Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness

ABOVE THE REST LODGE/GARDINER, MT:
Tomorrow we get married! This whole experience is very surreal. When I look around and realize how many people came all the way here for us, I am amazed, touched and overwhelmed. Today we hiked to Monument Geyser Basin. I felt really bad because it was a long, steep rocky hike and everyone kept falling. I hadn't remembered it that way. I have to keep in mind that this isn't the summer mountain goat Yellowstoner crew I made the hike with last year. But almost all of them made it. I have the toughest flower girl ever. I was a little worried that they wouldn't like Monument or wouldn't feel it was worth the hike. But the people who made it to the top seemed to understand why I like it so much. And now they've joined the 1% of Yellowstone visitors who leave the pavement.
On the way down the mountain, Makaela (my 6 year old niece-to-be and flower girl) was slip-sliding and I was doing my best to keep her from falling. She paused about halfway down, looked out at the mountains across Gibbon Meadows and said, "Aunt Andi, when I see that snow on the mountains, it makes me want to live here." She's a child after my own heart!
My mom and Marsha made BBQ sandwiches for everyone tonight. Most of the wedding guests are staying on the mountainside above Gardiner. We're in a little group of five cabins called Above the Rest Lodge. The owner is a character, but the place has a great view of the historic park entrance. You can even see the top of Mammoth Hot Springs. When night fell we drove down into Gardiner to set off fireworks at Arch Park. The TX crowd loved that. In Dallas they're all outlawed but here you can buy and set off all the illegal goodies.
Twelve more hours and I'm a married woman!