Wyoming Trip: Pryor Mountain

One of our favorite things we did while we were in Cody was ride four wheelers up Pryor Mountain to the Ice Caves. We left at 8:00 a.m. and didn't get back until 8:00 p.m. We rode about 30 miles on the four wheelers. It was a long day but extremely fun!

~Chad & Carter~

Once we reached the caves, we had a picnic lunch before we explored.

~Carter & Grandpa~

Isn't he just the cutest thing you've ever seen?

The restrooms at the picnic area were pretty gross and smelled awful! My mom has MS so she moves slowly and needs help walking. I was helping her get to the restrooms and thought I was going to gag...I think she felt the same way! It was pretty funny! :)

The Ice Caves...

~Lauren, Carter, Rockey (Chad's fiance's dad), Chad, & Dave~

~Carter, Halli, & Lori (Chad's fiance)~

After lunch, we headed further up the mountain to see if we could spot the Wild Horses that live on Prior Mountain...
We found them! That was SO cool. I could have watched them all day!

And watch them, we did...~Lauren, Dave, Halli, & Taylor~

We even got really close...~Grandpa & Taylor with a wild colt~

It was AWESOME!

We headed back down the mountain. Dave & Carter missed a turn and got separated from the group. We couldn't find them for awhile which freaked me out a little. But, it worked out well for them as they got to see a bear on their little excursion...It was a fantastic day!

Wyoming Trip: Shooting and Rodeo

One morning we awoke to find this...

...in my parents front yard! The kids were super excited. My dad, not so much as it's favorite thing to eat was his flowers!

Dave, Grandpa, & the kids went target shooting at Red Lake... They were excited to show Grandpa their skills! I went to lunch with my mom. :)

Lauren shot the string in half... ...and insists that's what she was aiming for. That's my girl!

Even Dave got a turn...

My brother's fiance, Lori (she's a beautician by trade), curled Taylor's hair and it looked so cute...

And you can't go to Cody without going to the Rodeo...

Carter wanted to sit higher than the rest of us, so he sat alone...

During the calf roping, Lauren was horrified... I thought we were going to have tears. I have to admit, it is kinda sad.

That's all for now...stay tuned for Part Four! :)

Wyoming Trip: Roadtrip, Fourwheeling, & Canoeing

We left on July 31st for the 1500 mile trek to Cody, Wyoming. About 60 miles from Austin, just outside of Lampasas, we had a flat tire...

We headed back to Lampasas to see if we could get the tire fixed but unfortunately, it was irreparable. As it was still under warranty, we decided to head back to Austin to get a new tire. Originally, we left our house at 9:00am but after turning around, we didn't get out of Austin until 1:00pm. Needless to say, we had a slow start. Eventually (after two LONG days of driving) we made it safe and sound.

Our first day there, Dave and my dad took the kids four wheeling at Red Lake...

~Carter, Lauren, Dave, & Taylor~

~Dave, Lauren, & Carter~

Dave had Carter and Lauren on a four wheeler with him and my dad had Taylor. He was letting Taylor drive. They were climbing a hill and Taylor gave it way too much gas, causing them to flip over backwards. My dad cushioned the fall for Taylor. Dave ran over and rolled the four wheeler off of them. Luckily, they were both OK. I think my dad was bruised and sore for a few days. I'm glad I wasn't there to see it and that they are all OK! The first thing Grandpa did was tell Carter not to tell me but it was too late, as he had already texted me! :)

~Taylor, Grandpa, Lauren, & Carter~

That evening, we headed to the lake with family and friends for a little canoeing...

Taylor & Lauren with my dad's friend Hardy, and his boys...

My brother Chad & Carter...

And then, a cookout!

Hardy helps me make the hot dogs...

My Dad (a.k.a. Grandpa) helps a little...

My girls (a.k.a. Lauren & Taylor) wait patiently...

...while my Mom (a.k.a. Grandma) enjoys Sun Chips!

~Lori (a.k.a. Chad's Fiance), Chad, & Dad~

Then, we headed back to Grandpa's...It was a good day. As you can see, safety is very important at Grandpa's house! :)

*Disclaimer: they only rode in the back of the truck for a minute (like 50 feet-just while we pulled the canoes out of the lake) before we made them buckle up in the back seat of the van. Please don't turn me into Child Protective Services. :)

Wyoming Trip: Taylor's Adventures

We went to Wyoming to visit my parents for a week and boy did we have fun! We flew Taylor down a few days early to spend some one on one time with my parents. They did not disappoint...and spoiled her rotten! :) It was the first time she has flown alone so I was a little nervous but she did great. Due to the large volume of pictures, I am going to divide our trip into several posts. We'll begin with Taylor's time. She absolutely LOVES riding horses. So, my dad took her on a day trip horseback riding in the mountains...

She loved every minute!

And he took her through Yellowstone National Park on his motorcycle...

On the way home from Yellowstone, they stopped at Sunlight Basin, and got to feed these friendly little fellas...

Evidently, they are used to people feeding them and will come right up to you. This was definitely a highlight for Taylor!

(Taylor hand feeding the chipmunks)

Not to mention, she got to stay up as late as she wanted, eat lots of treats, enjoy back rubs from Grandma, and talk Grandpa's ear off! Does it get any better?

I asked her if she missed us, and she said, "Not really, but I did miss Lauren." :) Well, we missed her...especially since she had been gone at girls camp the week before! Carter told her he was "really jealous" that she got to go all by herself and that he "can't wait" until he gets a turn! Thanks Grandma & Grandpa...you're the bomb! :)

Happy Anniversary Babe!

Can you believe it's been sixteen years since this beautiful day? Me neither! Time flies when you're having fun! :) I can't wait to see what the next sixteen brings...I love you, babe.

Since we got home late last night from our trip to Wyoming and were sick of eating out (shocking, I know!) I cooked a nice meal for the family and then Dave and I went to see the movie Inception. It was good. I'd recommend it if you haven't seen it already.

Greetings from Wyoming...

...I have lots of pictures to show you. I bet you can't wait until I get home, huh? Me too. Well, not really, as this vacation thing is pretty great. But, I am excited to show you all the pictures we've been taking. Soon. I promise.