Summer In West Yellowstone

Every summer since the one we got married Joe and I have spent in West Yellowstone working. Before as students with the summer off and now with Joe as a teacher with the summer off (the reality of being a teacher is you need a summer job. It's nice that I love teaching too so we both understand that that is just the reality). It's a crazy schedule that we keep but somehow we survive. This summer seems to be even crazier than normal- primarily because we added a baby to the mix! It's hard on me not having much socialization and it's hard on Joe because he is working all the time. He works 10-3 M-F at the IMAX and then 4:30-11ish at the Playmill 4 nights a week plus a Matinee on most Saturdays. On his nights off from Playmill we usually have a million things we have to get done so it's not really much of a night off for him. Needless to say, we don't see each other much and I don't get much adult conversation. To earn my keep I do costume laundry twice a week and take care of all costume repairs (my sewing skills have improved greatly by doing this for the last two years but I still strongly dislike replacing zippers and have formed strong opinions about what fabrics are NOT appropriate for long run costumes). It's quite the adventure trying to do all of that with Michelle in tow but thankfully we have been blessed with a very good baby (most of the time- this last week not so much...). Oh and did I mention that the nearest place to really go for groceries of doctors visits or hair cuts, etc is 90 min away? yeah....

Right now you are probably reading this (if you are still even reading that is) and thinking Lesley is a city girl who is not too fond of the outdoors and hates being stressed- why on earth do they do this every summer?

Well, it's all about the moments for us. Do I love West? Truthfully? No. Do I love the friendships we have? Undoubtedly yes. That darn Merrill family has become family to us and they have this ridiculous power to get us to keep coming back (I think they have mind controlling powers or something). We also both love theatre and if you have to have a second (or third) job why not try and do something you love with people you love? No, life isn't easy for us, although a lot of people looking from the outside would either say that we have it easy or we complain to much. But ya know what? We are acutely aware of the fact that we are incredibly blessed. Joe has a teaching job that he loves, right now we are able to make it work so that I can be a stay at home mom to Michelle and second teaching brain for Joe (it's fun for me that we can discuss teaching and possible solutions to challenges etc.), we get to work with people we love in the summer, and we have been blessed with the cutest baby on the planet. Our lives are ever changing and completely unpredictable (me the planner with an un-plan-able life) but we figure it out somehow.

Oh and those moments I was talking about? Well here are a few that have been captured in pictures but truly most of them could never be captured. (Please pardon the totally random order)

 Hannah's birthday BBQ

 Daddy's girl

 Hey! We actually got a good picture of us!

 4th of July

Heidi's birthday celebration at the waterpark

 Going on a walk- yes, I promise there is a baby in there!

 Hey look! It's old faithful!

 I chose to put this one up because you can tell that i am not zoomed in on the bison, they are like that on the other side of the car too!

 Picnicing in Virginia city

 Swinging in the Nevada City Ghost town by the old school house

 Overlooking Virginia City (aka. the person taking the picture is standing on the graves of some oddly famous robbers who were made an example of.... yeah, this picture was probably more romantical before I made that note...)

 Getting tired of listening to the guy talk about the evolution of guns (cool part- he fired them all)

 But of course there is a Chinese goods store in the ghost town!

 Looking cool in a bonnet and Lauren's sunglasses

 Old Western family photo

 Love my baby girl

 Story time with Grandpa

6 month photos old western style

 Playing in the mud of a river by the McDonald's house on a lazy day (please take note that I, Lesley Sampson Bidwell, encouraged this activity)

 She is seriously such a daddy's girl- admittedly jealous sometimes.

So so so many other good times that we don't even have pictures of :)

AND....... HAPPY FOURTH ANNIVERSARY TODAY!!!!! WHEW! what a crazy crazy year it has been! (I will have to do a recap of the past year when we get home and things settle down a bit) Can you believe it has really been 4 years?!
Love you forever and for always, love you with all my heart, love you whenever we're together, love you when we're apart =)