First solo finish for Gary yesterday & we were soooo excited!

He signed up for the Titletown Ultra Summer Solstice run a while back & when this weekend arrived he was quick to tell me that I didn't need to go, not a big deal he was just going to run a 4.75 mile loop over and over for 15.5 hours! Say what?!?! Needless to say the girls & I packed up around noon to head out to watch him & basically check on him because it was very hot & humid. Not the weather he had been hoping for. Still he set a goal of 75 miles & he was determined to do it.

When we arrived we quickly found his tent & got comfortable having no idea how long it would be until we saw him.

 About 20 mins later he came running down the trail smiling, definitely happy to see us. 

The smile was deceiving, he was really struggling. Hot, tired {he'd already been running 8 hours} and having stomach issues. Nothing we could do except encourage him & he took off on his next lap.

The girls & I left to swim with some friends but I couldn't help but worry after seeing him struggle so I headed back myself to support him around 3:30. Didn't take long for him to come running by & he was sooooo much better. Didn't even stop to eat/drink just quickly said "Don't tell anyone but I think I am winning!" Excited, I then decided to skip my evening plans & just hang until the end. {8:40pm/sunset} Made myself comfortable under his tent reading magazines, chatting with other runners/support crew peeps & a lot of pacing. I always get so nervous.

 Eventually it got closer to finish time & I knew he had it in the bag after seeing him each lap & watching the other runners. I called our neighbors & had them bring Marin & Marg back so we could all be there to cheer him on at the finish. {Maeve was out of town with Eva for the weekend} 8:40 rolled around & he did it! First solo finish. In 15.5 hours he ran 86.4 miles... crushing his goal of 75! Just crazy amazing & we are all beyond proud once again. Quick pic of the finish line fans & Gary with the top female finisher.

 Award/trophy for this event was a bird yard ornament & Margaux won for the cutest fan that awarded her a watermelon! 

I had no idea the day was going to go the way it did but we were so happy with the outcome. We couldn't have been any more excited for him. He just doesn't stop!!! Last night was one of the first times I have ever seen him finish a race, take a warm shower & crawl directly into bed. He was done & earned every bit of the downtime. Congrats to our favorite guy! xoxo

Last day today & we are all sad but ready for our beds! Sleeping in the RV worked out quite well being as it slept 10 & we had 11 total. Everyone had a bed each night & that is all we cared about, the girls didn't mind sharing & we made it work. We arrived in the Badlands this am.

Totally a different scene than what we had seen the rest of the trip. Some green grass surrounding the park, but once we were inside it was a lot of rock & cliffs. Almost desert like.

We got so lucky all week with weather. Mostly sunny skies & beautiful {not too hot} weather. I cannot imagine taking this trip in the heat. Mid-60's all 10 days was absolutely perfect.

One more selfie & a few group shots before we head home tonight. 

Crazy to have all these great parks within driving distance. We all think we may have more road trips in our future! Nice thing on this trip is we had Margaux & Hayden, both 4th graders, which got us all into all the National Parks for free. Saved us a lot & it is such a fun program for kids. We definitely picked the right year for this trip.

One more stretch and a stop at Wall Drug before we all snuggle in for the long drive home tonight. Gary & Travis will take turns driving while Wendy & I ride as passengers for them to keep them awake. We'll all be so happy to be home around 7:30 am tomorrow!! What a fun trip & so many great memories for us all. Not sure how I will decide which pictures to print! Homeward bound! xoxo

As soon as we woke up our first day in South Dakota we started planning out trip to Mt. Rushmore. The kids were most excited for this stop because they have all learned so much about it in school. Beautiful day for us all to wear our red, white & blue.

Pretty neat to see in person. The walkway leading up to the mountain displayed all of the state flags. Quite the view.

Happy girls! They brought their ipods & took a lot of photos at this stop. 

There was a 1.5 mile hiking trail that went around Rushmore that was pretty cool. We also sat in on several informational sessions that were really interesting and fun for the kids to hear. We also did a little trivia digging on our own as well. Pretty neat to know all what went into creating Rushmore. 

After Rushmore we headed back to the campgrounds to have some much needed down time. It felt amazing & was definitely enjoyed by all. 

Overall we had almost 2 full days at the Pulmer Gulch Resort/Camp while we were in SD and it was very well enjoyed. The kids did so many planned activities & we just enjoyed camping. Rock climbing, biking, bracelet making, tie dying, dances & much more. 

This morning on our last day all 11 of us went horseback riding. Definite highlight of the trip for most of the kids. They were sooooo excited.

Perfect cool morning & we all got a good laugh seeing which horses they placed us on. Gary-Bo, Sara-Eddie, Marin-Ozark, Margaux-Lloyd & Maeve-String Bean! 

They all had different personalities & really made us laugh. Maeve panicked a bit when hers started to walk off as soon as she hopped on but the guide helped her & was fine once we started going. Also happened that hers was the second largest after Gary's horse Bo, who was also very slow. Made us all laugh. Turned out String Bean used to be a professional race horse & made millions! Made Maeve happy to have him.

So much fun for all. The girls could have spent all day with the horses, they were all so cute! We were all very surprised how tame Maeve was around them. So unlike her to not be afraid! 

Tomorrow Badlands & then we head home. Can't believe how fast this trip has flown by. xoxo

Day 5 we spent in Grand Tetons & although we weren't sure about this stop we were all 100% happy we decided to fit it in. Simply Amazing. The mountains were just beautiful & pictures definitely do not do them justice. 

