ricks Springs.

Kelli and the girls at the Bear Lake Overlook

Mommy and the Girls at Bear Lake… such a gorgeous day.

After the drive around Bear Lake, we headed back into the canyons and I was in heaven. The sky was perfectly blue, the air was crisp and the leaves were starting to change. I have never been through this area near the beginning of Fall, so I felt as though I was seeing some of this for the very first time. It was beautiful, relaxing, cathartic even and I was so thrilled to be sharing it with such a dear friend. The only thing that could make this even more perfect would be having Shaun here. One day soon.
Once we passed through Afton and hit our junction in Alpine we began our trip through Snake River Canyon. We were almost to Jackson and there was plenty of fun ahead of us!

after a few stops in the Snake River Canyon, we made it to Hoback Junction. Jackson here we come!
on the road to Jackson we noticed several brush fires up in the canyons near Jackson, bummer.
we checked in to our hotel, after a near meltdown moment.
           side note: the meltdown…the hotel didn’t have our reservation. it was found and all was right.
after a few moments of unpacking and taking a breather we were back in the car.
soon we were in Teton National Park. i think the first sight of the peaks took Kelli’s breath away.
we drove, stopping whenever we could, but as the sun set we were forced to head back to Jackson.
to end the night we stopped to do a little shopping and grab some pizza for dinner before bedtime.

Snake River Canyon… Perfection

Kelli and the girls at the Snake Overlook in Teton

A little sneak peak before our day in Teton tomorrow.

After a long day its now time for the adults to head to bed  The girls, after only a bit of fight, are passed out cold. What an amazing day. I tried my best to soak it all in and enjoy every moment. I think Kelli really enjoyed the day and all that she has seen so far. That is the icing on the cake for me. I cannot wait until tomorrow.

Girls Grand Expotition 2012… Our First Day

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Day one of our trip is now in the history books! Well, our history books at least. We hit the road by 6:30 am and landed in Salt Lake City around 8:30 pm (Mountain Time). While that drive might seem long to most, it was a good one. Abby and Ellie are excellent travelers and even though they had their moments, it was a pretty effortless trip. Kelli and I had the chance to talk and catch up on life and then some.
The one of several tourist stops in Baker… The Worlds Largest Thermometer.

After a change of clothes, Ellie decided she wanted to drive for mommy. If only she could have.
It wasn’t a day full  of  pictures, but there certainly were some memorable moments. Here is how our day went…
on the road by 6:30 am with a full tank of gas and ice in the cooler.
stopped in Victorville for a potty break and some Starbucks to finally get the day going.
stopped in Baker to change the girls clothes and a photo op with the World’s Largest Thermometer.
gas stop in Primm, Nevada (stateline) and one of many false alarm potty breaks for Ellie.
stopped in St. George Utah for shoes at Payless and then gas and some lunch.
             sidenote: yes, Payless. In the middle of nowhere I realized that Abby’s sandals were MIA
between St. Geroge and Salt Lake City were several potty breaks for the girls, one was a photo finish.
arrived in Salt Lake City around 8:30 pm and checked in to the Holiday Inn Express.
once settled it was dinner at Sonic, baths and then bed. 
A nice cozy bed is calling my name, but I cannot wait for the day ahead of us. Tomorrow we land in Jackson Hole, Wyoming and that means Grand Teton National Park! Until then…

Girls Grand Expotition of 2012!

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In just a few short hours the girls and I hit the road with Auntie Kelli for our Girls Grand Expotition! I need a lot of sleep but its hard not to think and be excited about the trip ahead of us. Not only do I get to see my sister and my parents, but I get to show one of my dearest friends some of the places I love most. I get the chance to play tour guide for a week and a half too!

So the car is packed, the girls are in bed and now its time to get some rest. We have to be up super early so lets hope that I can sleep! Let the fun begin!

New Format…

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I have been thinking about my blog and its format as of late. I love it but the one thing I am horrible about is being overly detailed and my posts can be too long at times. My past posts took a lot of time, sometimes sacrificing the time I slept or did housework. I often procrastinated long enough that posts built up over time, making it harder to finish them. My goal from this point forward is to be a bit more to the point but still give all of the details that tell our stories. Hope everyone enjoys the new format and I would love to hear your opinions too!

Abby’s First Day of Preschool…

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Today was Abby’s first day of Preschool. Yup that’s right, our little girls is going to be in preschool! Pre-K for that matter. This time next year she will be starting Kindergarten! OK, I am getting ahead of myself there. Seriously though, today was her first day of Pre-K and I have to admit I was a bit nervous and emotional. Abby, on the other hand, was beyond excited. She hopped right out of bed, ran in to go potty and brush her teeth, then got dressed and was ready to go. Once we were all ready to go we took Ellie over to Nana’s house and then headed off to school.

