What I did on my summer vacation

Item #1: Survive my first real teaching experience. Yay!

Dad comes to Rexburg!

What my poor students had to look at every day.

Item #2: Go to Island Park/Yellowstone

Vacation at last. I could go back to this cabin every year and love it.
The fire pit made the hours of search worth it.

Take me back there.

Yellowstone did not disappoint.

We were at Old Faithful so long we saw it blow twice.

We took at day at Mack's Inn and Big Springs. Pay no attention to my runner-tanned legs. I fixed that at the beach last week...

Big Springs: Lots of bugs but beautiful views!

This waterfall was most unsettling.

This one was fiercer but didn't give me that same feeling in the pit of my stomach.

"Take the picture! Take the picture!"
That sucker was coming right for us.

Yellowstone Lake

The Grand Tetons. The only good part of our not-so-brilliant path home.

Item #3: Go to Grand Canyon

A bit apprehensive pre-helo ride.

Trying to be brave. Once we took off I was fine.

Bright Angel Trail. Someday I will hike rim to rim.

Plane ride > helo ride

This is what my hair looks like at 6:30 a.m. I wasn't nearly as nervous for this ride since John told me planes are inherently more stable than helos (thanks bro!).

Antelope Canyon was the big surprise of the day! Gorgeous!

The Colorado from the air. Someday (maybe) I'll raft it.

Glen Canyon beauty.

It was about 10 degrees hotter on the shore than on the river.
I took care of the heat problem a little later.

Turns out cooling the feet wasn't quite enough.

45 degree water is wonderful when it's 110+ outside.

And now it's time to start a new adventure. I was just hired to teach adjunct at BYU--miracle of miracles-- so I have to leave for Utah on Wednesday. I'm sad to cut my California time a little short (once a year visits are not quite enough) but this is an opportunity I can't pass up. I just hope these three weeks of vacation were enough to carry me through! Wish me luck!