Summer UT/ID 2016, Part 1

We go up to Utah/Idaho for a week every summer, but this trip was especially magical. My sister's kids were angels, the weather was perfect, Penny wasn't sick for once, and our days were jam-packed with adventures. Aside from a crazy allergic reaction that developed exclusively ON MY FACE starting the third day (blissfully, it cleared up well before I had to return to work), it was pretty much a perfect vacation.

Even the drive there was great. We took a new (to us) route with incredible sights we had no idea even existed.

Vermilion Cliffs in Marble Canyon - "Wish you were here!"

When Jon accidentally hits the rumble strip, a trembling Penny ends up in my lap

We camped at a KOA in Cedar City, which was not great (combination of forgetting that our air mattress is a twin, not a queen, and a very snorey neighbor).

Greeted by Dash. Related: Did you know greyhounds chatter their teeth when they're happy?!

Being lazy, waiting for Annie to get home from work

Pre-Rzr ride. Jon hanging onto the "Ohsh**" bar. (He pointed out that Annie's, in the front seat, was technically an "Ohf***" bar)

Timp view

I was too scared of falling off the edge to climb out for a picture

The next morning, Annie's student Lara was showing, so we dropped in to watch her ride. I snapped some pictures from the hilltop and sent them to Annie, who forwarded them to Lara. In reply, Lara sent the following photo that her husband had taken from the other end of the arena:

So meta

After the show, Annie and Jon and I began the drive to Idaho, stopping briefly at Sweetie's, a BCC party, and Maddox on the way (no pictures of any of those?!)

Triple nap (two of three nappers are camouflaged; look closely)

Penny bedded down next to us in the Lance camper shell in my parents' shed

Headed for traditional huckleberry shakes in Driggs, post traditional lunch at Provisions

Sisters/niephew in front of the Tetons

The brown lump is deer.

I couldn't decide between this picture and the next one, so you get both. Her sandy feet and braids!!

Cookie snack

Sandbar, past and present

I snuck in one more braiding session during the week. I DIE

Comparing feet sizes.

Corinne's knees + Ada's seat = pregnant belly and boobs. It's all I see when I scroll past this picture!)

We're only to Tuesday, people (we got to Annie's house on Saturday). We went rafting on the Snake River! This was our second time and it had a similar result to the first time. I'll let the next series of pictures, all taken within a 10-second window, do the talking:

(Her hat popped up a hundred yards or so downriver. We backpaddled and retrieved it.)

And this one:

Seems like a good place to wrap up part 1, right?

NAMES 2015...

...has a new home! Read this year's list of bad baby names over at By Common Consent!

Christmas happened!

I have a bunch of months-old pictures and no where to put them but on my nearly-dead blog. Might as well!

Flying over the snowy Grand Canyon en route to Alberta

Feeding the birds, Old Chief in the background

On the morning of the 22nd, Jon told me to pack "a few things, just in case we hit bad weather" because he was taking me on a surprise (11th!!)anniversary excursion. When we drove past Calgary then turned west, I was pretty sure we were Banff-bound...

...but I had NO idea the plan all along was to spend the night, and at the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise!! 

Let's get a closer look at that view, shall we?

A video posted by Jessie Jensen (@jjensen024) on Dec 23, 2015 at 7:18pm PST

And since it's impossible to get an idea of the perspective from iPhone pictures/footage, here's a picture (not mine, obviously) taken from the mountain behind the hotel looking out across the lake:

Yeah, it's really that incredible. And these were two of the best days of my entire life, so indulge me a bit with approximately 20 more pictures of our stay.

Exploring the hotel. I'm including this picture just because it makes me laugh.

Ice bar

Sleighs!

Grabbed a hot chocolate at the ice bar to try to warm up before our sleigh ride...

...decided we'd better wait inside until we absolutely HAD to go out.

Meeting Goliath. Aptly named.

All snuggled up and ready to go! It was almost a full moon that night so we could see the across the lake, the tops of the mountains, the (turquoise -- Lake Louise's water is renowned for its blueness) ice falls, and the snowcapped trees. When it was time to go back, the horses pulled the sleigh out onto the ice in order to get a proper turning radius. As we approached the turn-around spot, another sleigh was stopped out on the lake, black horses standing in silhouette against the snow in the moonlight, and it was one of the most beautiful sights I have ever seen in my life.

Thawing out my toes on the radiator post sleigh ride. This looks like a Captain Morgan commercial.

Fondue that night. We were instructed to wait for the first bubble before diving in, and I am nothing if not obedient.

Sunrise. See the rainbow on the ice rink??

Morning ice skating

Unbelievable view.

The camera died shortly after this picture was taken. iPhones don't do well in 10 degrees.

Not a bad view at lunch

Then we had to leave :(

I thought these animal crossings (all over Banff) were delightful.

Mount Rundle

Checking out the Banff Springs Hotel on our way home. 

Christmas morning selfie. I finally made Jon the Slytherin scarf he asked for over a year ago.

Jon and his sister combined funds to buy their dad some hunting gear for Christmas (I've circled him in this picture so that you can see him)

On Christmas Day we went snowshoeing in Waterton Lakes National Park.

A crapload of elk hanging out juuuuust inside of the safety of the park borders. (Let's dispel with this fiction that these elk don't know what they're doing. They know exactly what they're doing.)

Spot the chateau

Mostly frozen Cameron Falls

Haaaaaaaa

Taking a break on some Adirondack chairs

Wieners of Waterton. Always good for a laugh.

Unlike in years past, we didn't get to spend a lot of time with siblings and niephews this time. Kelsey+Family and Darcy+Family couldn't come at all, and Caylee+Family and Kenzie+Family only came for one night each (and didn't overlap with each other at all). Still, it was great to see who we saw, even for a small period of time.

During the short window she was there, Caylee took some portraits of Jon and me. This one's my favorite:

And it's a miracle we got any, considering that I only lasted about 90 seconds in the cold. (No exaggeration.) Thanks again a million times, Caylee!

It's over :(