What could be better than
- A four-hour car ride with great friends, laughing and laughing and laughing
What could be worse than
- Finding out that one friend lost their grandma just that morning
- Visiting with my brother and his family for a few hours
- Watching my niece suffer a complete meltdown because of all the tests she had to take the next day
- Brad discovering his toothbrush is covered with soap--first practical joke of the trip
- Brad not being able to sleep on a noisy air mattress
- Arriving in West Yellowstone to start an adventure together
- Hearing Obama announce a new health care plan just as we are about to leave
- Seeing elk and bison as we entered the park
What could be worse than- Seeing nothing else all day long because it snowed and snowed and snowed all day (8 inches)
- Learning to drive a snowmobile with heated seats!
What could be worse than- Running into a "DO NOT ENTER" sign due to lack of experience driving said sled in the aforementioned snow ($404.76 was the bill)
- Getting stuck in the snow, narrowly missing a tree, all because your husband desperately wanted to pass someone in front of him
What could be better than- Watching your bishop fall through three feet of snow and face plant, all in an attempt to rescue us
- Enjoying the beauties of Yellowstone
What could be worse than- Being unable to witness the beauties of Yellowstone because of whiteout conditions and howling winds and frozen toes
- Lunch in a yurt just outside Old Faithful
- Resting your helmet in a bathroom sink with an automatic sensor, not realizing it was filling with water
- Wearing said helmet (with a toilet paper tail) the rest of the miserable trip, water dripping down your neck
- Finishing 135-mile snowmobile trip through Yellowstone and a warm van for the drive back
- More whiteout conditions that prevent driving over 25 mph for a few hours
- Tod at the wheel of the vehicle, never breaking a sweat as he opened the window to flick frozen particles from the barely functional wiper blades
- Marva's homemade chili and rolls when we finally got back
- Convincing friends to branch out in their underwear experiences
- Weather report at Grand Targhee that forecasted 6 degree weather, snow flurries and 290 mph winds for the day
- Wrong weathermen--0 wind, no flurries and 25 degree day
- Getting off the lift for the first run of the day
What could be worse than- Bob grossly overestimating Kristen's and my ski skills and taking us down a blue run for our first run of the day
- Falling four times on that exasperating run
- Finding a green run with the best new snow and view ever
- Watching Brad flail around and fall as we passed him on the ski lift
What could be better than- Hot food and great talk in the lodge
- Marni finding a hot stone massage at the day spa while we all skied
- Gorgeous weather and primo skiing
- Finding out one of the men in our group had been laid off from his job earlier that week, victim of this horrible economy
- A fantastic dinner at a local Idaho steakhouse surrounded by friends and family
- Realizing someone you thought was your friend (but who is actually in league with Satan)had ordered the most delectable chocolate cake ever--SEVEN layers of joy and four scoops of ice cream to boot--making your willpower disappear as you devour bite after bite after bite after bite (it was SO worth it) . . . .
- Clearance sales on BYU-I stuff at the bookstore
- Walking back to the house and your husbands driving by you, throwing a rubber snake and whistling, then leaving you to walk another 100 yards in the 0 degree weather
- Finding listings for Rexburg student housing are all online
What could be worse than
- Knowing your daughter is going to be leaving you
- Your dad happening to be in eastern Idaho and taking the time "just to give you a hug"
- A four-hour car trip back to SLC when you've gotten 5 hours of sleep a night for four nights
- Four days away from all news and information, living in a joyful bubble
- Watching CNN in the airport and realizing that the country continued down the tubes in your absence
- Coming home to welcome home signs and 8 happy kids, two of whom are already in bed
- Realizing that Stake Conference is at 9 am, and that no Sunday clothes or baths are ready for tomorrow
- Picking beets, turnips, cabbage and a bowlful of peas out of your beautifully sunny AZ backyard after a trip to the snow
- Using your A/C in March
Thanks for a fantastic few days!
Epiphany #46--Vacation time rejuvenates the soul and refocuses you on what's important in life.
Baby's crying. Back to reality.
Sounds like a great trip, except for the frostbite! You came back at just the right time-nothing like 90 degrees in March! Just read your comment, glad you knew the tongue should firmly be placed in the cheek when reading my comment. Jamie
ReplyDeleteJen- What a great blog! Your soooo Cool! Tod and I laughed and laughed reading your comments. We had a blast and we are also looking forward to the next time! Love Ya, Marn
ReplyDeleteglad you guys had a great trip. I wish I could et a hug from my dad, your lucky.
ReplyDeleteThat sounds fabulous. I'm glad you had such a great time.
ReplyDeleteWow, you had an amazing trip...and after reading your post, I feel like I was there!
ReplyDeleteGreat post, Jen.
=)