Snowmobiling in Yellowstone

For Christmas, Jeff got me a weekend getaway with him to go snowmobiling in Yellowstone! A weekend away with Jeff is literally the best gift he could have gotten me...what's even more fun is to try something new with him. We packed all our warmest gear and headed north. It worked out that the same weekend he booked our trip was also the weekend Stan was ordaining three of his boys to a different quorum in the priesthood on that Sunday. Because of that, we dropped Danny, Dallin, Laurin (who decided to come up to help with Jonas) and Jonas off at Stan's house on our way through Idaho Falls. The kids had a blast hanging out with their cousins. They played a new virtual reality game, went ice skating, and just hung out. Jonas kept up with the kids and loved all the attention he got from them! I loved that we were all able to enjoy our weekend. After dropping the kids off, Jeff and I headed to West Yellowstone. We got there in the late afternoon. We checked into our hotel then went to sign all the necessary waivers in preparation for our snowmobiling adventure the next day. After all that was done, we decided to wander a few quaint shops in the downtown area before dinner. We found little gifts for all the kids then enjoyed a delicious prime rib dinner. After dinner, we headed to the IMAX theater to watch a short movie about Yellowstone. The theater was HUGE! I had never been to an IMAX theater before. I literally felt like I was in the movie because of the way the screen and sound enveloped me. I loved all the beautiful images and learning about the history/discovery of Yellowstone. It was a nice way to end our day...and start our Yellowstone adventure.

The next day, we spent basically the entire day exploring Yellowstone on a snowmobile. Our guide was great! He was knowledgeable about the area and took us to all the beautiful spots along the way to and from Old Faithful. I have to admit I got pretty cold on the way to Old Faithful. My fingers and toes were FREEZING! I was a little discouraged because I felt we had worked hard to outfit us well, but I still got cold. (Jeff said he was warm the whole time...next time, I will plan a little differently and start out with hand warmers in my gloves and boots.) Luckily, we had an hour or more at Old Faithful to have lunch and warm up inside the lodge. The last half of the trip was wonderful! I wasn't cold and was able to enjoy the scenery. I was even brave enough to drive the snowmobile for the last leg of our journey. I loved how pristine everything looked. I was in awe watching the massive bison forage for a little something to eat. They are majestic beasts...only to be admired from a safe distance. I was amazed by all the steam the hot water springs and geysers produced. In fact, you really couldn't see much of the geysers or springs with all the steam. Still, watching Old Faithful erupt was still breathtaking, just like the other sites we visited. I felt so blessed to live in a world that my Father in Heaven created for me. I feel humbled at the beauty of His creations. I loved sharing it all with Jeff. I am so grateful for who he is and how much he loves me.

That evening, we again ventured out for dinner before retiring to bed. The next day, we got up, packed up, had breakfast, then headed back to Stan's house to attend church and the ordinations. Afterward, we enjoyed lunch with everyone before driving home. It was a quick weekend, but a memorable one!