Wyoming - home for my heart
/Leaving Minot for a 2 1/2 week vacation was harder knowing we have so little time there this summer before we pack up the house and move to the Omaha area in the early fall. But we have leave to use. A lot of leave, on account of being at two remote bases where we couldn't use Josh's accrued leave for 3 straight years. So instead of selling it all back at the end of our AF commitment we decided to use as much of it that the med group and Minot AFB would allow us to use over the summer. The trip originally was going to take place over 4 1/2 weeks (not sure what I was thinking), but I quickly decided that was overboard and we slimmed it to 3 1/2 weeks. We had the go ahead from Josh's leadership, but were notified a week from our departure date that 3 1/2 weeks was simply too much time to be gone from the clinic, so we chopped off the first week and left a week later. The last week and a half that we were schedule to be in Omaha for house hunting was, by the Lord's beautiful and faithful provision, no longer needed as we'd already put in an offer on a house and had started the purchase process (that's an entirely different post). So cutting off the first week of the trip and shifting everything back put us in Omaha with just enough time to have a couple down days (one to view the house!) and for Josh to do his ATLS course that has been scheduled for months.
Wednesday the 7th at a dark 3:30am, we pulled out of the driveway to plow forward on a road we'd not yet traveled. The boys and I woke earlier than we typically do on these early morning drives since it's summer now and the sun rises entirely too early. We hung sheets in the back windows to attempt a longer morning sleep time for the boys, but it was in vain. Western ND, the small bit of SD and the Eastern parts of Wyoming we drove through were stunning! Green rolling hills, pastures and marshlands dotted the ND countryside and led into the Black Hills of Spearfish SD and sloped down into the beauty of Sundance, Wyoming. We hadn't realized when mapping the trip how close we'd be to Devil's tower, so we were excited to see a sign that noted it was a mere 20 miles off our path. There wasn't much discussion about if it was worth the detour or not. The answer was obvious. We veered off the beaten trail and made our way through the stunning Wyoming countryside while trying to explain to the boys what they were about to see and the theories on how it formed. We pulled into the parking area at the base of the tower, mouths hanging open and felt dwarfed by it's enormity. Josh and I both have vague recollection of seeing the tower from afar, but neither of us had a clue of the spectacular land surrounding it. We stepped out of the car and immediately with my first intentional deep inhale I was flooded with childhood memories of camping trips and Bible camp in the bighorn mountains. There's something about those high altitude pines that smells so entirely different than any other pine's aroma I've experienced. The higher up we climbed and the closer to the tower we got, the more the smell overwhelmed me. I felt like a child again, hopping from rock to rock in Dead Swede Campground in the bighorns, humming to myself, gentle, in a sing songy way. I couldn't have held back my perpetual smile if I'd tried. I felt home. It never ceases to amaze me the emotions the scent of something so deeply familiar can conjure up.
Now and then I'd emerge from my child mind dreamland and remember where we were. I'd peer up through the pines at the tower, always changing in it's appearance as we made our way around the trail, for a while blocking the sun and allowing just enough hint of light to burst forth over the top, giving delicious sun glare for a picture - and at other times, showing all it's most prominent parts in sunlit glory that led into it's deeply shadowed crevices growing shrubs and the hardiest of flowering plants. It was such an incredible sight. We saw a doe grazing along the hillside, wary of our presence, but brave enough to let us look on her delicate frame for just long enough to delight in her beauty. A snake winded it's way across the path, startling the boys, but posing no threat. It was all just such a rejuvenating experience!
We had a picnic lunch in the area below the tower and then stopped at an ice cream shop in Sundance after the hike and enjoyed delicious soft serve before heading back to our route to Cheyenne.
We spent about 2 total hours of unplanned time traveling to, hiking around and then getting back to the interstate and it was worth every second of it.
