Independence Day in Island Park

Over Independence Day weekend, we met up with Mom, the Johnsons, and the Joneses for a few nights at a cabin in Island Park.

Driving to the cabin on Friday, we all stopped in Idaho Falls to have lunch with Dad, Julie, Heather H., Sara, and Rachel. It was good to see them all and have a driving break! Then the Keddingtons took the Johnsons' van (and children) up to Island Park. The Johnsons were able to attend the sealing of Nic's sister, her husband, and their two children at the Rexburg temple, and then meet us up at the cabin.

On Saturday, after waking up and eating breakfast, we checked out the events around Island Park for the 4th and got some lunch. In the afternoon while the children were sleeping, the adults (except for Heather who so graciously volunteered to stay behind with the kiddies) floated down Henry's Fork of the Snake River in a raft. Richard "accidentally" fell in, we side-brushed a couple trees, and our back two oarsmen kept turning us in circles. Other than that, it was pretty relaxing.

The fireworks were exciting. We were sitting right next to where they were setting them off over Island Park Reservoir. I thought a couple were going to hit us on occasion. I enjoyed hearing Clara occasionally say in the background, "My like dat one," when a particular explosion caught her fancy.

On Sunday, we went to church, though it was so full, we had to sit in the hall. The ward balloons over holiday weekends in Island Park. Afterward, we went to Yellowstone National Park. We drove through Firehole River Canyon and ate a picnic lunch at Madison. Then we toured the paint pots in the lower geyser basin. Next, we went down to Old Faithful, watched it erupt, saw a bison, and drove back to the cabin.

On Sunday night as we were getting ready for bed, we knelt down with Aubrey to say a prayer. She has a favorite toy, which is a stuffed white horse. She was concentrating on kneeling the horse down for prayer as well when I asked Aubrey if she wanted to say the prayer. She didn't respond--she was still fixated on the horse--so I suggested that maybe her horsey wanted to say a prayer first. She said all matter-of-fact, "No, Mommy. Horsey just says 'he he.'" Well, I can't believe I even asked. It is so obvious a horse can't say a prayer. A horse is just a horse, of course. Of course!