HOME AGAIN, HOME AGAIN JIGGITY JIG!!!  We got home around midnight and everyone passed out.  Two full days of driving is exhausting.

Things I have learned to appreciate more this week:  TO MY CHILDREN & GRANDCHILDREN

JUSTIN, my first born! I have loved spending time with you and your family this week.  I don't get the opportunity to see your tender side, watching you with Alli has been eye opening.  And even with Eli and Isaac, they love there "Uncle Justin".  Please know that I will always be there for you to lend a helping hand and a listening ear.

BRUCE, my baby boy! I have loved spending time with you and your family this week, you are an amazing father and husband. I am so proud of the Godly man you have become and can't wait to see want God has in store for you in your new position.  Stay focused on want is important, Know that I am praying for during this transition.

JESSICA, the daughter I never have!  I have known you since you were in junior high, and it has been amazing watching God transform you from an independent young woman into a beautiful young woman who is dependent on God.  I am so glad that you are a part of my family, my son's wife and the mother of my grandchildren.

MELISSA, my spiritual daughter!  Our relationship has had many ups and downs, but know that I am so proud of the wife and mother you have become.  I have watched you learn to rely of God and develop a relationship with Christ that is real and constantly change.  I am so glad that you are a part of my family.

Remember we are not perfect people but a family, people who love unconditional, forgive all wrongs, always strive to become more than who we are, encourage and push each other to become better people who are more like Christ.    

TO MY GRANDCHILDREN

HUNTER, my first grandchild!  You are becoming a wonderful young man with a tender heart and a willingness to serve.  Always remember you are an example of Christ to the world.

KATHERINE, my first granddaughter!  I loved our breakfasts and hugs on the porch.  Your out going nature and I inquisitive nature will help you make new friends quickly.

ALLISON, my brave granddaughter!  You have taken big steps this week in overcoming your fears.  Remember God is always watching over you.

ISAAC, You are my explorer!  You are always busy,  never sit still form long.  You will be going off to kindergarten this year in a new town,

ELI, my youngest!  You are my talker.  You know and use way to many big words to just be four.  You are a mommy's boy and have a tender heart.

Teresa & Gary day 9

Today begins the long trip home, plan is to drive 12  hours.  We left the cabins around 9 am, allowing the kids to sleep late and have some time to paddle boat and fish before the long drive.  We picnic at a city park for lunch, again to allow the kids some time to run off some energy.  Late in the afternoon we got stuck in a down pour and had to stop for supper, finally stopped for the night at midnight but my night was not over. My key did not work and I had to go back to the desk.  But alas the second key did not work.  The desk clerk came over and check 5 more rooms before I finally got my room and crashed for the night.

Talking with the oldest three grandchildren here are some of the things that they enjoyd on their vacation:  Bear country,  seeing all the animals, bison walking down the road and ther herds of bison,  geyers and mud pits at Yellowstone,  the mountains, rodeo, and just being with family.

Teresa & Gary Day 8

Well this day started early.  We left the cabin all 11 of us at 5:15 AM, yes in the morning to see the animals at dawn.  Kinda sleeping and wrapped in blankets we are "down the road agin".  We have breakfast in the park and get home after noon, cause pawpaw needs a nap.

Eli has become an expert bison finder.  Isaac always wants go go outside the car with "DADDY".  Hunter studing his book about animals and rocks.  The girls just want to snuggle.  And all the kids want to go swimming, so the wade in a freezing spring stream then go swimming in cold river by the cabin.  Then everybody rest because tonight is rodeo night.

The kids have a blast!  Get to sit on a bull and all but Eli, participate in the calf scramble.  We also went to the shot out at the Irma hotel.

Teresa & Gary Day 7

Longgg day at the park, covered the northern leg in and exited into Montana.  Travelled up and down a crazy mountain road without guard rails and extremely narrow.  Got stuck in construction,  NERVE RACKING!  Delayed by road construction.   Road block caused by a bear lead to PB&J sandwichs in the car, with grandma the cook.

Great picnic by the lake, where the kid climbed down to the lake.  Where a kids scream (Kati) due to a moth caused panic to one mom (Melissa).  We saw several large herds of bison, a bison road block and several different kinds on animals.  The drive back to the cabins was beautiful, full moon, no traffic.

This old lady is hanging on but everyone's name is starting to blur.  So I just start down a list until I get to the right on.  LOL

Teresa & Gary - Day 6

Today has been a great day!  The day started out with Kati coming to my cabin to snuggle before breakfast.  Then Justin, Bruce and their families went on a hike this morning behind the cabins for  a couple, yes even Eli.  While Gary slept and I relaxed on the porch.  Then we went to church in Cody and had lunch (real food, buffet) at Irma Hotel, shopped and wash clothes.

