We were all super excited to set up the trailer the night before and get it loaded. All the kids loved helping to crank it up.
I was amazed at how much storage space the trailer had, and it was fun to "move in."
We borrowed my parents' Murano to tow the trailer since our van doesn't have a tow hitch. (We decided that if/when we do want to tow more we will get a new vehicle since our van doesn't have a lot of guts.) The ride up to Tetons was rough since the kids were all sitting in a row. Aaron is in a hitting phase and spent the majority of the five hours beating up on Ember...even giving her a bloody nose once! It was not our best car trip to say the least!
Everyone was very happy to get out of the car and set up the trailer when we arrived at Colter Bay Campground! Our home sweet home for three nights.
We all slept quite well in the trailer. We'd planned on cold nights but ended up being comfortable in lightweight pjs in our sleeping bags. Aaron woke up once each night needing help pulling his sleeping bag over him when it got really cold at 4 or so. It was just so nice to have a place to put everything as well as a table to eat breakfast at and fridge to store cold food in. One thing we will change in the future is to put an older child on the table bed. Aaron had a hard time seeing his bed disappear each morning, and I think an older child wouldn't care as much. :)
Ember even decorated the trailer door with wildflowers.
We took a little hike from camp to Jackson Lake. The kids liked this jumping log.
During our hike in the rain on Friday morning we saw two moose. At Moose Pond, no less! We watched the mother and calf for a few minutes until they started moving toward us. No need to get stuck between a mother and her baby!
Aaron had a rough time the majority of the trip. He was getting over a sinus infection and was acting out because of it. The girls were his punching bags and he ended up losing the privilege of playing at the lake one afternoon because of his constant hitting. I stayed at camp with him, and it was nice to give him some one-on-one attention and let him just play in the dirt. He and I had fun watching squirrels and a robin that kept circling around until it could finally eat the grape at the edge of our campsite. It was a good reminder that there was a sweet little boy in there under the grumpiness. And just look at that smile!
Ember especially enjoyed the campfires, and it was cool enough to enjoy the heat in the evenings. Aaron would keep backing up his chair farther and farther from the campfire until he was 20 feet away. Apparently he listened well to our warnings about fire being hot!
Poor Abby was fighting a cold during the trip. We kept her on meds and she was an awesome little hiker. But on Friday, she fell asleep for a nap at 5 and didn't wake up until morning! We wore her out!
On Saturday, it was time to break camp and head home. Aaron got to help crank the trailer down.
Ember rode most of the way home with Brett's parents to save her from Aaron's fists and enjoyed the drive much better. :) It took all evening to get the trailer cleaned out, filled with propane, and dropped off, but overall, renting the trailer was a very positive experience!
It was so nice to get away from everything and enjoy time together as a family. Being the RS President has made me enjoy family vacations more since I get to focus solely on my family. And spending time in nature with fresh air and so many amazing views made it even better!
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