Party Up North...

It was the last weekend in September, and Gina had made plans with a few of her good friends to head up to Island Park to frolic and play, and enjoy the heck out of the fantastic early-autumn weather...

Gina, Keri, Kari and Brooke drove up north and met Cameron at his family's cabin, dropped off their stuff, and then they were off!

They grabbed a couple of canoes from the trailer hooked to Cameron's Amigo, and they floated the river. Kari had never really experienced canoeing before, so the group decided NOW WAS THE TIME for her to figure it out! (On a rather lazy, shallow river.) Brooke captained their canoe (aka "The Steerer"), and the two had a good time going from bank to bank, and occasionally getting each other (as well as innocent bystanders) wet with the cold water.

Captain Brooke and Kari

Over in Canoe Number Two, Keri sat up front with Cameron steering and Gina sitting in the middle, sometimes paddling when the river got really shallow.

Captain Brooke and Canoe #2 Crew: Cameron, Gina and Keri

Ah, it was a good time. While floating the canoes on the Snake River (right, Brooker?), the five friends talked and laughed and took many pictures; for, you see, day turned to dusk, and dusk faded to twilight--and twilight on the river is glorious to behold...

Row, row, row your boat gently down the stream...

The Five Friends (although the Token Male is hidden by my tuke)

Breathe it in, baby! Isn't that beautiful?!

 The five friends happened upon some moosen there on the river, which made their float trip seem extra special.

The float trip ended after dark, and it was rather nippy there on the river, and a dinner of hot homemade taco soup and cornbread back at the cabin warmed them up nicely.

As the night wore on, the friends bantered back and forth, and they were joined (just before midnight) by two additional friends who had driven all the way from Happy Valley, Utah! Yes, Lisa and Matthew made that night even better...

Eventually, the seven wandered off to their beds, where they dreamed about the adventures that awaited them the next day in Yellowstone National Park!

Yeah...I can't make myself write an entire post like it was a (boring?) children's book.

I. Just. Can't.

Anyway...we all woke up to a fantastic French Toast breakfast (provided by Cameron), took a few group shots, and then we headed into Yellowstone (Matthew and Lisa going their own route).

The entire group: Matthew, Lisa, Keri, Cameron, Gina, Kari, Brooke

Me and Brooker

Lisa, Gina, Brooke

We drove around and walked a little bit, and then?! We sat in the hot springs at Mammoth Falls (right, Brooker?)! It was lovely, lovely, LOVELY!

In the back of the Amigo WITH THE TOP DOWN! It was really a perfect day!!!

Kari, Keri, Gina and Cameron

For pretend, we took a picture that made us (and our shadows) all seem the same height.

Then we drove around a bit more, had some lunch, and drove around some more for a few photo ops.

I meant to pay attention...I want to say that's Yellowstone Falls behind us...

Yeah. Cameron was lucky to be the token male among such lovely ladies, yes?

Then our chauffeur dropped off us ladies at a LDS church house just in time to watch the Relief Society General Broadcast. (And can I just say? It was awesome! Especially the talk by President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, Forget Me Not. WOW!)

After the broadcast, Cameron picked us up and we had a lovely dinner at...some 50s diner there in West. (Why can't I remember the name of the place?! I ordered a Monte Cristo sandwich, and it was spectacular!)

Gina, Kari and Cameron

Brooker and Keri

 After dinner, we headed back to the cabin, where I gathered my scant belongings (I accidentally left lots of the stuff I was supposed to have brought to the cabin at home--which is another story for another time)...and then I drove home while the party continued on at the cabin in my absence. (I had early morning church meetings the next day, you see...)

It was a fantastic time, though. And before I forget, THANKS TO BROOKE AND KERI for letting me steal their pictures. (My camera was one of the things I left at home. Dangitall.)

If you stuck through to the very end of this post, you are a trouper.

Also, I'm going to try to do much,  much better at posting on a more regular basis...