Summer Vacation

A few weeks ago we had our annual Joachim family vacation. This year we all met up in Idaho for a fabulous summer vacation. Here are some highlights from this great trip!

1. White Water Rafting down the Snake River. This was quite a different experience than our first time river rafting down the Provo River. Grandma Michelle and Aunt Beanie's friend took us on a ride of a lifetime. A little scary at some parts (ok - A LOT scary in some parts) and breathtaking everywhere else.

Zach and Matt rode down twice and got super soaked both times!

Looks like Grandma Michelle is having a good time!

Here they come, having just finished the roughest part of the ride! Looks like everyone got soaked and Grandma Michelle and Beanie are the only ones still smiling!

2. Alpine Slides at Jackson Hole. After river rafting, we headed up to Jackson Hole for some Alpine Slides.

Matt's a pro at the chair lift - only this time he's missing his ski gear!

Maybe is wasn't such a good idea for Zach to lead the pack - he rode the brakes the whole way down!

3. Yellowstone National Park. We all spent 2 days in Yellowstone and witnessed some of the Earth's greatest natural wonders. We saw buffalo, elk, and bears. (Including a mama bear with her 3 cubs enjoying a tasty buffalo.) We saw (and smelled) the sulfur hot spots, the eruption of Old Faithful, and the beauty of Lake Yellowstone!

Here's Grandma and the kids at our first stop - we all had a mini dip in the stream! A little cold this time of year!

Allie, waiting for Old Faithful! We had the perfect view on this great porch - and eating ice cream!

4. Fishing. You can't have a Joachim family vacation without fishing with Uncle Dave. Last year it was off a pier in Virginia Beach, this year it was on Lake Yellowstone! Not too much fish biting this year. Zach and Matt caught 3 cut-throat trout but had to toss them back. (Those dang rules!)

Talk about pretty amazing - the weather went from this:

to this:

in just a matter of minutes!

Zach and Matt - 2 proud fishermen!

It looks like Santa took a summer fishing trip, as well!

5. Lots and lots and lots of cousin time.

6. Temple Square. On our rides down to Virginia we pass by the Washington, D.C. temple. Everytime we pass by the kids ask if that's where we got married. So on our last day before heading home we stopped by Temple Square to see where mom and dad got married. (They've been to Temple Square before but now they are finally old enough to remember, hopefully.)

We had such a great trip out West and visiting with our family. And as Zach so eloquently put it, everything is so spread out and not scrunched up, like where we live. Thanks Grandma and Grandpa for a wonderful summer vacation!