Then the older kids went back to the park, while Gary and I stayed with the grand kids at the ranch.  We visited with an old friend from MS, Linda & David Jamison across the street.  The kids feed and rode their horses, collected volcanic rocks, explored their house (David's hunting trophies) and chatted (questioned) away.  Then day ended with watermelon by the pond and paddle boating. While I put Eli to bed by 8:00 without any complaints, the girls sat in pawpaws lap, while the boys fished.   Truly blessed.

Random Quotes from the Day

I believe it is Day 6 of the Crocket Family Vacation.  Today was a pretty relaxing day as Saturday really wiped us out with spending most of the day in Yellowstone.  I mean it is amazing and beautiful, but we were not aware of the vastness and all the driving it would take to visit the park.  So we decided to spend the early ours before church going on a little hike with the kids up the mountain behind our cabins.  So we start up the driveway and about a hundred yards or so Alli decides to step in the creek rather than jumping over it and Eli starts whining about wanting someone to carry him.  I started out leading the pack, but somehow around this point, I got stuck hiking with Eli, Kati & Alli.  I might say this was an adventurous/humorous time for me. I forgot the first few lines they said, but I quickly then pulled out my phone and began to take notes.  Here are a few of the quotes from the morning hike:

Alli: "I don't like hiking.  I mean I like it, but it's too much leg work."

Kati: "I thought  hiking was like a bridge you cross and you keep on going."

Eli: "Man I can go golfing with the stick Hunter made me!"  It was a hiking stick Hunter found on trail for Eli to use. 

Isaac: Daddy, "Isaac don't throw rocks down the mountain it's not safe and could hurt someone (as we climb down)"  Isaac, "These rocks won't hurt daddy they are made out of dirt."

Well, I know they may not be as enjoyable for you as me, but they made my morning!  It was truly an amazing site as we climbed up a ledge for the kids to look out towards the valley!  God's creation is truly amazing!

Next, we went with some native Mississippians who live here in Cody to Cody Bible Church.  It was a Western style church, but it was a great time of worship!  We then went to lunch with the Jamison's to the famous Irma Hotel.  It was a hotel Buffalo Bill built for his daughter back in the day to keep her out of the brothels.  Most of the hotel is original and they have kept it a hotel and a restaurant that many today travel to Cody to enjoy.  It was a buffet style lunch which I might say it was some good eating!  Probably the best meal yet on vacation! 

The afternoon was pretty calm and the two couples decided to hit Yellowstone for a few hours and leave mom and day with the kids!  Yes, we are great parents!  I mean we all need some time away.  We started into the park and we were not award of the beauty we were going to encounter that afternoon!  We just got started into the park when a Bighorn Sheep was running alongside us on the road, and we were able to get some great pics. We proceeded on to encounter our first Bison!  We heard all about the Bison and spent a whole day in the park and didn't even see a Bison. But he was nestled up right on the side of the road and I kept hollering at Melissa to open the door so I could get a picture without the window in the way as I was driving.  She hesitantly opened the door (because as she says, "I thought he was going to cuss me out so I opened the door).  Now I would never have done such a thing! I guess her nerves were getting the best of her.  When then head over towards Hayden Valley as we've heard that many able can be seen in this valley, and we encounter several more Bison and even had one really close encounter with one as Justin and I were taking pictures of a humongous heard of Cow Elks, and by humongous I'd say 75-100 of them. They looked like ants covering the side of the mountain!  

Justin and I enjoyed the beauty of seeing all the animals and getting pictures while little did we know that our wives were in the van getting mad at us.  Since we didn't have the kids with us, they wanted to go on a strenuous hike that we might not be able to take the kids on.  But since you may know that even though we bought have been married 10 years now, we still cannot read our wives' minds!  All the animal watching, we quickly ran out of daylight hours and we didn't have flashlights nor would it be the best idea to hike at night, so we pull into this area to turn around and head out when we encounter a rarity in Yellowstone.  It was a wolf about 10yard off the road.  I usually thought they would be skid-dish, but three cars were pulled off taking pictures of it before it finally ran off.  I must say that was a truly amazing site!  The wives finally calmed down about us not being able to read minds and we had a pleasant ride home with enjoyable conversations.

Teresa & Gary - Day 5

We spent the day at yellowstone.  Weather was perfect, sun shining, cool in the am and warm in the evening.  Breakfast served on the porch of our cabins..  The day started off with me falling on the front porch of my cabin, Kati having a stomach ache and Eli getting sick in the car. And a long winding road trip to Yellowstone.

