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This morning I woke up at seven o’clock. I could hear the family stirring downstairs making breakfast. There was not any set timeline for the day. We didn’t have to be anywhere or do anything in particular. I am not even sure what we had for breakfast. All I know is the day did start and it was another wonderful day!

Walt, Reece, Rhett, Chris and I ventured out on the snowmobiles. We had fun just as always zipping up and down the snow covered mountainside. We discovered a nice play area in a valley. Walt and Reece flipped over once, I fell off my snowmobile and Chris and Rhett tumbled as well. We left the area to head back home as Walt proclaimed this area was bad luck. Little did he know at the time, I had lost my phone and camera.

As we crossed over the highway, I looked in my pocket for my camera so that I could take a photo. I discovered a pocket full of snow where my Canon PowerShot and iPhone had been tucked safely. Oh NO! I didn’t want to lose either electronic device. However, if one had to leave me, I would pick my iPhone. You see, me and the camera had already had a near electronic death experience at Slide Rock in northern Arizona (see Rice Works: Arizona 4.1). I couldn’t imagine losing my little black camera. Luckily, neither would be claimed by the snow. In a miraculous search and rescue mission in below zero temperatures and through a foot of snow, Walt saved the electronic devices.

That was my excitement for the day. In an electronic world you can lose your iPhone and camera. How would I check into Foursquare? Today was supposed to be a chill day. See, I don’t know how to chill. I always want to do something. I need to be busy or adventurous. I set a goal of writing a blog post each day, and today I have felt un-inspired to write; which is why you had to learn about my stupid camera and iPhone. A friend sent me a nice text commenting on my photos and blog post. I responded with, I have better photos, but I am just too lazy to post. I think that is what vacation is all about.

Vacation is about forgetting the crap in everyday life. Vacation is about reconnecting with the people you love the most – your family. Vacation is about forgetting what day it is or intentionally losing your smart phone. Most of all, vacation is about making memories with family and friends. I have been lucky this year to have some amazing vacations. I don’t have anything to complain about. Thank you Anderson and Tim for getting married on a Disney cruise. Stupid Irene didn’t get in the way of a great few days in NYC with Snapper! This winter wonderland was a great way to end the year.

Yes, that is a popular Ben & Jerry’s ice cream. But today it means the obvious, moose tracks. This morning I woke up to a large ruckus outside my room. Rhett, Reece, and Lucy were playing loudly at 6:32 am Mountain Standard Time. The goal for today was snowmobiling. The early start was to get the sleds from West Yellowstone and back to the cabin so we could explore the great outdoors around our cabin. The first group left for the snowmobile dealer promptly at 7:15, upon return they reported the siting of moose, BIG MOOSE!

Once we all arrived back with six snowmobiles and all the snow gear needed to live in the North Pole, we hit the trails. This might have been the biggest mistake of the day. We just hit the trail. It was like Scarlet O’Hara saying, “I will think about that tomorrow!”  We were like kids on the first snow fall of the winter in Mississippi in ten years. We hit the trail with Rhett, Reece, Lucy, Big Daddy, Walt, Christy, Corey G., Will B., Chris and me. We drove up and down the trails. I flipped the snowmobile twice. Much better than my ski slope record.

The scenery was magnificent. I have said it before, it is a winter wonderland, a place where you know there is a God and he is a mighty God. The best thing about all of this is my family is right here with me. Still, we did leave Big Momma at the house playing Bejeweled but it was all good. As we were zipping up and down the trails, the little kids switched back and forth from snowmobile to snowmobile. Lucy and Reece rode with me most of the day. There was a time I was solo. I am thankful for our guides, Corey and Will B. They led us to a lodge in the middle of nowhere. It was only accessible by snowmobiles and dogsleds. By the way, we did see dogsleds and that would be the only thing cooler than snowmobiling.

We will call the place we stopped “Henry’s Meadow Creek Lodge”. Imagine a biker joint in the middle of the snow, with a gray haired man cooking hamburgers and greasy spoon gourmet food such as a hot burger. A hot burger consisted of a hamburger patty on buttery toast with brown gravy all over it. I felt like I was at Airport Grocery in 1997. I will never find the place again. But Guy Fieri should find this place and put it on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. My bacon cheese burger was good!!

