Saturday July 20
We stayed up WAY to late talking with my Uncle Charlie and Aunt Judy. The room was spinning by the time we actually went to bed. So going to bed in the morning and waking up in the morning made for a short night! It was good to sit and talk and learn about how my mom grew up. We learned that there are always two sides to every story. The best part was learning that my Grandpa wasn't a straight arrow but he did what he needed to do to pay the bills and send my uncle on a mission. He owned a grocery store and would clip coupons and turn them in for cash. Not only did he clip coupons but he had all of the neighbors clip coupons too! Why is this important? Well as the grocer, the coupons would count as manufacturers cash back.
It was interesting hearing the growing up stories from my Uncle and comparing them to the growing up stories of my mom. You want to compare people, compare siblings and the world will tell an interesting tale. Part of visiting people and family and learning about relationships is, well, learning about those people and those relationships. If you sit down, but the phones away, and talk to a person with an honest and listening ear, the things you learn will have gems sprinkled through.
Even after a late night, Judy woke up early and had pancakes in the shape of dinosaurs, stars, flowers, and hearts topped with strawberries, syrup and powdered sugar. Definitely spoiled and loved breakfast. JJ even got to try a "pup cup" straight out of the spray container.
We took our pictures, loaded up the van an headed off to West Yellowstone.
We were meeting Joel's mom, sister, neices and everyone in West Yellowstone to go to the Playmill Theatre. We were all going to see Anastasia. I think it was based off of the real story vs the animated one. Seeing a similar story but slightly different was interesting. The cast was fantastic and it was fun being 5 feet away from the stage and having the crew run right past you!
I was forewarned about the treats offered at intermission. They make the intermission and treats almost part of the show. The cast come out and are the ones that sell the goodies. Fudge, carmel apple sundays, Dole Whips, rootbeer floats, and more. The kids were excited and loved the fun associated with it.
The playmill was a fun experience. There was a part in Anastasia where the bad guy was pointing a gun at the newly found princess Anastasia and was debating on whether to shoot or not. Jj was watching intently and as the cop pulled the gun out, JJ says, "DON'T SHOOT!" It wasn't a scream, but it was loud enough in a small theatre that most people heard. It was perfectly timed and you'd think JJ was a plant. Nope. So we made sure to take a picture with the bad guy! JJ grabbed his lapel right after the picture, pulled him nose to nose and very seriously says Don't do it again! Don't shoot.
After the play, we headed back to Wyoming. Originally we were going to meet Robyn and Jaime at the Playmill and drop the girls off and head back to Vegas and the girls would spend a week in Wyoming. Trying to figure out the travel plans wasn't working to drop them. To fly them back home would have been $500. So we thought about it and decided to all drive in to Lovell and spend some time there. Joel would miss another day of work but he would get to stay and visit with Bobby Rae and his family. Joel will fly out Monday. By changing our plans and staying, we were able to plan family pictures and Joel will get to visit Bobby Rae a few times. Again, what are the important things in life? It's not the toys or places we go, it's the people and the relationships.
Bobby Rae is older and her body is not as sharp as her mind. Bobbie Rae always breaks into tears when her boy comes to visit.