The rest of the drive to Cheyenne went smoothly, and as a born and raised (until my 22nd year of life) Wyomingite I was honestly somewhat shocked at the beauty of the Eastern side of the state this time of year. I'm well seasoned on the beauty parts of Wyoming CAN hold, but also on the desert condition most of it so often displays. We hit it at just the right time, before drought settles in and makes everthing a pale shade of yellow, with only the bluffs, vast sky and clusters of antelope left to look at. My dad had called the day before to proudly notify us that we were going to be traveling through the likeness of the green, rolling hills of Ireland. It was beautiful, indeed. He'd also mentioned in the conversation that my brother, sister in law and two nephews would be rolling into his place in the wee morning hours of Saturday, after returning from a vacation in Mexico. We rearranged our Saturday plans to be in Laramie so that we could stay and see them. It's been a full 9 years since Josh has seen them, and only the third time in the past 9 years that I've seen them, so we were really excited.
We arrived at my Dad and Mel's place just outside of Cheyenne by 4:00 or so and spent the afternoon and evening refreshing ourselves in their pool - perfect after a long car ride. Mel had fresh grilled salmon, steamed broccoli and a chilled veggie salad (must.get.recipe!) ready for dinner. What a wonderful way to end a long day of travel!
Thursday morning we woke multiple times to the smell of vomit from two of our boys, so we decided, instead of loading back up right away and heading to hike at Vedawoo as we'd planned we would lay low for the morning and then head to Laramie for the afternoon barring any further development in the stomach bug department. Thankfully the rest of us were spared. We figured a day of car food followed by a hearty dinner and hours of pool fun did them no favors!
Josh's brother Nathan and our sister-in-law and two nieces and nephew live in Laramie, along with Josh's sister, Amy. I realized a bit into the visit that we'd not had time, ever, with just Nate and Heather for more than an hour or so. What a delight it was to spend time with them, outside the context of the chaos that ensues during whole family holiday get-togethers, where getting to really sit and talk to someone just doesn't happen. We enjoyed every minute of it. Park time for the kids (was supposed to be splash pad time, until a storm cloud rolled over the very minute we unloaded at the splash pad), a pizza and sushi picnic in the park pavilion and gin and tonic back at their adorable house. We said our goodbye past all the kids bedtime and headed back to Cheyenne, knowing that we will have ample time with them in August when we are up at Flathead Lake in Montana. That made it easier to say goodbye after such a short afternoon.
Friday we spent the morning at VedaWoo hiking (made my mama heart nervous - those BOYS and their adventurous walk near the edge spirits!) and the afternoon in the pool with my dad, who was able to take the afternoon off. After dinner a lifelong friend of mine, Robin, and her husband and two precious boys came for some pool time and we hunkered down in the water to avoid the chilly breeze, wondering what possessed us to get in the pool with all our little boys. It's always a delight to be with her and her hilarious self. If we lived closer, I think she and I would spend much time together! Or time was abbreviated, which was sad, but it's so entirely impossible to cram in all the visits with loved ones in such a short window! I'm a ninny and didn't get a picture of us together. GAH!
Saturday was spent mostly in the pool, getting to know Christopher and Phoebe as much as we could in the short window of time we had before both of us had to hit the road, going opposite directions. I realized after we left to head to Colorado that I have no memory of being able to sit and talk to Phoebe just the two of us. It was neat to have that time with her, as it is with anyone that I usually spend time with in family crowds. (I haven't a clue why I didn't get a pic of us couples together! Gracious!)
We decided to let the boys skip their afternoon quiet time to spend time with cousins, Jay and Paul, in the pool and head out after nap time would typically end. It was well worth the exhausted (and wildly sunburned) boys it gave us that evening at my mom's in Idaho Springs, CO. (seriously, Elijah FRIED! He's never in his life had a sunburn! We were totally irresponsible and didn't pay attention, but to our defense he has only ever turned a beautiful olive in the sun).
We pulled out of the driveway about 3:15 and made our way across the Wyoming border down in to the Front Range of Colorado and up into the mountains to my mom's house. Those mountains! Does a heart good to see those!