Manwaring Established 2003

Our Christmas Tree 2008 We left Idaho Falls around noon after checking the road reports because it has started to snow a little (Now we know it was real first snow storm for Dec) and decided to go anyway. We weren’t in a hurry and if it took a little longer than normal it would be fine. We got to Island Park at normal speed and went to the same road that we have gone to for the past 2 years. Usually there are tracks from other people that we follow, but this year no tracks, but since not much snow had fallen this season yet, we decided to make our own trail on the road. We drove in about a mile and half to two miles and found the spot we wanted to get out then as we usually do we drive back and forth a few times before stopping to clear a walking path around the Envoy. With the first back up we were steering to the right and we felt the Envoy SINK. We were stuck! The envoy wouldn’t even move. (So much for 4 wheel drive) By this time the snow was falling at a rapid pace and we knew we had to get UN-stuck before even thinking about getting a tree. We checked our cell phone and of course no signal, so Benjamin started walking down the road towards the highway while Eli and I (and Meisha) sat in the warm car waiting. Meisha started whining as soon as she saw Ben walking away and then yelping (He tried to get her to go with him, but she is too much of a pancy and wouldn't get out of the car). She was really loud and didn’t sit down the entire time he was gone. Ben was able to get to the highway and nice guy with chains drove him back and towed the Envoy back to the highway. He was gone about 40 minutes. (It was a VERY LONG 40 min) Waiting...and waiting... By this time it was about 3:30-4:00 and would be getting dark soon and we still had no tree, Ben had already hiked in the snow and we had been sitting in the car a long time. But Ben still wanted a tree and went out to get one. He went hiking and dragged out the best tree yet! The Tree (parked at Big Judd's where we had dinner on our way home) The car ride home (he really liked the flash in the dark) Putting Lights on the tree The finished product (I forgot to take a picture of it when it was first completed so this is the re-arranged version (newly improved by Eli) of the tree when it was ready to come down)