After we left Henry’s, we visited Big Spring, a hot spring in Idaho. There were mallard ducks swimming in the spring and moose droppings all around the edge. I know it was moose dropping because I read the book, “Who Pooped in the Park”. Just after we left Big Spring we got lost, really lost. But we saw another moose. Seeing moose makes everything better. We thought that we would be back at the cabin by 2:00 pm, however it was more like 4:00 pm. Somewhere in between two o’clock and four o’clock Lucy passed out. She was like a limp and lifeless sack of noodles, poor girl.

The day did end. It ended with a fantastic spaghetti dinner in the Red Cedar cabin. Life is good. Want to know how I know? I don’t know the day of the week. It is a great day. Even if there is still ruckus going on behind me.

So this morning we woke up under sunny skies in Jackson, Wyoming. The plan for the day was to visit the National Elk Refuge for a sleigh ride and see the elk herd up close and personal. The boys wanted to take their rifles, but that would have been a bad idea.

Next year the National Elk Refuge will celebrate its 100th anniversary of protecting the elk herd during the winter months. The Refuge was started to help feed the elk during the winter months. Once Jackson was settled, there was too much competition between ranchers and the elk for the grass or feed in the area. Our guide told us a story of elk pushing down fences to get at farmers’ hay before the refuge was built. Ninety-nine years after the National Elk Refuge was started, I can report the elk are doing well. We saw over forty elk.

After the sleigh ride we invaded Jackson’s city center for some hard core shopping. Reece (a.k.a. Ragging Bull) wanted a cowboy hat, boots, spurs, chaps and a colt revolver. Well, that might be a little exaggerated. Reece did however pick out a cute cowboy hat. Rhett and Lucy cowboyed up with winter weather gear and a Cowboy Joe t-shirt. I, however, found the love of my life… a new back pack for both major and minor adventures.  After shopping, all cowboys headed home.

Home for the week is just outside of West Yellowstone, Montana, in a cozy cedar cottage. We have plenty of room and a Christmas tree. Amazingly, we all made it to the same location by three different routes. Walt, Christy and Lucy drove cross county through eight states. My mom and dad flew from Memphis, Tennessee to Portland, Oregon and then drove to Montana. Finally, my team flew from Memphis to Salt Lake City then drove to meet the gang. No matter how we arrived at the final destination, we agree on the splendid Christmas Vacation that is in store for us. No pre-wrapped kittens or jello molds! No cousin Eddie dumping his RV’s septic tank into the street side drain! No flaming toupee or crazy renditions of the National Anthem. It is just my family in the middle of a snowy world. WOW! I am so excited.

To top all of the glorious site seeing, we had salmon croquettes, soupy rice and biscuits for dinner. To top that off, Walt, Reece, Rhett, Chris and I are in the middle of a heated Monopoly game… winner to be decided. To top all that off, we are just getting started.

Yes, I summoned spirit of Arctic Puffin for my title. However, I have never seen such a winter wonderland before today. Driving through Utah, Wyoming and Idaho was simply magnificent. Only the hand of God could create the beauty of our surroundings. I can’t wait for the rest of the week!!!

To the point, I am on vacation and that is the perfect time to write. Over the last 36 hours Christopher and I have escorted Rhett and Reese Oliver half way across the country to Jackson, Wyoming. We picked the boys up in Carroll County, Mississippi yesterday. We drove to Memphis, Tennessee to stay the night and eat Chipotle. There is no trip complete until there is a stop at Chipotle. This morning we flew from Memphis to Salt Lake City, Utah.

The drive from Salt Lake City was long and sometimes daunting when looking for an outhouse along the way, but it was the most amazing adventure. We stopped on the side of the road to play in the snow. We saw elk, big horn sheep, mule deer and moosalo. Don’t know what a moosalo is? We couldn’t identify a creature that looked like a moose and kinda like a buffalo. We called them moosalo.

After joining Walter, Christy and Lucy in Jackson this afternoon, we ate dinner in the Silver Dollar Grill, named so because there are 2,032 uncirculated 1921 Morgan Silver Dollars inlayed in the bar top. If the U.S. is ever in need of silver, they can visit Jackson, Wyoming. It was fun eating with the family. However, this place is cold! After walking the kids around the town, I had to visit the Silver Dollar Bar. Funny thing, I met someone who knew a lot about whiskey and bourbon. I have always wanted to walk into a cowboy bar and ask for a whiskey. Tonight I got the chance.

Tomorrow we are going to visit the wildlife refuge and drive to West Yellowstone. There we will join my mom and dad for the remainder of our Christmas Vacation. Baby, It is Cold Out Side!