The scene was breath taking, as we came up to the LakeYellowstone Butte, we had to stop for pictures.  As the drive continues kids (Justin & Bruce) searched the woods for animals and found elk, bear, deer, raven and a few other birds but of course we stopped to take pictures of the animals in the wild.  The boys (Hunter & Isaac) were just as excited about getting out to see the animals.  It is interesting watching sibling rivalry in 2 generations.

We had lunch a picnic on the shores of the lake where the kids played in the water, and Bruce stretched out in the hammock. But of course Alli slipping an fell into the water, no towel, no dry clothes.   We shopped in 2 gift shops, in the first one Hunter got a book on nature and Alli $ Eli got a Yellowstone journal, and Kati & Isaac got a family game.  In the second one got tee shirts for everyone and a few souvenirs.

 We crossed the continental divide twice.  We visited Old Faithful and the upper, middle & lower geyser basin.  At the Black Sand Basin the kids waded in the creek.  At the Grand Prismatic Spring, 4000 gallons of boiling water per minute flows into the Firehole River.  Crazy experience!  At  the end go the day we had traveled a 100 miles in the park and had only seen less than a third of the park.   WOW!  I never would have thought it was that big

The kids are become restless, tired of the car.  They need a break from driving, a fun day.

Day 5 Yellowstone-Yellow Brick Road- The Road that Never Ends!

Today was the first day we woke up in our destination cabin with an awesome view of the mountains I might add. So we have left an Alabama summer mornings to come to a Wyoming summer morning that is quite different! We walk out & walk right back in to get a jacket. It is quite cool. We have breakfast at our doorstep, which is an awesome feature of the cabins we are staying. It is in a sweet country bucket no doubt! Strawberry breakfast bread, peaches, & I'm pretty sure sunny D was the breakfast of champions. We drive out after Kati, Alli, & Isaac decide they are hot (since they are running around) & have tossed their jackets back in the cabins. We arrive at Yellowstone after a beautiful yet torturous slow winding drive. It is about a 30 minute drive from our cabin- have we mentioned we've driven over 1800 miles already. Kati on the ride there states her stomach is hurting & is sitting in grandma's lap. Eli has crawled up in mommy's lap just because.. Eli seems to be sleepy, this is the child that likes sleep like his mommy.. THEN the face comes, then the question.. "Eli do you feel sick?", the nod, the mad dash for the emergency ice cream bucket.. What a waste of good strawberry breakfast bread! Well Dad didn't get the torture of vomit duty this time, mom's turn. We do arrive at Yellowstone to find out it's even colder in the shade. Go figure in the land of plethora of trees/shade its even chillier. I discover the smart mom who has brought her jacket has lost her jacket to the child whose belly still hurts. Defeated I complain in my head. Somehow it's taken off & being the good mom I volunteer to give it back if the child becomes cold. A small voice says can you give me a jacket too, I'm cold. This voice is from another one of the wise children that tossed their jacket back inside. Crazy children! We do warm up after going to the visitor center/gift shop/torture for parents. We make it out basically unscathed but after being smushed in a small room with lots of people we are all toasty! So we then proceed further into the park & come across an awesome site of lots of cars on the side of the road. No really if you see lots of cars at Yellowstone know some awesome animal is close by. We got to get some pretty cool pics of elk. They were pretty uninterested, as if "more humans to take my picture, whatever". God's creation is truly awesome! We randomly pulled over to take pictures where the kids & I go down a slight hill where they can put their feet in an awesomely beautiful lake, where my sweet niece Alli cat about drowns herself(not really)! She stumbles in the water & is completely soaks herself, wouldn't be so bad if we had a towel, change of clothes, or if it was warmer. She does dry out, thank goodness. Grandma closes her shorts in the window so they can air dry. I did use to drive to church with my head hanging out to dry my hair so I agree this is super redneck but will work. We do have MS license so I figure we'll be forgiven!  We then proceeded on. We were going to see "Old Faithful". I mean you can't come to Yellowstone without seeing that, right? So we press on. Then I see a road sign inside Yellowstone that said 49 miles! Slowly the van walls start to close in on me. I hear children being loud all around me & we have to drive more. Did I mention that we've already driven over 1800 miles(Bruce and I over 2000)??? So to remain sane as the van walls close in I kick everyone off the last row and lay down, not really intending to sleep but i do get a cat nap in. I wake up much more (well at least a little) sane & ready to go. We get out & of course stop at another gift shop. This time getting matching t-shirts-yes we are now that family! We make it out just in time to walk over to see "Old Faithful" erupt. In the process we lose Melissa and 4 kids. I mean who would have thunk that 11 people can't stay together. So after worrying that they've been kidnapped, lost, or who knows, & even walking around to attempt to find them we find out they are about 8 people down from us. Meanwhile, "Old Faithful" is a big fat tease. There would be a little bubbling, then nothing. Finally she does erupt... Hate to destroy anyone's hopes & dreams & not quite sure what I expected but not so super impressed. Pretty cool how it shoots up & all but I guess I was expecting a large "BOOM" or something. I guess maybe she's just a quiet gal. We then drive more (have I mentioned we've already driven over 1800 miles) to see some of the basins. New fact the basin pools are scalding, boiling water that comes to the surface from underground-Continuous volcano clear water-beautiful. You are not even supposed to get off the path in these areas due to the ground being fragile & people having fell through the ground & essentially died per boiling. We thoroughly frightened the children with these stories- for safety purposes of course! They were good for the most part except for Hunter walking on the edge & stumbling to the ground beside the boardwalk. His mother then reminded him of the stories & I don't think it'll happen again! After all our grand walking we decide it's time to get back to the cabin, everyone being on the tired side(did I mention we've driven over 1800 miles). We begin the long drive out of the park, which is slow & winding. We did make one other stop to catch a site of a grizzly bear, pretty awesome. Only Bruce and Justin got out for that one. Mrs Teresa said she can't run at all (hence she's not gonna outrun anyone else or the bear) so she would stay put. I was ok watching from a distance. We continue our winding drive back out of the park, where I'm glad Mr. Gary still has blood flow to his hands, he was gripping the handle pretty tightly. It's yet to be determined if it was the winding road or Justin's driving as i'm pretty sure he was looking for animals. I would just hold my hands up like a roller coaster ride. We did make it back, did I mention we've driven over 1800 miles (not complaining {Phil 2:14} just stating the facts)?? Definitely could have used the warning that we will be driving lots every day! We rounded up a left over supper, had some family drama, and finally made some plans for tomorrow. Ever hear that marriage is to make you holy not happy? It's true by the way. Family vacation upsizes that statement! I love my family that God has blessed me with! We are super imperfect learning to serve a perfect God! We are learning to be patient, humble,  & to put ourselves aside. Phil 2:3-4. We have not arrived but I'm sure vaca will help! Family & Friends we wish you were here. Thanks for keeping up with the crazy adventures!

