Wyoming Vacation

I was lucky enough to spend two days up in Wyoming visiting with my in-laws. It was a fast couple of days, but they were still action-packed and full of emotion.

Wyoming is the home of my youth. I feel very lucky to have grown up there. I spent a great amount of time exploring the vast amount of public land that Wyoming has to offer. My parents instilled in me an appreciation for the outdoors and for the incredible creation that is our world. I have never lived anywhere else that I have loved as much as Wyoming. I think a lot of that is nostalgic, but that doesn't change the way I feel. I really wanted to give my kids an idea of why Ryan and I love this place so much. So we went on an adventure.

My Father-in-law, Blaine, has spent a lot of time exploring an area north of Rock Springs called Pine Canyon. I have heard him talk fondly of this spot so I really wanted to go and see its glory for myself.  The kids were cranky and hungry but after getting into town Blaine and I loaded them up into his truck and we drove out to explore.

The evening was beautiful if not a bit windy. We found a perfect canyon valley off the road that sheltered us from the wind while we ate our picnic dinner. Mike, my bro-in-law, joined us, and I am glad that he did. The kids had a great time running around the rocks and hills. I was glad he was there to keep up with them. I had Alana on my back in her Kelty backpack carrier, and while I did do a really go job of hauling her, I don't think I could have done it at McKenna/Evan's speed.

It was perfect. The smell of the sage brush mixed with the juniper trees was everything I remembered it being. We hiked up one side of the valley, across the top and down the other side. We really didn't cover that much area but it was so nice to be out there. My heart broke that Ryan could not have been there to see the kids enjoying the Wyoming wilderness. Climbing around on rocks, racing each other to the top, looking out over landscape before us with amazement on their faces. They had so much fun.  While I also had an amazing time, I felt a bit sad. Not only because Ryan missed it (and I forgot my camera in Colorado) but also because my kids will never get to live in Wyoming. No matter how much we tell them that it is a great place to live. Odds are they will never really live there, nor will they have much of a chance to explore the same places that Ryan and I did as kids. The Army doesn't exactly have a base located in our home state. I am sure that they will have their own adventures wherever we end up living and those places will become perfect and untouchable in their memories. They will just be different places than Wyoming.

(Editor's note:  I still want to live there if we can ever figure out a way.  Sarah does too.  Love - Ryan)