My Yellowstone Blog

My Yellowstone Blog

This is a collection of stories and pictures of my favorite family adventures in and around Yellowstone National Park.

Wednesday, August 15, 2012

Splenderifous Sunday!!

On the 12th, we got invited up to the Burke's house for dinner. They also invited the Stermitz, which is a really fun combo! We brought out the iHome and the iPod and started to dance around on the Jardine road and we probably scared more tourists than we thought....all in all it was an AWESOME Sunday!!!!!

I took these pictures with my tablet and then PhotoStudio'd them. :)

Me and my BFF!!


Bryson Stermitz wearing Bennett's glasses and Bennett wearing Bryson's hat! They switched ornaments. :)


Libby, Emma, Bennett, Bryson and Luke!


Emma, Bryson and Libby rockin' out to tobyMac! :)


Bennett, Bryson and Luke.


Libby, me and Emma. =)


Emma, Bennett, Bryson, Libby and Luke with the iHome.


It was a SUPER FUN night!!!!

Flying Pig's Gourmet River Cruise!!

On August 8th, we hosted Flying Pig's Gourmet River Cruise at our beach. Our friends, the Bierle's who own the Flying Pig took Bennett, Preston, the Burke family, the Bierle's friends from South Dakota and I on a rafting trip that started from the Flying Pig store and ended at our house. Mom and I had made all the food a couple days before and Mom had set it all out while we were on our raft trip. It took two rafts to get us all down the river, but we made it and we all had a great time!!!

Pulling the rafts to shore!



 My bffs and me! =)



BBQing flank steaks and honey curry chicken!


Food!


The Artichoke dip was the hit of the evening!


Dad and Mr. Bierle BBQing!


Drew Bierle and Bennett...


Praying before the meal....


Dig in!


Drew and Libby...


My BFF! :)


Libby!


Dining....:)


Our raft guide, Cole and Libby.


Dad has been working on Dan and Becky's rock wall in front of their house.


It is very unique and artistic.


Tuesday, August 14, 2012

Setting up the Swing Set

Fiona really wanted a swing set for when our cousins, Dakota and Sierra come to visit in September. My Dad built a swing set out of logs from our firewood pile and we tried setting it up, but it just didn't look stable. So my Mom asked the secretary of the school, Julie, if she knew of anyone who was getting rid of a swing set. She just so happened to be getting rid of hers and she said we could have it because her boys are too old for it! We went to her house and picked it up (Dad had to detach everything) and now we have a free swing set (Mom made Julie a batch of fudge for a thank-you)!

Attempting to put up the homemade one...



Picking up the new one in 95 degree heat!



Transferred!






That same day, we also inherited these free items:

A box of boy's clothes from a friend...


Two free sewing machines from another friend....


And free dishes from Aunt Mauray....


Tilly loves pudding!


Fiona helped Dad with the new door trim.


Putting tile in the mud room!




Monday, August 13, 2012

Fixing the Mailbox

On July 16th, we heard a huge boom in the middle of the night. A BIG boom. It almost sounded like Yellowstone was blowing up, it was that loud! The next day, one of the neighbors went to get his mail and he saw that our mailbox was completely blown up. By a firecracker--a HUGE firecracker. We think they chose ours, because it was the biggest and prettiest in the row of mailboxes. ;) Because it is "federal offense", the P.O. was very angry. Nobody really knows who it was, but we found out that an outhouse down the river was also destroyed the same night.....they are doing investigation, but for now we just got a new mailbox. :) Uncle Paul found one in his greenhouse that actually used to by my great-grandma's! My Mom's cousin, Joel (he is an artist) was here while this happened so he just painted it and now we have a brand new mailbox! :)

Setting up the new mailbox....



(Notice the antler for the handle!)



While we were waiting in traffic in Livingston, there was a teen horse watching us! ;)


My Dad and I went to the dump one Sunday afternoon (note, still in Church clothes) to drop off garbage......we then saw a beautiful picnic table. My Dad and I carried it through the hot dump grounds, through the gate and into the truck. It was so hot, we were melting by the time we got into the truck. But it was worth it, because the picnic table is in great condition and we stained it so it looks brand new!


Bennett ordered a refurbished iPad (he had saved his money for a year) and it finally came! :)


Sheridan and Fiona. :)


Soaking in the river....




When we were in Bozeman one day, a door outlet was selling solid wood doors on the sidewalk for $50!! So we got one and Dad sanded and stained it.


We had a good-bye party for Sheridan and Aunt Maryann the day before they left.




Fiona, Preston and Sheridan. :)


Aunt Maryann and Sheridan.


On July 28th, we went to the annual "Shakespeare in the Parks" play (Twelfth Night) and it was so windy that evening, that they had to cancel!!!!!

The actors had to hold down the set so it wouldn't blow away!


The host, called it off....he kept looking out at the weather and I got some manly shots! ;)





We had a garden party at Aunt Mauray's house.


Tilly...


I love Summer!!