Teresa and Gary - Day 4

WE HAVE ARRIVED!  No more traveling fom place to place for the next five days.  Slow start this morning.  The kids got to go swimming at the hotel and we did not leave until 11:00.   Eli was brave jumping from the side and playing in the hot tub.  The older kids had a blast just having fun and being loud.

We took the scenic route from Gilette to Cofy and it was breath taking.  Rivers, mountains, animals, and very little of any thing else.  Seriously no gas stations, no food, no bathroom and no phone service.  We finally stopped for lunch at a place called "the crazy woman cafe n pub".

One more stop before we reach the cabins, yes Walmart,  LOL!  To pick up a few supplies or the week.  The kids were so excited fishing,  paddle boats, horses and lots of room to run.  Tomorrow we head to Yellowstone.

Day 4-We have arrived!

I am excited I finally slept more than 4 hours and got a nice peaceful 7 hour rest in the Best Western in Gilette, Wyoming. We woke up around 7:30, showered, and started thinking about eating. Well, I guess the adults did, not the kids so much, because I got a text from what I thought was Bruce but ended up being Kati asking were we ready to go swimming at 8 a.m... All the boys left and ended up finding breakfast in what seemed like an eternity but, it was because Justin really wanted Hardees and what Justin wants what Justin gets... :) We ate cinnamon raisin rolls which were quite delicious and immediately after took the kids swimming in the pool before check out at 11 which we did on the dot.

Today has kind of been uneventful we drove about 5 hours to get to Wapiti but not before stopping  on the side of the road in Ten Sleep Wyoming to get some pictures and at the Crazy Woman Cafe which probably suited everyone in the van not just women.

 

We did have to stop once because of a herd of pronghorn antelope running out in front of our vehicle. Later on down the road we were able to snap some pictures of another family group... so far that has been the most seen wildlife animal but we haven't entered Yellowstone yet. 

We are settled into our stay for the remainder of vacation nicely at Rand Creek. There are no air conditioners or tv's and that's ok. It's kind of hot during the day but we have box fans to sit in windows and it's cool because we have views like this from our front porch:

a paddle boat for the kids to play on and horses to play with:

We all sat around a fire talking to a girl that works here during the summer to end our day. I say we all talked to her but really Kati and Alli talked to her and at one point all the kids minus Hunter were huddled up around her. It was quite entertaining to watch and she was a good sport and answered each and every question the kids had. Kati I think asked her everything humanly possible from what color bedspread she had to did she like working here. It was very cute!

 

Tomorrow bright and early we will be going into Yellowstone finally! Night! Melissa