The Wild, Wild West.

Yes folks, the time you've been waiting for finally arrived.  We had the annual Christensen Family retreat (appropriately named, "The Christensen Connection") this past week and it did not disappoint.  Jason, Lucy and I spent the 4th of July in Idaho Falls with my parents and then we headed north for a full week of fun and sun in the fresh mountain air with Jason's side of the fam.  This year we stayed in Ashton, Idaho and went all through Island Park and Yellowstone.  Being from Idaho myself, I, naturally, was the family authority on the native plants, wildlife and local Indian tribes.  On more than one occasion, by simply licking my finger and holding it into the air, I was able to pick up the scent of an approaching predator and usher all 30 of us to safety.  It's amazing how my primal instincts come rushing back so quickly once I am really in my element.  Another week in that wilderness and I would have been down to my loin cloth again.  Those city slickers would have seriously wasted away without me. 

 Anyway, have you seen Dan in Real Life?  That's pretty much our Christensen side.  Hilarious.  Family get-togethers often include water balloon fights and/or water balloon volleyball, skits and talent shows, group singing, late night 80s movie nights and late night heart-to-heart talks, occasional drama with sleeping arrangements, lots of people losing things followed by search missions and modern day miracles, (I won't tell you the whole story but let's just say I did lose our camera and we all did look for a long period of time and I did say an earnest prayer and Jason did miraculously spot a woman 30 feet away from us amongst a sea of people, while it was raining, carrying it in her hand, we did retrieve it and I did ugly-face-cry for a long time afterward) and an unbelievable amount of food... oh and about 5,000 pictures.  Jason is one of 7 and all of his siblings were there along with their families to join in the hoorah.  

Here we all are setting off for Mesa Falls.

Let's take a closer look at the Pap-in-law, catching just a lick of that fountain water being sprayed in his direction.

Lucy thought those stairs were a rollercoster! Yes!! She high fived me once we reached the bottom, pretty much the same thing she did when we took her to six flags.

Mesa Falls...

Daddy and Lucy Dirt. (sister to Joe)

Right before snapping this I said, "Lucy! Do mommy's face on this trip!" She does such good impersonations.

Sweet cousins

Lucy was very much at one with the bears.  That's why we are renaming her "Stands-with-a-fist -next-to-her-brother-bears".  She is a fierce little warrior.

Lucy has become a bit of an awkward kisser.  She always goes for the open mouth and always plants it when we are least expecting.  Worse than Kiptyn and Jillian.

Our brother-in-law (and dentist), "water skiing" while the raft clipped along at a smooth .3 mph.  If any of you are looking for a dentist, here's your man!

Hooray for Yellowstone! Hooray for waterfalls and geysers!  Hooray for smelling like rotten eggs all day!  Hooray for the Christensen Connection!  Can't wait 'til next time!