When we arrived Abby could barely contain herself. Once she was out of the car she was headed up the sidewalk, saying to hello to all of the kids who passed by going to their classrooms. We even had a hard time getting a picture of her on her first day because she was too distracted by all of the children arriving for school. She was so excited that and of course that made both Shaun and I smile. We were so happy to see her excited to learn and make new friends.

When we arrived at her classroom, Room 2 to be exact, we quickly found her name tag and took one last picture in front of the welcome board. We walked Abby inside and before we could give her a kiss and a hug goodbye and tell her we would be back in a few hours and to have a great day, she was off to the rug where circle time was beginning. She sat down, talking to the children next to her and saying hello to one of her two teachers, Miss Betsie. And like that she was off to learn.

There were no tears or sad goodbyes, no “mommy and daddy please don’t go”, and no reassurance needed from the two people who have been her teachers to this point. I would be lying if I said that didn’t bother me just a bit. While most parents like to avoid the separation anxiety meltdown with their children, a part of you hopes there might be a few tears and a need for you to be there. But I should have known better. Abby is independent and pretty fearless. She loves to jump right in, especially when there are other children around. We had also discussed school with her and all of the fun things she might do and learn and her tour of the preschool before we enrolled showed her just how fun of a place this can be. She was ready to go and excited for the unknown ahead of her.

Really my reaction was selfish and I realized it the minute I started to think it. Instead I shed a few tears of joy and maybe just a few over the fact that our little girl was growing up. I was so proud to see her excited and ready to try new things. As a parent I can only hope that this excitement and curiosity continues throughout her life.

After we left, I counted down the time until I needed to go and pick her up. I busied myself with a few errands and chores around the house. Then finally it was time to head back to school and pick her up. I was there at the gate waiting. When we were let in and allowed to go to the room I found our girl sitting quietly in circle time listening intently to her teachers. When she saw me, her face lit up and once she was excused to leave she ran right to me, gave me a hug and then began to show me all of the items in her cubbie that we needed to take home. She had some newsletters and papers for me to read and then a picture of a “roller coaster” made with markers, crayons and colored tape. It was beautiful.

Abby then started telling me about her day, about the book they read with the raccoon family who were also starting their first day of school, they got to draw and color and to top it all off they got to paint (something she had wanted to do). She also played out in the yard with a few new friends, pretending to be pirates searching for treasure. She did find treasure, a coin and a dinosaur egg, hidden in the sand. From what I could tell it was the best first day ever.

As a treat I took Abby out to lunch, a place of her choosing, so we headed to Subway. Over sandwiches we continued to talk about her first day and what she hoped to do the next time she went to school. I watched her talk with such excitement and personality and it really began to sink on then how much she was growing. Wow… time flies. At that moment I did what I could to savor the moment and make it last for as long as possible. After all, this only happens once.

Birthday Party Weekend!

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Abby has two good friends in this world, both of whom she loves and adores. There is Emily, who Abby calls “her Emily” and then there is “her boyfriend” Harrison. We dont always get the chance to see them but when we do its a blast. Emily and Harrison were born within 2 weeks of one another, which means Abby has two birthdays to look forward to in the month of August. This year they fell on the same weekend! We were busy but we certainly had a blast.

On Saturday, Emily had a Lalaloopsy Party.. She was adorable and her party was a lot of fun. The girls enjoyed cookie decorating, temporary tattoos, and just running around and playing. Ellie loved the little bottles of bubbles that were given out to play with and Abby was thrilled to sit and play with Emily’s dollhouse a bit. I think the girls had a great time. Happy 4th Birthday Emily!

Ellie was having a blast with her bubbles and was actually blowing them on her own!

Abby and her beautifully decorated cookie.

About to sing Happy Birthday to the birthday girl. What a bunch of hams!

Happy Birthday Emily! You are adorable!

On Sunday we headed over to De Anza Park in Calabasas for Harrison’s 4th Birthday party. This year he had a superhero themed party and it was pretty awesome. The girls came home with their own capes and masks to play with and they love them. There was a bouncy castle to jump in and the park also has a water feature that the kids can play in. Super Abby and Ellie Girl (aka The Jaybird) had a blast running around and playing at the park. Abby practiced her superhero moves and had the chance to meet a new friend or two (although I will add that they were all boys). It was definitely a “super” kind of day! Happy 4th Birthday Harrison!

Super Ellie with Clark Kent curl to boot!

Super Abby!
Happy Birthday Harrison! Love your cake, made my hand by your amazing  mommy! 

Super Abby and Ellie Girl (AKA The Jaybird)

Super Hero friends… Love this picture.

Please note…

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Dear Readers,

As I am sure you have noticed, my photos on the blog have been “watermarked” as of late. While I hate doing this, as it distracts from the image itself , I am finding that its a necessary thing to protect the integrity of my art.. Most of what I post is of family, friends and the places we have been. While at this point in time I do not sell my photographs, they are still something I take pride in and they are my own work. From time to time I also post pictures taken by other photographers to share with whomever comes this way to ready my blog. However I am realizing that as of late my photography is not being protected or respected the way it should be. Therefore I am taking steps to do so but still allow those who stop by to read this blog to enjoy them.

