Wyoming Road Trip 2020 - Day 6

Day 6

Our first full day in Gillette we took the kids to Bicentennial Park to play. 

Another rock star park! Wyoming knows how to do parks right! 

They had these fun spinning bars. 

We had just watched a Mark Rober video on how this all works....when your arms are outstretched you go slower, but if you pull yourself in tight you go faster. It's just like ice skaters when they spin really fast. It's all physics it's so cool! 

It was SOOOO hot that day. I felt like I was roasting when I was in the sun. These cute bathing beauties decided to rest in the shade! 

Oh this merry-go-around! 

I was trying to be a child and have fun with my kids, but what this merry-go-round taught me is that I'm almost 40 years old and I should stay in my lane! I still have a dark spot on my shin to prove it and it's been over a month. 

Owen is a merry-go-around pro! 

It was good for these kiddos to get out and play. The last time we came to Wyoming I got frustrated with them because I felt like all they did was watch TV and play on the Xbox at Aunt Linda's. We didn't really go and do anything though....she used to live in Cody, Wyoming and there wasn't as much to do there. Here in Gillette there is plenty to do! I made sure that we had something planned every day so that when we got back to Aunt Linda's house I didn't mind if they wanted to chill out and watch TV. 

It really was a nice balance for them and me! 

This picture was a miracle! Alli and I were swing at different speeds and we weren't in sync with each other except for a fraction of a second. I ended up getting this perfect shot! 

Later that night we went and visited the cemetery where my grandparents are buried and my Uncle Lee. 

My Aunt Susan had bought these cute Angel solar lights to put next to the grave. They even change colors when they light up. Unfortunately we'll never get to see them light up since the cemetery closes at dusk every day. 

3 of the 5 kids....Ga-Ga, Uncle Clif & Aunt Linda

Just a few feet away is where Uncle Lee is. The grave also has Aunt Linda's info on it just minus the date of death of course. It was hard seeing that there and seeing Aunt Linda's name on it too. Knowing one day she'll be buried right along side him. Of course I cried being there. I miss them all so much! I have faith I'll see them again one day!

Wyoming Road Trip 2020 - Day 5

Day 5 

This was the morning we packed up and left the Big Horns and started the second half of our road trip.

First stop was Buffalo Wyoming which was only 15 minutes away from South Fork. On our road trip in 2012 when Zeke was just 6 weeks old or so we had to make lots of stops for nursing sessions. We had just gotten our first smartphones prior to that trip....life saver! Whenever Zeke would start to cry or it was close to his feeding I would start looking for nearby parks we could stop at. I would feed Zeke in the van while Michael would take the older 3 out to burn off some energy. We were on our way to Thermopolis, Wyoming when Zeke was ready to eat so we stopped at a park in Buffalo. It ended up being one of my favorite memories from that whole trip. It was just such a great find and totally off the beaten path we would have never stopped there if Zeke hadn't cried. The fun thing was we actually found not one, but two parks. The kids played at the first park and then we went on a walk and found the second one. It was crazy busy and the kids were super small then so they weren't brave enough to play at the second park. I really wanted to have a redo and find the park so the kids could play at it. 

Isn't this amazing!!!! 

The kids didn't remember this at all and they were so excited to play on it! 

Of course it was SO hot...almost 90 and it was only 11am! 

We were almost the only people at the park. I'm sure all the locals don't come unless it's early or late in the day. 

This kids still had a great time though! 

I even had fun running around with them. 

I love how almost all the kids have decided that wearing sunglasses is a good thing. I couldn't function without mine! 

Jackers is the only one that doesn't wear them. I'm not sure if we just haven't found a pair he likes or if he just doesn't want to be bothered by them. 

These slides were crazy fast and they threw you around. They don't look like they would be, but man that turn is brutal. 

Ella's face says it all! This yellow slide was the only one that was partial shaded the other slides were way to hot to go down! 

This tire swing merry go around was the coolest thing I've ever seen at a park. 

It wasn't even moving that fast and it was so much fun! 

I wish they had one of these at a park near us. 

Maybe Pa could make my kids something like this in the backyard....you'll get right on that right Pa? ;)

I'm a giant kid at heart and I love playing with my kids! 

