Great American Road Trip - Yellowstone to Seattle

The drive through Yellowstone was unreal. There was an amazing mountain range waiting for us around every turn of the road.

We entered through the south side and got to go through Grand Teton National Park as well. These mountains were crazy! They literally just shoot up from the ground in the middle of a meadow surrounded by forests.

Driving through actual Yellowstone was amazing, too. Again, it was hard for Dan to keep his eyes on the road!

We walked around a bit and explored tons of geyser pools. The air was so hot around them and the colors were stunning!

There's nothing wrong with my camera-this is just steam rising up from the pools. Some of them were literally bubbling with heat!

Old Faithful is one of the largest geysers in the world. It builds up pressure for about an hour and a half and then shoots out steam and water, almost like clockwork.  The water probably went about 30-40 feet high and the show lasted about 5 minutes!

Just as we were approaching our camp site, we happened upon a mama elk and her baby. It was the most peaceful thing I had seen since the Grand Canyon.

We camped just outside the park by another river. The boys went to bed pretty easily as it had been a long day. The next morning, we woke up early, ate our oatmeal and got ourselves on the road. Numerous times, Dan or I would mention strange smells, only to realize it was US! We were filthy! We made it to Missoula Montana by lunch time and Spokane by dinner time. Around 10pm, we pulled up to Dan's mom's house in Seattle, eager to bathe and sleep on real beds. That 13 hour day was long and my feet got so swollen, ha! But we made it and we're all so thankful for that.

Some dear friends threw a "Graduation/Welcome Back to the NW" party. It was so comforting to see most of our Seattle friends from in one place. The best part was watching all of our children play together! Just a bunch of mini-me's running around acting crazy. So fun!

It's great to be back in the North West, but strange that it's not Seattle. I have so many memories of that city and know it better than Nashville, my actual hometown. I spent the day in Seattle last week and was stressed by all of the traffic. It made me feel like an old mom, driving back into Bellingham with relief because it's a quaint small town. I love it! But I do also love being so close to friends and Dan's parents and the "big city" of Seattle.

Great American Road Trip - Dinosaurs and Wyoming!!

Lazzy's fits at Moab had us at our next destination a few hours ahead of schedule. Dinosaur National Monument is halfway between Moab and Lander, Wy. I had never heard of the place before, but it was the perfect spot to stop and camp. I am so glad we did!!

It was a hot afternoon, so we decided to see the fossil quarry first just to stay out of the heat. It was a much more pleasant afternoon than morning. The boys (and the adults!) had a fun time exploring all the fossils and learning the history of the area.

It was incredible to see real dinosaur bones as fossils which have been perfectly preserved in a wall of rock. Apparently, the entire area is just booming with new discoveries as the area used to be a pretty large river. I had no idea that Utah is one of the most popular places for dino digs!

After learning all about dinosaurs, we headed to a crisp clear river just behind our campsite. All three boys played and bathed while I sat on the shady beach. Perfect way to end a busy day!

These rocky mountains are where they continue to find fossils!

 Our campsite was in that tree area, right by the river. So wonderful!

Always bring Dr. Bronners soap on long camping trips so you can bathe in the rivers!

On our way to Wyoming, we drove through Dinosaur City where we enjoyed an interactive fossil museum.

The boys got to observe a man carefully chipping away rock from a dinosaur fossil.

Then it was Elijah's turn to make a discovery!

Posing with the dinosaurs was a huge hit.

We had about a four hour drive to Sinks Canyon where we were greeted by dear friends and a camp fire. Brad and Amy used to live in St. Louis but have since moved to Lander, WY. I'm glad they did, because it was very refreshing to spend a night with them : the boys got to play with other kids their age, we had PORK for dinner, and the conversation was deep and uplifting.

The scenery was also breathtaking. Wyoming is more beautiful than I imagined! We went for a little hike and got to see "the Sinks".

This area is called Sinks Canyon because the river literally sinks beneath the ground, disappearing completely yet still flowing underground.

"There it goes!"

 About 1/4 of a mile down the mountain, the river water reappears but it's not a big hole. It lightly bubbles up from the ground to make a nice little fish pool.

It was hard to leave this beautiful place, but with Yellowstone on the map, we forged ahead. I will mention this - if you're ever driving through Wyoming, you MUST listen to Sigur Ros. It's as if the mountains were singing to us!

Great American Road Trip - Part 3, Arches National Park and Dino Monument

For some reason, our day at Arches National Park was difficult. Dan was stressed about the van possibly breaking down and we felt tired from being on the road. It all kind of caught up to us. Lazarus was asking to go home and threw a few fits in the red dirt. Honestly, it was annoying having the boys there, because Dan and I just wanted to hike around and see everything! Still, we had a great time watching the boys explore such beautiful scenery.

Driving through the park was beautiful enough. It was hard for Dan to pay attention to the road!

Can you spot Dan and I below?? These rocks were really HUGE!

Great American Road Trip - Part 2, The Grand Canyon and Moab

The last time I was at the Grand Canyon was 10 years ago. It was right after I had decided to move from Detroit, Mi to Seattle Wa. My boyfriend at the time wanted to see the country, so we drove. It was great, but nothing like my experience this time around. Ten years later, to be driving through the same area because I'm moving to the NW.... lots of similarities, but many more differences.

This time around, I saw it from the South rim (instead of the North rim). I was with my amazing family, while growing a new daughter in my belly. I am 10 years older, wiser and more aware of God's grace in my life. I have changed so much over time. The canyon has probably changed, too. But God's goodness hasn't, and that was very meaningful to me.

We saw, we hiked, we conquered.

Belly shot at the Grand Canyon! I have no idea how many weeks I am...somewhere in the mid 20's.

Even though I had seen it before, our stay at the Grand Canyon was my favorite. The camping was peaceful, the view was amazing and we truly felt refreshed as a family. I am so thankful to have had that time with my boys and my Lord.