Wyoming Trip 2013 - Cast and Crew

Our WHOLE GROUP: 

slough creek campground, yellowstone national park, wyoming.

Just got back from our wild rumpus through Wyoming: on the road for twelve days, camping for ten of them, with three kids, two babies, and two preggies. 

I'll have to write a couple posts to even skim the surface of the wonders of this trip. So for starters I thought i'd introduce the key players. some of us were there for the whole thing, others joined up at some point along the way and left at some other point along the way. but this, the entire group of sixteen, overlapped and was together for a couple days in the middle of the week. 

in order of age, youngest to oldest:

vyvian utah (we mostly call him utah), turned seven months on the trip, can crawl, loves textures and new toys, and boy does the kid love to eat! he'll try anything and is very curious about his surroundings. (portrait by his mama)

Lucinda (Toot) is 12 months old and the world's happiest camper, brings delight to everyone. (portrait by her daddy)

Orion (aka Oey, that's even what he goes by in school), age six, is a caveman and explorer extraordinaire. likes his junior ranger vest, white clothes, costumes, make believe, and his marshmallows burnt to a crisp. 

Bella, age nine, is the sweetest lil babysitter you ever did meet. she was tootie's best friend for the entire trip and carted her around everywhere. (portrait by darin)

jarom, age ten, is just way too smart. don't try to pull anything over on him! he catches everything, is a great reader and a big fan of thrills. (portrait by darin)

emily, my brother joey's wife, is fourteen weeks pregnant! (i have a whole post planned about that) she is my sister and friend and an exuberant and easy going traveler, with a great singing voice, a hilarious way with words and movie quotes, a photographic memory, and a grand love for the earth.

joey, age 26, my youngest brother and is an unofficial naturalist, wolf enthusiast, and purest lover of the great outdoors. also wry, passionate, capable and goofy. he drove the truck with addie's trailer hitched behind for the whole trip.

marisa, my brother mikie's girlfriend, comes to us by way of phoenix and los angeles. this was her first real camping trip and she is apparently a natural, with loads of enthusiasm and curiosity that makes traveling and seeing new sights with her so much fun.

,mikie beatty, middle brother: actor, zelda enthusiast, storyteller, dreamer. he has the most energy of anyone you've ever met, so no wonder the kids eat him up. he is just too fun. he and marisa were only able to be with us for two days but we packed in plenty of beauty and fun.

amy, my brother matt's wife, is both beautiful, strong, wise, loving, and absolutely hilarious. when she gets excited she literally jumps for joy and throws her arms around you. she and matt are constant campers, travelers, and adventurers with their three kids. conversations with her are the best because she loves to ask questions and doesn't shy away from the tough ones. 

matt, the oldest of the brothers, is the ultimate planner. he knows everything, goes everywhere, and can do anything, i'm not even joking. plus, like amy, he is funny, easy going, and a great conversationalist. it's no wonder i am dying for these two to move their family back to my town! i want to be around them every day! (portrait by darin)

then there's me. nineteen weeks pregnant, happy go lucky i'd say, with a little bossy streak and working on my patience levels. family, road trips, and camping are my specialties so i was in heaven. (portrait by darin)

darin, my hubs, you all know. if his nose isn't buried in a book, he's playing with lucy or talking up a storm about something fascinating. loves photography and filmmaking, books and music and the ancient mysteries.

art should be higher on this list cause he's actually younger than a lot of us, but i had to put him by addie since she's his wife and i didn't want this list to get any more confusing and overwhelming than it already is. artie is a funny rock n roller with a biting wit. he is incredibly supportive and patient with us crazies, a real nicey at heart.

and that brings us to my sister addie, a new mama who is openly navigating the territory with some difficulties, but always comes out smiling and laughing on the other side. attempting the trip was a really big decision for her, and they even bought a rusty old tent trailer to camp in, which we hauled from placerville with my dad's truck, and which broke on the trip and decidedly did not keep them warm! but it was really cute with the twinkly lights she hung on the outside. and she did it, and her baby made it, and everyone learned and grew from the experience.

last but not least, pops, our funny ole dad. he dotes on the grandkids and keeps them entertained.  (lucy absolutely adores him.) he is a patient, wise, and very loving guy who just delights in being around his family while trying to keep up ;)

so there you have it, the beatty clan members who gathered in wyoming for some good old fashioned wild american fun. back next time with more details about some of our adventures!