Once we were out of breath from pushing the tire swings around I figured we should make our way to the original park we stopped at in 2012. But first you have to go across a stream.

The kids wanted to cross over on the rocks, but I used the bridge. 

Here is the picture of the park from 2012. I took this picture sitting in the van while I was nursing Zeke. You can see Michael right at the base of the enclosed slide. He's taking a picture of a kid coming down. 

The other reason I wanted to visit this park was to capture comparison pictures. I've seen so many of these on Facebook and I thought this would be great 8 years later! 

Look at this sweet Owen...only 5 years old! 

A lot has happened in 8 years and the toy that Owen was on in the original picture isn't there anymore. So we made due. You can actually see the toy he's riding on in the current picture behind on the left in the original picture. 

Look at those cheeks on Jackson. He has the best squishable cheeks. 

He's just gotten slightly bigger in 8 years! :) 

Ella and her curls! She's a gem that girl! 

Girl loves to strike a pose! 

Zeke was such a cute bald baby! 

I just noticed that we didn't put him on the right toy he should have been riding on the same one Owen was in the current picture. Oh well! I love how he balled up his fists like in the original picture. 

And since we will probably come back one day in the future the kids wanted to take some more pictures to recreate someday! 

I'm so happy the kids humored me and went along with these pictures...it was great fun! 

It's so crazy how fast 8 years has just screamed by and how much they have changed! 

Cute stair steps! 

After this we were all hot and thirsty and ready to get on the road. We walked back to the bridge and I wanted one last picture. The kids were done by this point though! 

We got drinks filled up in the van and hit the road. It was only about an hour and a half drive to Gillette to my Aunt's house. 

This picture was actually taken by my Dad on a previous trip. I didn't take any pictures of Aunt Linda's house. Her house is connected to another house on the left, but you'd never know it. I never once heard the neighbors next door. 

This is her staircase! It's so gorgeous and since this picture was taken she's added a runner on the middle of her stairs. It's so much safer now. 

This is the upstairs media room that the kids and I stayed in and this is only half of the room. There is another single bed just outside of view on the right. Also where the chair and end table are in this picture is now a queen size bed. I slept on the queen, Owen and Jack both got to sleep on the single beds and Ella and Zeke slept on the floor on the other side of the single beds. 

After getting all our stuff out of the van the girls....Ella and Alli really wanted to go swimming so Aunt Linda, the girls and I went down to Walmart to see if we could find a pool. No such luck...we honestly weren't surprised. I did find Ella a new bathing suit and thankfully it fit since the dressing rooms weren't open for her to try it on. We did go to Home Depot and get the girls a sprinkler to run through. While the girls were running through the sprinkler the neighbors granddaughter came over to play. The three girls had a blast playing together. 

Wyoming Road Trip 2020 - Day 3 & 4

Day 3

Our cabin was the Moose Cabin! 

Here's the view from the gravel road below.

This is the view to the left right when you walk in the door. That main bed was mine. 

Right as you walked in the door there was a table for four. Those doors led to the kids' rooms. Ella and Zeke had the room on the left and Owen and Jack had the room on the right. 

Since Zeke was at Ga-Ga & Pa's cabin she got the bed all to herself that first night. 

Wake up sleepy head!!! 

Here's the view of the front door. We had a mini fridge and a Keurig. 

We had a nice bathroom.

With a shower. 

Down from our cabin was the main grassy area. The cabin in the background of this photo is where my Uncle Clif, Aunt Susan, cousin Troy, his wife Gena and there two youngest and my cousin Tony all slept. We spend the majority of our time just sitting right here visiting and moving wherever the shade took us! 

Ga-Ga & Aunt Linda! 

How Owen really feels about pictures! 

How he looks when I tell him to smile! Handsome boy! 

Pa needed an afternoon nap! :) 

Right next to the main grassy area was this little pond. This is where the kids spent the majority of their time just fishing away! 

 Aunt Linda treated all the kids to ice cream at the Lodge. 

They had these nice tables outside that were in the shade! 