Sunny & beautiful all day.

And another matching t-shirt that read "Going Places" for the girls. 

The mountains reflecting on Jenny Lake was stunning. I could have sat there all day just enjoying the scenery. 

So pretty that as we were driving we all decided to put our RV Trippin' shirts on & park the RV with the mountains in the distance for a quick picture. Kids were not happy but we got the pic & it took all of 5 mins.Worth it!

Now tonight we are in route to South Dakota for our next adventures! xoxo

Wow! Yellowstone far exceeded any expectations I ever had. The sights are indescribable, no picture can do it justice. The weather has been great & allowing us to do almost everything we hoped while in the park. Seeing a herd of bison walk behind our RV was a hit. The kids were giggling & so excited. We also checked a bear off our list of must see animals. He was walking right beside the RV.

Grand Prismatic Spring was a beauty. We got hit with a small rain shower just after we arrived but it didn't stop us from hiking up the mountain a bit for the best view of the spring. Crazy how blue the water is.

The kids were troopers! Definitely worth the hike up.

We spent two more nights in West Yellowstone at a KOA after leaving the Hebgen Lake campgrounds. So much to do at the KOA's. The kids loved renting bikes & exploring the campgrounds. After all the running & park time during the days, it was nice to just park, camp & relax in the afternoons/evenings.

Before we left the kids worked so hard on a camp sign for the trip on a large white sheet. Love how cute it is & that they all worked on it together. We hung it up at our camp each night {as long as it wasn't raining} Love these kiddos. 

A night of rain didn't stop us adults from playing cards. Kids watched a movie in the RV while we played cards. Happy Campers!

Trip to Yellowstone is not complete without seeing Old Faithful! Maeve was NOT a fan of the geyser smells. Honestly it was pretty strong, but not much we could do. Just crazy to see/feel/smell so much heat & gas coming out of the earth.

Waiting for Old Faithful to erupt. It took about 40 mins from when we arrived. There was lots to explore around it while we waited. 

Old Faithful erupting in the middle & other geyser/hot spring pics...

The Grand Canyon of Yellowstone was nothing short of amazing. We hiked up pretty far for the most amazing view & were basically standing on top of the lower falls. Couldn't get much closer to the water.

We spend quite some time near the top of the waterfall. All blown away by the view & how beautiful it was.

So many laughs/compliments on our RV Trippin' shirts too! 

Crazy how beautiful it was up there.

Sad to be leaving but we enjoyed every minute of our time in Yellowstone. {Well except maybe the 45 min of being terrified while driving up Beartooth} Although we could probably spend 2 weeks here, we definitely checked off all of our must see items in the park. 

On to the Tetons!

We made it!!!
20 hours in the RV across the country went off without a hitch. We entered the park through the north east entrance, drove through Beartooth pass {by accident, not sure RV's are even allowed on that drive. We were all terrified but made it!! 12,000+ feet elevation} and at the top we found snow!
Eight is especially great when you get to celebrate in Yellowstone!!!
Happy Birthday to our baby! I cannot believe she is 8! What a celebration, she's pretty excited to be sporting her eight shirt & ready to explore the west.

We were all in pj's when we hit the park after driving though the night. Snow covered mountains made for cool temps when we stopped up high. Just days before we arrived Yellowstone was hit with a sizeable snow storm. Some spots it was over our heads & we saw plenty of people skiing when we reached the top of Beartooth.

Stopped to see our first waterfall before heading through Lamar Valley...

All I wanted was for the kids to see animals, animals & more animals. Within an hour of being in the park we were all amazed by the wild life.. and how close they got to the RV! So many bison, mule deer, etc. We are on the hunt for bear, moose & elk.

Tonight when we finally got to our destination & parked the RV it was time to celebrate our birthday girl. I hung a banner & decorated a bit. We had spaghetti for dinner & all enjoyed cookie cake for dessert. I even made Maeve a make shift special plate! Such a fun day. We'll celebrate again when we get home, but I think she was pretty happy.

This is our home for the evening. Beautiful Hebgen Lake just outside of Yellowstone.

The kids were happy to feel the mountain air & have some time to run around.

First pic of the Broaghen 7. Many more to come...

Day 2 complete! xoxo

And we're off...
Road Trip 2019
All 11 Broaghens packed into one RV headed west for the next 10 days. The kids are excited, we're packed with room to spare & full of excitement of what's to come in the next 1.5 weeks.

Tonight we are driving through the night heading straight to Yellowstone. Should arrive mid-day tomorrow. Just in time for our baby to celebrate 8 in the park. Wish us luck!! xoxo

1st official day of summer kicked off with a breakfast with friends at the neighbors...

Breakfast for the kiddos & mimosas for the moms! 

The girls ran around with friends all day & by the late afternoon it was time for graduation parties & an evening stop at Titletown.

 Our first time at the park since it has warmed up. Paul McCartney is in town so the whole area has a British feel... complete with a phone booth that all three girls took a turn in.

We stayed until after 10pm & the girls had a blast. 

 Perfect night for it. Warm outside & the sunset was beautiful over Lambeau & the park as well...

Kids were up late & are all sleeping in this am. First true sign of summer... lazy mornings. I am enjoying my coffee & the quiet while it lasts! xoxo