YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK - Wyoming











Choice, Tate, Shiloh, and Ryder

Cody, WY the rodeo capital of the world, was a great stop for us today.  Although we missed the time to get the kids entered into the muttin' bustin' competition, we hoisted them atop this horse to channel their inner cowboy. 


We spent time wandering around the old western area of the town and taking in the ambiance and old-time feeling. 



Jason and Juliann

Juliann

Shiloh



Tate, Choice, and Ryder

Tate, Ryder, Choice, and Shiloh

Tate, Shiloh, Choice, and Ryder

Ryder, Shiloh, Tate, and Choice

Tate

Shiloh

Choice, Tate, and Shiloh

Shiloh












































From there, we made our way to one of the most breathtaking places in the country, Yellowstone National Park. I was excited just seeing the sign as we entered the park. 







Just as our motivation in Alaska's Denali National Park, our primary focus here was spotting wildlife. Within the first couple miles of entering the park, we encountered a buffalo.












Even without the nostalgia of roaming among fascinating wildlife, the park's beautiful landscape is a stand alone attraction. We stopped multiple times along our drive just to get out and take in the beauty all around us.

Notice the geysers in the back right-hand side of the picture below.  This was a new concept for the kids.  It was fun to explain to them a little about these natural wonders while we were in route to the infamous geyser located within the park...OLD FAITHFUL.





I've had a curiosity about Old Faithful ever sense I was a young child.  I remember this name as a small child because it was used in an unorthodox fashion around our home.  My Dad (who will most likely not be pleased that I am sharing this story) had a spot on the middle of his back.  If you were to pick it, which happens to be a sick obsession of the females in our family, you could always get something to come out of it.  (Sorry for the unpleasant visual).  Because of the constant flow spouting from this location on his back, my Mom nicknamed it "Old Faithful".  Today was the first time that I have had the opportunity to visit the Old Faithful that doesn't require a Band-Aid after it's eruption.



We walked up just as the large eruption was ending,  It erupts approximately every 90 minutes.  This gave us time to see it in it's calmer state and grab some grub from the nearby cafeteria.  













We made sure we were back before 90 minutes had passed so we could witness the big blast.  It was phenomenal to see, especially with the sunset happening simultaneously.
































































Our time at Old Faithful today gave me an opportunity to ponder.

























This journey of grief has broken me down and caused me to rebuild myself.  Much as a muscle that needs to be worked out and torn apart to rebuild stronger and more solid.  I have reached lows that I never could have fathomed prior to the tragedy.  I tremble now just with thoughts of the mind space I was in along the way, yet, I can still relate to that girl I was then. That cliché saying, "It's better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all" was a difficult concept for me.  Not only did I battle denial and refuse to accept that I'd lost my sweet Andrew, but I wasn't sure that anything was worth the agony our family was going through.  How could something so lovely and special as marriage and family, create such a painful void? In difficult mindsets such as these, I am reminded that there must be opposition in all things.  We must know bitter to taste sweet.  We must experience sadness to ever truly know what it means to be happy.  And, suffering a loss is the only real way to appreciate what you have.

A geyser has a fascinating cycle.  The geyser effect is due to the proximity of magma.  Surface water works its way down to an average depth of around 6,000 feet where it contacts hot rocks. The boiling of the pressurized water results in the geyser effect of hot water and steam spraying out of the surface vent Known as a hydrothermal explosion. 

The parallel between my grief and the cycle of the geyser's explosion is consuming my thoughts tonight.  As water from the outside seeps deep into the geyser it activates this process by boiling and adding pressure to it.  Similarly, when tragedy was thrust upon me it shook me up.  My emotions boiled within me to the point of irritating the very makeup of my being.  Nothing that had previously made up the foundation of my character remained intact.  I was at a rock bottom, fork in the road transition in life.  Just as the geyser explodes at this point, spraying water and steam out of the surface vent, I too knew I was going to explode.  The substance of what came out of me, however, was my choice.  Would I BE BITTER or would I BE BETTER?  The scary truth is that bitter to me as a new widow was for life to end and reunite me with my husband.  What good could I possibly do in this world as a broken shell of the woman I once had been?  My thoughts presented me with a pickle, which way would I go?  Thankfully, I had four precious reasons why this was not a possibility. 







 They've already lost too much.  At this realization the answer was clear...the substance that I would choose to explode with from my traumatic boiling point would be positive.  My purpose in life would be to leave a positive footprint in whatever capacity I am able.      




 I choose to erupt with passion. 






I choose to erupt with courage.





 I choose to erupt with honesty.










 I choose to erupt with understanding.



















 I choose to erupt with integrity.




I choose to erupt with forgiveness.








 I choose to erupt with bliss.



I choose to erupt with kindness.








I choose to erupt with devotion.



I choose to erupt with love.







May we all remember that the potential lying within each of us is as powerful as the eruption of a geyser.  It has inherently been in us since God created us in His image.  The possibilities of our capabilities are endless.  The mark we leave on this planet is ours to decide.  Who will you be?  How will people remember you when your time here is over?  Will you be bitter or will you choose to be better?  May we all choose today to be the start of our own personal explosion exuding our ultimate potential.