Grand Teton National Park

We didn't do anything to mark our anniversary this year (23 years!). Not a thing. Just went to church and had meetings and made dinner and the usual routine. We said "Happy Anniversary!" to each other and that was it. And it was just fine! We have had many years where there just wasn't much time for any sort of celebration, and we haven't minded. All the days with Sam are good days! BUT, this was Sam's year to be in charge of it (we switch off years) and he decided that maybe we would have time to do something if we waited a few weeks. So he asked if I wanted to be in on the planning and I said certainly not, and at the end of May he informed me that we were going to go somewhere for the weekend. Yay! I like being surprised.

Sam decided we would go see the Tetons. We've only seen them from afar, driving through Idaho to Yellowstone. This time we drove up Wyoming way through Cokeville and Afton and Star Valley. I don't think I've ever driven that road before. Highway 30. It was so beautiful!

Drove by the Star Valley Temple, which I remember hearing the announcement for and thinking "Where is that?" This photo looks like an artist's rendering for some reason.

We stayed in a cute little studio apartment above someone's garage. This was our view from the door!

Everything was so green!

Palisades Reservoir

It is amazing to me how what seemed impossible only a few years ago—leaving the kids for even a day or a two—is now, while not exactly easy, quite doable. (Mostly because of our wonderful girls! But also our fairly willing older boys.) Daisy sent us these pictures Saturday morning, of the pancakes she cooked for everyone.😍 Foxy, gnome, bunny, Caw, elephant, penguin, pig, and Ace of Spades (for Ky).

The drive up from Alpine (where we stayed) through Snake River Canyon to Grand Teton National Park is really beautiful. 

Sam went rafting on this river several times with his family when he was young, and he has a clear memory of falling out when their raft turned over in this rapid ("Lunch Counter"). I've heard him talk about it many times before, but I never realized how little he was—only about Ziggy's age. Thinking about it and looking over these rapids and hearing him say how scared he was as he was swept helplessly along downstream (he still doesn't remember who finally fished him out—some uncle or other) made me vow to never go river rafting with kids! Ha! His mom was watching from the bank the whole time and she must have been so scared! I was terrified just thinking about it!

There was a guy surfing on this little wave and it was cool. I've never seen someone surf on a river before!

We saw these poor little stuffed animals in Jackson.

And here we are by the Tetons! It was surprisingly early in the spring up in the park. This was Memorial Day weekend and all the lower elevations were as green as can be. But the aspen leaves were barely starting to come out up by the mountains, and there was still lots of snow. The weather was pleasant and warm, though! We saw lots of people bundled up in coats and didn't quite understand why.

The first day there were low clouds over the mountains and they would not lift. We could see a lot of the lower mountains, but those top peaks were just too shy to come out fully (which, if you know the meaning of the French word tetons…is very modest of them!)

There's a glimpse of one of them, finally

We stopped for a picnic one of the days in this lovely spot. But the table next to ours…

was practically covered in snow!

This is String Lake. All the lakes were very pretty and clear, but though they were glacier-fed, none were as blue as the lakes up in Banff and Jasper. Maybe there are just not as many glaciers here.

We hiked around Jenny Lake, meaning to just go a little way on the trail and then come back since it was Sunday and I was in a dress. (With good shoes, though.) But the hike was so pretty that we ended up going 6 miles or so. We were glad we did, because it was a great trail! Not difficult. Just pretty.

Some Tetons, out in the sun at last!

We hiked around the lake to the ferry landing, and there were large crowds waiting for the boats. We were glad not to be among them! But we did hear some people talking about seeing a mama bear and her two cubs somewhere farther along the trail.

The streams were beautiful, swollen with lots of snowmelt

After we passed the crowds and were nearly alone again, the hikers in front of us stopped and came back to tell us they had seen the bear too! They were very cautious and wanting to stay far, far away, which of course is what one ought to do with bears, but I was eager to see it so I was happy when it came back through the woods to cross the trail. I only saw one, and heard another—maybe both cubs, though they were not tiny. I don't think we ever saw the mother. They were very well camouflaged—I bet you can't even see the one in this picture. I could only see it because it was moving! Here, I will show you:

And we saw their cute little paw prints on the muddy trail! 

The bears crossed back and forth across the trail in front of us for a few minutes as we followed cautiously.

I hope I am not foolhardy about bears, and I know it's good to keep your distance, but I thought it was interesting how terrified the hikers near us seemed by them. Like genuinely just so scared and wishing they were far, far away having nothing to do with them. I, on the other hand, kept hoping we'd encounter the bears again! I was sad when they lumbered away up the hillside. I love bears! I have never seen a grizzly in the wild before! Only at Bear World. :) And a black bear in Jasper.

We did also get to see this moose, which was some consolation.

So that was a lovely day. "I'm glad that I live in this beautiful world Heavenly Father created for me!"

Back down out of the park, everything was green again.

And we drove home on Monday feeling very refreshed, happy, and grateful for these twenty-three years full of joy and sorrow and growth together!