Monday, July 14

The awesome bridge I mentioned.

Today was an awesome day. So, we arrived yesterday around 3pm and once we got set up, we explored our tiny little campground. The kids were so excited when we realized they had a little splash park. Not so excited when they realized the water was 12 degrees, but it was still fun. It was about 85 degrees here and it felt hot. After being in 75 degree weather for a week, it was amazing how 85 could quickly feel warm, even with significantly less humidity than Richmond! My in-laws took off to eat dinner out and we hunkered down to grill up some fajitas. About ten minutes into cooking, my in-laws called to say that the downtown was so cute and the restaurant so yummy, that we should go down there to eat. To make a long story short, we decided to stay another night in Lander, WY (we realized we were only 2 hours away from our next spot anyway) and absolutely take my in-laws up on another date night! Shawn had been googling and found what looked to be a great spot for breakfast. In 16 days, we had not eaten one breakfast meal out, and once I looked at this menu, I was all over it! We ordered 4 entrees. (Brioche French toast with fried bananas, some gourmet version of biscuits and gravy, 2 eggs, bacon, some RIDICULOUS sea salted rosemary potatoes and sautéed spinach, and a breakfast sandwich with a fried egg, swiss, bacon, red onion jam (just stupid good) and tomato.) For just me and Shawn. The two of us can put food away like you would not believe. We love our life. We love our kids. We love our family. But we love food in a way I can’t explain. Everyone loved their meal and when we finally finished, we stopped next door to buy a balance bike for the kids, and we headed off to hike. None of our children can ride a bike without training wheels and I have heard great things about the balance bikes, and met a few people on our travels with them, so after the boys rode one for 30 straight minutes and would have likely caused a huge scene if we didn’t buy it, we walked out of the store with one. I am hoping this is our ticket to biking freedom. (I am only hoping we shouldn’t have bought one for each kid!)

After breakfast we set off for a hike that we had read would be good for the kids. It was only 1 mile, and supposed to be pretty easy. We finally found the starting point and headed out. The beginning started along a suspension bridge. I am all for being outside and one with nature and active and all that jazz, but I hate bridges. You know that one leaving the east end that takes you to 95 south (I think it is 895?) well, I hate that thing. I hate all bridges really. I like their beauty in concept, but I hate the reality of them. I just feel like they could break at any time and I am always thinking about how I should roll my window down as we cross over, just in case we go over the edge. Totally logical I know. So today I learned that I didn’t really know what suspension bridge meant. Apparently it is a bridge that isn’t stable, doesn’t have sides that are taller than my kids and feels like it is going to collapse at any given moment. So now I do not like suspension bridges either. We managed to get a picture while going across before my husband about gave my poor father in law a heart attack while jumping up and down on the bridge when they were the last two on it. (Remember what I said about his 9 year old antics?!?)

That 1 mile hike took us a good 2 hours. (again, kids are young for this trip) but they did pretty great overall  (God bless my patient in-laws) and we managed to get back in time before a nice, nap inducing storm rolled through. Shawn and I had reservations at the same great restaurant my in-laws went to last night, so we were thrilled to have our second date night in 3 days! The restaurant was so cute and so delicious. For the 2nd time in a row, and probably the 2nd time EVER, Shawn and I ordered the same dish. We both got the Cilantro Lime Hangar Steak. We are in Wyoming. It doesn’t feel right to order anything OTHER than a steak. And it was delish. (I generally have a thing against ordering the same meal!).

All in all, Lander, Wyoming is a really cute town. It’s a really small town too. I saw the same woman this morning on my run, as I saw at breakfast, as I saw at dinner. When we were coming back from our hike today, Shawn and I helped a woman carry her BOB stroller down to the hike path with her sleeping toddler inside. She said, “Are you visiting?” And I said, “Yes, we are from Virginia.” She said, “I thought so, I don’t recognize you. Lander is a small town.” I was so struck by the fact that the town was so small that she would know some random person on a trail! What’s funny is that I was so stuck by her. She had her son with her in the stroller, one of her friends, and a ton of chain, rope and two helmets. They were headed out to rock climb. HOW COOL IS THAT?! Once again, I just don’t know why we don’t live here! Tomorrow we head to Grand Teton National Park. Shawn even bought tickets to the Jackson Hole Rodeo (and a gun fight before the rodeo in the Town Square. Interesting). I can’t wait to see what the kids think of that!

And one last thing as I try to upload this entry. The Internet, and TV watching, sucks on this trip. I have been attempting to connect all evening to the campground internet. PapaBear1, PapaBear2, PapaBear3, and even MamaBear, do not actually work. (Yep. Real life campground internet names.) Thank goodness for the Ipad, the fact that my phone can be a HotSpot, and that Fox.com airs full episodes of 24. Whew.

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