The Epic Journey

I can't believe how well David traveled. Abby and Jacob took turns helping to take care of him and play with him as we drove. What amazing children we have.
Dunford Donuts. OHHHHH Yeah. They were so good. The kids would eat a few bite out of one and leave it, and well I couldn't leave them on the table to dry out, so I would eat them of course. Thankyou Uncle Don and Granpa for the donuts and for Pastrami Burgers.

Hopefully there are some quarters left for the Coke machine.

Rachel demonstrated her trick for opening soda to Ethan. She gets a spoon puts it under the tab and pops the top! She's 2! The kids had fun playing with cousins at Don's.

Abby, Sarah. Rachel, & Allison

Brooke & David

Ethan threw the kids into the love sac, this was the favorite activity at Don's house.

Okay maybe the favorite was getting soda from the Coke machine. Now 50cents a can due to fuel price increases. I'm wondering if after we left it didn't go up to 75cents a can due to popular demand!
We made it! Over 1500 miles of driving with 4 kids. We drove thru 5 states. We watched lots of movies and survived rather well. We started off by leaving Winslow's parent's home @ 3am. It really helps when the kids sleep for the first 5 hours. We stopped at Cabella's and window shopped. We had fun seeing Uncle Don & his family & Uncle Larry and his family. Then to my parents, then Yellowstone, and then back in reverse order. HOLY COW! It was an amazing trip and I am proud of my kids and my husband. We didn't even have to threaten to "pull the car over." A big thanks to my parents who helped ease the chaos by taking kids in their car for the Yellowstone adventure. We are way excited to come next summer when it will hopefully be warm! (They have been known to have snow in July in Afton.)

Shop til you Drop

What's the good of vacation without a shopping trip. The girls went shopping at the Gateway outdoor mall, and the men went to the Priesthood session in the conference center! The fountain is choreographed to shoot water up with different songs. We listened to the national anthem sung by Leann Rimes. I got tingles all over!
The kids wanted to play in the fountain. That would have beenn okay if it wasn't cold and raining!

Hunting

The hunters, beware all varments. Mike and Winslow went out coyote hunting at my parents.

The kill.
Okay so they missed hitting the coyotes. We'll blame that on Winslow's lost glasses. These are just chinchilla hides that belonged to my great grandpa. The boys had fun though.

Wyoming

We made it to Wyoming. We drove thru gorgeous Logan canyon. WOW! I can so see why people live in northern Utah. We were glad to make it to my parents. Michael, Kara, baby John, & Gma & gpa Wehrli came too.

It's always fun at grandma's house I loved spending time with my mom. Next to my husband, she is my best friend. I love spending time with my family. I feel so strongly that the Prophet's decleration to the world that "the family is essential to the Creator's plan," is so TRUE.


Above, Mom and David. He was such a happy boy this trip. I am glad everyone got to enjoy his smiles and laughs!

Below, Kara and Me. We have way too much fun together. I have been blessed with Amazing Sister in laws on both sides. Kara and I can talk for hours...and we do. Many late nights! Michael and Kara taught me how to play Puerto Rico this trip. It is so fun. I actually won! Thanks guys.

Star Valley is gorgeous. The fall colors were amazing. There are creeks running thru and all around town. My parents have one running thru their yard. I am jealous of Mike and Kara's pictures. You two look fabulous.


look an actual picture of me.
any meal at grandma's is great~

Dinner at the Lake

There is a lake about 15 minutes from my parents house. We (my parents, sisters, both sets of grandparents, my brother and his family, and us) went to the lake to bbq steaks and enjoy the beauty of the evening. I had so much fun taking pictures, and you haven't even seen half of them : ).
The food was amazing. My mom always makes every meal so tasty. We did give Grandpa a hard time for using Ketsup instead of A1 on his steak!
David had so many layers on!

Kara, Michael, and John

Fun around the fire. Of course as Minson tradition dictates, we sang songs around the fire and ate peach cobbler, cake style for Stephanie. And ice cream or whip cream topping it off.
Stephanie. How do you get more gorgeous than this! Thanks for letting me shop in your closet! I have amazing sisters and I love spending time with them.


Grandma's Carol and Norma, They were smart to stay in the truck, it was cold outside. How I love all my grandparents. They are such great examples.

John is so cute. When he wants to eat he says "please" in sign language. When he really like something he uses BOTH hands. His smile lights up everyone around him. So like his Daddy.
John and Michael
Grandpa Roland
Mom and Winslow
the creek was beautiful

The gorgeous lake
dad's amazing steaks. YUM
Emily and Abby
Baby John, Mike, and Grandpa Rudy
Emily and Rachel
the kids love Emily and we can't wait to have her spend time at our house again. She was fabulous help while I was on bedrest.

Yellowstone

1,000 miles after our trip began, and 4 states, we arrived in Yellowstone. We had so much fun. Gorgeous pools, landscape, STINKY mudpots where we gagged on the smell, beautiful woods, and animals, the fun hotel in West Yellowstone with the Water slide, it was all so wonderful. If you haven't been, GO. Hopefully these pictures capture some of the wonder we got to experience.

It was a gorgeous day. A little cool, but not bad. (See this same location pictured the very next day. BIG CHANGES.)
DAY 2 Begins with Shopping and BEARS
In order to get some bear watching in, Dad took us to a Bear and Wolf preserve.



How to catch a bear! Oh I mean A Rachel, not my Rachel, this is Rachel S. What a sweetie!

My Rachel wasn't so sure about the bears!
That is one GINORMOUS Bear! Go the Grizzly.


The kids really enjoyed the bears!

We didn't linger long once it got chilly. Rachel was so worn out!It got so cold in the afternoon. It started to SNOW. Pictures below, Dad and Mom, Jacob & the Sherbelettes.

Hello Bison HERD! They were all around us. The kids were so excited! We came upon them just as we rounded the curve to Old Faithful. Pretty COOL.

Abby and Sidney
Did I mention it was COLD! My mom stayed with David in the car, while we waited for Old Faithful to do it's thing. Thanks MOM! I think she was a whole lot warmer than the rest of us!
Jacob, Dad, Winslow
shopping with grandma!
me taking pictures

Aren't these Falls Amazing! The adults braved a slippery bridge to see this gorgeous wonder.
He was such a trooper. He slept so good and put up with all the in and out of the car.
Jacob, Winslow, & Carrie waiting for Old Faithful in the SNOW.
Snowball fight
Paul Minson, I am so glad you and your family crashed our trip! We enjoyed spending time with you guys!

What a magnificent sunset with the Teton Mountains! We could see this thru the trees, and my dad was racing to the turnoff which he knew to be close so we could see it in it's full glory. We did and it was SOO worth it! It was gorgeous and we listented to the Elk bugle. What a fantastic end to a wonderful day.

Remember the picture of us sitting on the rocks, well this was 24 hours later at the same spot. Needless to say we did not go sit on the rocks for a picture this day!

Go the snow!

Back to Mom and Dad's for some WARMTH.

My Parents Gorgeous Home. So big! So much space for us all to come visit! We can hardly wait until this summer!

The four wheeler was fun. Winslow and I took a ride up to the Periodic spring earlier in the week. We took a short hike to the top of the spring. It was so pretty and it was so nice to have some alone time together. My dad took each of the kids for a ride. Abby kept saying "GO FASTER!" Winslow took each of the kids for one last ride before we left.

Midday breakfast at Denny's on the way back home. The kids had a good time and we stuffed ourselves with tasty food! I was way tired by this point can you tell!