We drove 1000 miles . . .

to visit this beautiful place . . .

Yep, we took Max to visit YELLOWSTONE with his Grandma and Grandpa White and Uncle Chase. We stayed in one of these . . .All of us slept in this camper, it certainly was an adventure with a 5 month old who didn't sleep through the night, but it was fun. Cooking on the Coleman stove, making s'mores, no internet, (unless you walked across the road to the cafe) just good old fashioned fun. It was especially nice that there were hot showers and flushing toilets at our campground.
The day we found out Max was a boy we bought these cute overalls that say "Bear Patrol" on them, but it's just been too hot here in Irvine to wear them this summer. Yellowstone was the perfect place to where them, it was cooler and they had a Bear on them, so they got a lot of use.
hanging out in the camper
Bedtime was especially exciting, this was the first night and I wasn't sure how cold it would get, I actually put Max in a sleep sack, which I'd never done here in So Cal, and put a hat over his ears. He looked like his little glow worm!
Sleeping arrangements in the camper were all part of the adventure! Jared and I slept on that bed he's on, it was the table turned into a bed, I actually found it quite comfy, but I'm not 6'3"!

and what's Yellowstone without a few buffalo? This cute little family crossed the road right in front of us.
Waiting for Old Faithful with Grandma and Grandpa.
Old Faithful in all it's glory.

This is Sam the grizzly bear. We didn't see any bears in the "Wild" although I was watching out the window the whole time thinking a bear was going to come running out from the forest! West Yellowstone has a bear/wolf habitat you can visit. This guy was HUGE!
Daddy, Max, Grizzly Bear

Family shot on a trail to see a waterfall.
Chillin' at the campsite with Uncle Chase.

Yellowstone Museum.
Walking around the hot springs in this cool back pack we borrowed from my friend Michelle, the same awesome Michelle who took those cute pics of Max in the last post, she is a good friend to have!

It was a fun adventure. We definitely won't be taking any long car trips for while, but Max was a trooper and he made the trip exciting for all. Maybe he'll even remember it, and if not, we'll have the pictures! Thanks Grandma and Grandpa White!

A memorable moment:
The picture at the top with Jared and Max was taken at place called "Artist's Point" it was absolutely beautiful with the waterfall, and yellow canyon, just like a painting. We sat down in some shade to take a break, Jared, Max and I, and this maybe-15-yea- old boy was just staring at us. Often people will look at Max and smile and say hi to him but this kid was just staring. I turned my head and smiled back at him but he didn't really acknowledge me. A few minutes later he was gone, but as we were leaving he returned with his mother, she approached us, was really sweet and said "my son thinks your baby is ADORABLE! He came and found me and said 'mom you've got to see this adorable baby!'" It was pretty cute. Later we introduced him to Max and he shook his hand. He was a sweet boy.

Just for my memory's sake:
I hadn't been to Yellowstone since I was about 5, before my little sister Annie was even born. I remembered a few things, Buffalo crossing he street in front of our car. My dad cooking on the Coleman. Sleeping in a cabin. My Brother Joel and my sister Becky whipping their Mosquito bites with a wet washcloth. Waiting for what seemed like FOREVER for Old Faithful, and getting lost from our campground with my brother Paul who was very brave and took care of his little sister and found our way back. It was interesting being back there now, 20 years later, as we walked through West Yellowstone by the gift shops I suddenly remembered that I'd been there before, and that when I was 5 my mom had taken me to a gift shop there and let me pick out a souvenir, I got an Indian doll with a little papoose. Then we were using a bathroom next to some cabins and I honestly remembered the bathroom, the cabins next to it must've been the cabins we stayed in as a girl. Also, as we walked on the boardwalk by the geysers and hot springs I remembered that I'd also done that before as a girl, I remember it seeming like a very long walk as a kid. Fun to have those flashbacks!