In the grassy area there was a fun old covered wagon. Zeke was very curious about it so I told him to get up in there. It's so crazy to thing that people rode in those across the country. We have it so good now! 

These boys could fish all day long!!! 

Not once did my kids ask about any form of electronics! 

It was so peaceful and calm! 

The weather was gorgeous too! 

That morning we had eaten breakfast at the Lodge. For lunch we had hot dogs, but for dinner we decided to go back to the Lodge. 

Auntie Linda with her Sugar Bear! 

Ga-Ga with her Jackers! 

Zeke with his Pa! 

Ella and Alli! 

These girls are the cutest and I honestly think they resemble each other a lot! Zeke photo bombed them. 

He also photo bombs us here too! Silly guy! 

It was so nice to be out at a restaurant as a family. We hadn't done that in months! There was no social distancing, no masks...none of that silliness! 

After dinner we all drove across the highway to the campground to hang out at my cousin Marshall's campsite. He had brought his trailer up instead of staying at a cabin. Right behind his campsite was this awesome hill that was just screaming to be climbed. Of course the kids took right off. Pa and I went up after them. There was the coolest rock that looked like Pride Rock from the Lion King. It was amazing! 

My big 3! 

From that rock we could still look down and see the campsite....see Ga-Ga??

Pa headed back down, but the kids wanted to try to get to the top of the hill so off we went. 

The crazy thing is just when you think you'll get to the top of the hill you get there only to see that it keep going. The two boys on the left are my cousin Troy's boys...Tristan and Ryan. Jackson especially had the greatest time playing with Ryan the whole time we were up in the Big Horns! 

Ella Bean was done! Can't believe she was hiking in those sandals!!! 

The boys were going up so I ran up with them and there was still more to go! 

This is me and Owen cashed out!!! We are used to sea level air and we were at over 7,000 ft here. Out of breath for sure! 

I told the boys that we had a good run, but it was time to head back to the campsite! 

The kids played Red Rover! 

I love seeing them just play!!! 

While we were talking Owen asked about the ATV's, but Marshall didn't really want to take them out right then. Owen was okay with that and he went off to play. Then I noticed his wife Jamie get on one of the ATV's and back it out onto the road. 

She ended up taking Owen, Me, Jack, Zeke and I think either Ryan or Tristan on a ride, before the camp lady came out and said we couldn't be doing that anymore. At least most everyone got a ride before our fun got swashed! 

Hammock Time! 

My cousin Dillon showed me how to get in the Hammock upside down. It took me a few tries, but I got it! 

My cousin Tiffany French braided Ella's hair! 

We also roasted Marshmallows and Starburst! I don't even like Starburst, but if you've never roasted one you should give it a try. They get all melty and the flavor is so much more intense....they are yummy! 

Ga-Ga enjoying her burnt marshmallows! 

A little while later we went to the cabin and Jack got to sleep with Ga-Ga & Pa that night. 

Day 4

Another day for the kids to hang out at the ol' fishing pond!!! 

Ella and Alli were on a mission to clean out all the pine needles....good luck girls! 

Fishin' boy! 

It could be 90 degrees out and this boy would still wear a hoodie! 

One time I got up to go to the bathroom or do something and I came back and my Uncle had taken my chair. I just went over and sat in a different one and he was all bummed because I didn't make a big fuss about it. I said oh okay I'll make a fuss! I came over and sat on him and took our picture together! 

Love my Uncle Clif!!! 

Later that day Uncle Clif wanted to go over to Tie Hack Dam. I thought it would be fun. He could only take so many people since he had a truck, but we fit 4 in back so that both Ella and Jack could come. 

We went out on the Dam and I met a lady that was from Washington and now lives in Gillette Wyoming which is the exact opposite from me since I'm from Gillette Wyoming and now live in Washington. Small world! While we were there her husband caught a fish and let us hold it. I held it so the kids could touch it. Then we let it go....unfortunately it just floated belly up and then sunk. The guy felt back for throwing it back since it died, but there was no way we could have gotten it since the water was a good 20 feet down and he didn't have a net. 

That night Ga-Ga & Pa came back to our cabin to play Blank Slate. All the kids slept with me in our cabin so Ga-Ga & Pa could have a break!