How Grand: Part Two

We left Draper, Utah and headed for Jackson, Wyoming. What a fun little town. They love their bronze statues. They're everywhere. Even out in the middle of what appears to be nowhere. It really jazzes up the place.

But if you really want to jazz up the place, might I suggest about a million elk antlers? At first I thought this was a PETA nightmare, but then I found out that the antlers shed each fall, so like, no elk were harmed in the making of this antler archway.

Bronze moose at Grand Teton

After lunch (not at the Million Dollar Cowboy Bar--because the Million Dollar Cowboy family-friendly Steakhouse was closed until dinner) we headed north to Grand Teton National Forest. Not as grand as the other Grand we enjoyed this month, but still, quite stunning. 

We listened to a ranger talk on moose. Did you know that moose usually stand about 7 feet tall at the shoulder, but their poop is only as big as a kalamata olive? The ranger had a lot more information on moose poop which I will not go into here.

We took a little hike/walk around Jenny Lake. The boys immediately found some rocks to skip and I felt bad for the swimmers that had to evacuate the area for their own safety. I'm sure they were just about done swimming anyway.

Ethan shows perfect rock-skipping form

Ethan was quite good at skipping rocks and often got 5 or 6 skips from each throw. Isaac is still trying to perfect his rock skipping, but I have no doubt that he'll get it one day soon.

Remember how I mentioned "glitter toes" yesterday? Well, here they are, soaking in the cool, clear water at Jenny Lake. So pretty. So sparkly. 

All four boys got their junior ranger badges. This was a first for Ethan and second for Robert. Jonah and Isaac are up to 7 badges! After the oath-taking, we hopped in the car and drove into Yellowstone. We stopped at the Old Faithful Inn and picked up some sandwiches from the deli and found some benches on the deck to watch the geyser vent steam while we ate. 

The eruption wasn't expected until after 9pm and we were tired and eager to get to our hotel, so we left before the show. It would have been dark by 9 anyway, so it's just as well. (Spoiler alert: we saw it erupt two times the next day.)

Such high hopes for the boys sleeping in one queen bed together

Speaking of the hotel, they didn't have a roll-away bed, so all three boys had to sleep together in a queen. In the old days this would not have been a big deal. But the boys are getting bigger, and Jonah does have a habit of swinging his leg over whomever he is sleeping next to as well as shouting or screaming in his sleep.

So about 4 am, Ethan had had it and I switched places with him. Sleeping next to Jonah was a challenge, but much easier than listening to Ethan complain that Jonah was touching him. (Of course he's touching you! There are three big kids in a queen bed you goof!)