Please note that by adding my copyright watermark to my pictures, I am adding a legal statement to it as well. Therefore the public and private use of my work without written consent is strictly prohibited.

Hopefully this will resolve any issues I have had so far. If not, I will be making the blog 100% private and by invitation only. I will post before that happens though to give everyone a heads up. Thanks again and I apologize for sounding so uptight but I feel its important to protect something that is mine and I hold so dear to me. Thank you for the patience and understanding!

All My Best,
Jocelyn

A Quick Trip to Washington… Seattle to Home

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We woke up the next morning a little sad that it was time to hit the road and head home. But before we did that, we went to a few more of our favorite places. We drove out to Woodinville to see the cleanest and my most favorite Target ever, drove through Kenmore and Kirkland and then headed to Denny Park. When we lived here we took Jack to Denny Park often to enjoy open spaces and Lake Washington. This was another spot we wanted to share with Abby as well as give her a chance to play outside before spending time in the car again. She had a wonderful time throwing rocks into the water and watching the people and the animals nearby. The same family that lived on the lake was out playing with their adorable lab, a woman was out swimming, a man out paddle boarding and ducks were landing right in front of us. It was pretty special.

Our last hurrah for our time in Seattle was another ferry ride, this time from Downtown Seattle to Bainbridge Island. Once again Abby was super excited to ride the ferry and she loved seeing the Space Needle in the distance. To top it all off, on this ride we allowed Abby to pick a treat from the ferry cafe. She chose some pretty yummy gummy bears. Pretty soon the ferry ride came to an end and we were on our way to Tacoma. We said goodbye to Seattle and began the trip home.

The remainder of the trip came and went without a hitch. We drove from Seattle to Redding and while the day was long we had a pretty easy trip. We almost found ourselves in another freeway parking lot situation but managed to get off of the freeway and take surface streets around the problem. Dodged a big bullet there. We woke up the next morning to a very smoky sky due to the fires in the mountains east of Redding. Lucky for us, we were out of the area soon and on our way home. I hated to end our trip but once we were on this leg of the trip I was ready to get home. We were home by 7pm with plenty of time to pick up Ellie. Boy was it wonderful to see her, pick her up and give her lots of hugs and kisses. We had a great time but its good to be home again as a family!

A Quick Trip to Washington… Spokane to Seattle

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The time spent with my parents came and went in the blink of an eye.Then again we only had a day and a half with them. We had breakfast at the hotel together and then after packing up the car we said our goodbyes. I hated to leave but I know we will be seeing them soon. 
Our trip from Spokane to Seattle was fairly uneventful. We ran into construction and weekend traffic over Snoqualmie Pass which set us back about an hour but after the stop on the way up to Spokane, this was nothing. When we reached Seattle, we quickly checked in to the hotel, unloaded the car and went out to see the things we wanted to see.
First, we headed to Bothell and up Norway Hill, stopping to see our old house. I miss that house a lot but I am glad to see that people who bought it from us are taking care of it. The main road up Norway Hill passes by the backyard of the old house. When we lived there it was not fenced in and some of it was visible from the roadway. When we moved we left Jack’s big dog house in the backyard, not wanting to lug that thing around and try to store it. As we drove up Norway Hill and past the house, we saw that the dog house was still there. Made me smile but it also made my heart ache a bit.  
Our old house in Bothell. Its nice to see that the new owners have taken great care of it.

After visiting our old neighborhood, we drove through Bothell’s downtown area and drove through a few of our usual spots. A lot has changed in the four years since we left but a lot has also stayed the same. From there we headed to Edmunds for what would be Abby’s very first ferry ride!

Abby’s first ferry ride was a huge success. She couldn’t believe that you can drive a car onto a boat. Once we were loaded on and parked, we took her upstairs to the main passenger deck. She was able to see Edmunds as we left and enjoy the view of the Puget Sound and the Olympics. We also hit it at the right time, just as the sun was starting to set over the sound. It was breathtaking. For Abby, there was nothing like being on a ferry. In fact, she was a tad upset with us when it was time to go back to the car and disembark.
Once we landed at Kingston, we realized that we would not be taking the ferry back to the other side. The line of weekend traffic waiting to get on the ferry was extremely long. So we decided to enjoy the drive and get back to Seattle via Tacoma and the Tacoma Narrows Bridge.

Once we were back on the East side of the Puget Sound, we headed to Kent (our first residence before we bought the home in Bothell), grabbed a bite to eat and then drove around Downtown Seattle for a bit. By this point it was pretty late and there wasn’t much open, but it was great to see some of Seattle’s notable spots. I have to say, as we drove back to the hotel that night I couldn’t help but think about how much I miss this place.