Chaos Yosemite Style

A couple weeks ago we made our annual trek to Yosemite National Park. This time we had a sweet ride....my new car....which I love! My non-negotiable in this new car was the drop down DVD player and let me say it was a lifesaver! The kids were happy and entertained which means mom and dad were happy travelers too :). Mark did some bargain shopping and found a THULE cargo box and bike rack on Craigslist.... we were good to go!

For those of you that have never been to Yosemite...here's a taste of some of the views you get to see when you're there. It really is one of the most beautiful places in the world.

After being couped up in the car, Luke and Dad took a little bike ride and got some cute pics...

Then it was time to set up camp....guess Uncle Brent needed a quick nap first :)

In Yosemite they have a little trouble with Bears getting into people food and breaking into cars. You have to store all your food in these "bear bins". Luke and Tryg decided to try it out for size. Of course we couldn't go camping without Tryg's bear and Luke's cat....

The great thing about this year's trip was that we had 5 campsites all right next to each other which is a miracle if you've ever tried to get reservations for Yosemite (we have our system). Of the 9 cox kids 7 made the trip with all their kids and Mom and Dad of course were there with their stylin 82' motor home. It was quite the scene with 40 some people in all including 23 grand kids...and 1 dog. We had to use a megaphone most of the time to "round them up" which I'm sure the neighbors appreciated.

Special thanks to Mom who coordinated several group meals for what appeared to be a small army.

Oh and Susi too for providing the massive grill that was "borrowed" from church. It was definitely a lifesaver. Could you imagine cooking for 40 people on a couple of frying pans? Ted and Ken did most of the cooking...since the rest of us were usually chasing kids out of the muddy creek that ran behind our campsites (note for next year: don't get the campsites with the creek!) We got a chance to go on a few hikes. The first one to Vernal Falls. Luke and Tryg didn't have to work too hard.

I thought this was a pretty funny then...and now picture taken in the same spot. Then = Me and Mark....almost 5 years later=3 more

Almost the whole gang on the hike (Dave and Kaci and their 6 kids hadn't arrived yet) Most of our time was spent at the river. The kids had a ball and the grown ups actually started acting like kids daring each other to swim across the very very cold river. Takers - Brent, Mark, Ted, Ken, Jane, Jo, Megan and Kruz. Brrrrr!!! (I was told that Adam and Sydney did it the next day after everyone else left but there were few witnesses :)) Brent also tempted fate and jumped into the icey pool of water at the top of Nevada Falls....crazy!!!

So many cute boys...We also did our requisite hike to Yosemite Falls. Mark always gets a picture of Dylan and I walking up the path. Here's a little then and now. What do you think...another year or two he'll be taller than me? (not that that is a big accomplishment :)) So as you can see we even had t-shirts made for this trip. They read.."Tatonka...it's a cox thing". My dad does this goofy dance around the fire that I guess is from the Dances with Wolves movie and that's where the name Tatonka comes from. Like it says, it's kind of a "cox thing". (I've actually never seen that movie all the way through...has anyone?) Luke would have been happy riding his bike ALL DAY LONG and frequently threw tantroms when he had to get off. It was very stressful riding around with him as he had a tendency to look everywhere but in front of him. Tryg's preference for mode of transportation...the bike trailer (another Craigslist find) He often just wanted to sit in there even if it wasn't moving. Most of the grown ups (sorry Susi ) got to go on a kid-less hike from Glacier Point down the Panorama trail which passes by 3 incredible waterfalls. We even saw a bear or two on this year's trip (from a small distance of course which is close enough for me) Going to Yosemite is all about making memories. I'm not going to lie it is usually pure chaos the majority of the week (at least until the kids go to bed). But when it's all said and done we have some great memories. That's why we take the long drive, suffer in the dirt, go without showers, sleep on the ground, live a week in chaos, then do what seems like never ending loads of laundry. The cox kids grew up doing it and now we're making great memories for our kids..... (for more cox footage check out Kenny's video ) Until next time......