Trip to the Grand Tetons

Yesterday was a special day...Mom and Dad came up to Rexburg with Jake and Michelle and kids in their van. They picked me up around 7:30 AM and we head off to the mountains. We stopped in Jackson Hole to eat a delicious breakfast of Mom's homemade granola, fresh peaches, and delightful cinnamon roles made by Michelle. It was pretty cold, and I just took a light jacket with me, but it was fun anyway. This trip has been planned for quite a while, so I was way excited to finally get to do it.

It was a great start to our day in the beautiful outdoors. We headed out after breakfast to Grand Tetons National Park. We stopped along the way at the different pullouts to take pictures. The weather was pretty rainy and cold, but it didn't damper our spirits. The air was so fresh and the rain just made everything look more alive. It did stop raining, so we were able to get some good pictures. The mountains were pretty covered with clouds, but it was still a beautiful sight. It amazes me what a beautiful world we live in. Nature can be so awesome! I loved just soaking it all in. The colors of the leaves, the placement of petals on a flower, the towering mountains-it is all so majestic. How incredibly blessed we are to be on this earth that Heavenly Father created for us!

I took a lot of pictures. I tried to look for the little things that not everyone would notice. Photography is one of my favorite hobbies. There is just something about getting that perfect shot that makes me really happy. It is so fulfilling.

I took a lot of pictures of Carter and Emily too. They are so adorable that it is hard to not take lots of pictures of them. I love my nieces and nephews! They are the cutest kids around. :)

One of my favorite parts of our trip was getting to see a four/five point buck. (It had four points on one side and five on the other) We stopped to get a picture of it and Dad, Jake, and I all got out of the van with our cameras. It was on the opposite side of the road as us and was up in the trees, so we couldn't see it very well. Dad and Jake thought that if we climbed up the hill ahead of it and got above it, we would be able to get a better picture of the buck. They were right. We found a spot and just sat on a log waiting. The buck passed right in front of us! Then, it bedded down about 10-15 yards from where we were. It was amazing! I have never seen a buck that close before. It was so cool!

What a wonderful, wonderful world. It was a beautiful day. Sometimes it is nice to just take a day and not worry about anything but enjoying life and God's creations. It is refreshing.

It was so much fun to spend time with my family. I miss them a lot when I am at school. I'm glad that I get to see them as often as I do, but I wish I could see them more often. There are a lot of students who don't see their families for several months at a time. I don't know if I could do it. I just love spending time with my family and being around them. They are quite amazing and funny too! :)

The trip was a blast! We got back to Rexburg and made dinner at Porter Park. Mmmmm...I love Mom's and Dad's cooking. They make a pretty good team. :) What a great day. I think we all could take a little more time to appreciate the beauties that surround us. How can one doubt God's love when in nature? Maybe we should take a moment and stop to smell the roses before they stop blooming. :)

Until next time...