Here's a nod to the big gap since I last checked in!
The Landrys are committed to summer adventures. We have big dreams and exotic locations in mind. Only time will tell if we will realize some of the most exciting ones, but we definitely took a big step in our dream of summers away with this year's adventure.
2017: my grandparents' lake house in South Carolina
2018: my parents' condo in Jackson Hole, WY
I've been explaining myself all summer, but you see, my family lives in Jackson. I'm from SC and still have most of my family there. But one member of my family, brother Chris, visited Jackson in college on a NOLS outdoor leadership course and stayed for something like 15 years now. My family started coming out for Christmas in 2005 (I think) and all those visits led a second member of my family, my littlest sister Claire, to seek out an internship here during her college years. Then she came back and she stayed too.
Now we've come out and I see why a person would stay! It's quite possible that one day, a little Landry will relocate out West and start their story with, "well, back when I was little, my parents brought me out to Jackson, and..."
Wouldn't you want to stay?
The vistas just don't stop.
We've been wrapped up in nature all summer and have seen its best sides. While Jacksonites might not love every season of their year, a New Orleanian is quite happy to come visit during the summer. Goodbye humidity. So long 95 degrees. Thankfully, we were duly warned and brought our equivalent of winter wear, including fleece jackets. In June, there were nights in the 20s and days that didn't get above 60. In July, it's still a brisk 48 in the morning, but hits the 80s midday.
The only thing sad to see the humidity go were Luke's curls. I refuse to cut his hair until we get back to New Orleans and see how much it springs back up.
We were tremendously lucky to be offered my parents' condo, which they were largely not using due to my SC sister welcoming their sixth grandchild to the world. My Jackson sister and brother-in-law also loaned us their car making our summer very affordable. Rather than pay pricey Jackson Hole flights, we flew in to Salt Lake City in early June and took the opportunity to explore a new place on the way here.
Jacob always has big ideas. (Hello Urban South.) As soon as we decided on Jackson for 2018, he was encouraging me to make a longer trek. Lest you think he doesn't want us around, you should know that he calls us no less than 7 times each day and has regretted (a little) his big thinking. We each made a trade off to make this summer happen. He's been a bit lonely. I've been a bit single parented-out. But it's definitely been worth it.
We structured the summer like this and here's how it played out:
- Week 1: Family Vacation: Salt Lake City, travel to Jackson, Yellowstone trip = idyllic
- Week 2: Jacob leaves :( Immersion in Jackson Hole life = Mama second guesses the whole experiment
- Week 3: Jack and Cora go to the Teton Science Camp = our goal of exposing the kids to new places and experiences begins to be realized in a deeper way and Mama's sanity is restored
- Week 4: My parents and then Jacob come for a week and a half of more vacation - with the chance to really explore the Grand Teton National Park = a huge appreciation growing for the National Park System
- Week 5: Jacob leaves on a Tuesday morning = single parenting round 2 goes better than round 1 in a week of library visits, exploring, a good bit of yelling, and Daddy growing lonesome back in NOLA
- Week 6: Jack, Cora, and Luke go to the Idaho campus of the Teton Science School = amid horses, mountain passes, farm animals, and ranches, team Landry knows this summer was a success
- Week 7: Jack, Cora, and Luke go to a church based day camp with a Wild, Wild West theme = Courtney caps off the summer with some well deserved solo time and the kids continue to explore around Jackson, including horseback riding for J and C and a wagon ride for L
- Week 8: The family reunites in Chicago for a final week of vacation with friends on a Michigan lake
The Landrys are committed to summer adventures. We have big dreams and exotic locations in mind. Only time will tell if we will realize some of the most exciting ones, but we definitely took a big step in our dream of summers away with this year's adventure.
2017: my grandparents' lake house in South Carolina
2018: my parents' condo in Jackson Hole, WY
I've been explaining myself all summer, but you see, my family lives in Jackson. I'm from SC and still have most of my family there. But one member of my family, brother Chris, visited Jackson in college on a NOLS outdoor leadership course and stayed for something like 15 years now. My family started coming out for Christmas in 2005 (I think) and all those visits led a second member of my family, my littlest sister Claire, to seek out an internship here during her college years. Then she came back and she stayed too.
Now we've come out and I see why a person would stay! It's quite possible that one day, a little Landry will relocate out West and start their story with, "well, back when I was little, my parents brought me out to Jackson, and..."
Wouldn't you want to stay?
The vistas just don't stop.
We've been wrapped up in nature all summer and have seen its best sides. While Jacksonites might not love every season of their year, a New Orleanian is quite happy to come visit during the summer. Goodbye humidity. So long 95 degrees. Thankfully, we were duly warned and brought our equivalent of winter wear, including fleece jackets. In June, there were nights in the 20s and days that didn't get above 60. In July, it's still a brisk 48 in the morning, but hits the 80s midday.The only thing sad to see the humidity go were Luke's curls. I refuse to cut his hair until we get back to New Orleans and see how much it springs back up.
We were tremendously lucky to be offered my parents' condo, which they were largely not using due to my SC sister welcoming their sixth grandchild to the world. My Jackson sister and brother-in-law also loaned us their car making our summer very affordable. Rather than pay pricey Jackson Hole flights, we flew in to Salt Lake City in early June and took the opportunity to explore a new place on the way here.
Jacob always has big ideas. (Hello Urban South.) As soon as we decided on Jackson for 2018, he was encouraging me to make a longer trek. Lest you think he doesn't want us around, you should know that he calls us no less than 7 times each day and has regretted (a little) his big thinking. We each made a trade off to make this summer happen. He's been a bit lonely. I've been a bit single parented-out. But it's definitely been worth it.
We structured the summer like this and here's how it played out:
- Week 1: Family Vacation: Salt Lake City, travel to Jackson, Yellowstone trip = idyllic
- Week 2: Jacob leaves :( Immersion in Jackson Hole life = Mama second guesses the whole experiment
- Week 3: Jack and Cora go to the Teton Science Camp = our goal of exposing the kids to new places and experiences begins to be realized in a deeper way and Mama's sanity is restored
- Week 4: My parents and then Jacob come for a week and a half of more vacation - with the chance to really explore the Grand Teton National Park = a huge appreciation growing for the National Park System
- Week 6: Jack, Cora, and Luke go to the Idaho campus of the Teton Science School = amid horses, mountain passes, farm animals, and ranches, team Landry knows this summer was a success
