Back in a BIG way

So I don't know what my deal is with not updating the blog as much as I should. I say it over and over...I am gonna do better.  (sigh....)


So why not update the blog with a whole lotta pics and a whole lotta blah blah blah...shall we? Yes, we shall.

We had a crazy idea to just up and go to Lava Hot Springs a couple of weekends ago. Josh has been out of town so much lately that we have wanted to do things when we are all together. I got home from an early morning photo shoot, packed our bags and we headed out the door. Josh had talked to a guy who had listed his remodeled home on ksl and was trying to get the word out about it in Soda Springs, which is just 20 min. past Lava. He gave us a great deal that we couldn't say no to. Looking back, this was the smartest thing we could have done. Sooo...off we went.

Can't start a road trip without a crazy pic of our backseat passengers...yes, my kids are crazy.

This my friends is the house. It is on the cutest little street filled with homes from the 50's. You would never guess from the street that you would be walking into this home. The kitchen was HUGE. The pics below only show half of it. There was 2 bedrooms and 2 1/2 baths, a laundry and mud room, heated tiles, and little touches to make you feel at home. (I don't get anything for my opinion...he didn't pay me to say any of this...maybe he should have though:) hehehe) I forgot to pack underwear for one of the three (who would be mortified if I typed online about their underwear) but there was the washer and dryer so I could stick a load in. Crisis averted. We also were able to cook meals and everything. LOVED it! We need to do a family reunion there once he has the basement finished!



The kids favorite was the backyard. Hayden found a huge dandelion and had more fun blowing it around.

They started rock collections...

There were gorgeous raspberries growing on bushes...

and a little girl who couldn't stop thanking us for finally taking her to "Hide-a-ho".

Hayden somehow convinced himself that he was rich because these rocks were so cool and everyone would pay lots of money to have them. Sure buddy...dream big!

We pulled the kids away from exploring the backyard and headed over "into town" which was really 3 streets over complete with the cutest tiny main street you have ever seen. I want to convince a family to want to take their family photos there. :)

In town behind the ballroom/restaurant/bar there is the "famous" Soda Springs geyser.

The minerals from the water have made the rocks look foamy...like the top of a root beer float.

The little "geyser" is always going. The rocks weren't really that red, the sun was hitting them pretty cool though, eh?!

So we killed some time taking pictures until the big moment...

I love this cute bunch of crazy munchkins.

A train went rushing by and Hayden was completely entertained trying to count all of the cars.

Then my favorite...a couple of locals (drunk and everything) came and stood where the geyser comes up and put on a show for all of us tourists. It was a free show too. (No nudity...just stupidity!)

The kids loved the geyser. It got bigger and bigger as it went on. They don't mess around!

The smell though was terrible. Rotten eggs. Ugghhh...

Hayden was gutsy enough to run through the mist, no one else would because of the smell, and he said "Mom...smell me! I smell like geyser stink!" Love that boy and his stinky face.

We headed out to Lava Hot Springs and hit the pools.

Each of the different sections have different temperatures of water. The one in the very back was 116 degrees that day. On a hot day...No thank you. The water cooled a bit as it is sent from pool to pool. We hung out in the lowest one, it still felt like a really warm bath. This place could be pretty darn awesome with snow falling.

And only one shot of me on this trip...usually there are none (by my choosing) but after losing a friend a few weeks ago, I have vowed to be in more pictures. The flowers...I have to have these babies next year in my garden. I don't know what they are so I took a picture and like a crazy lady I will take it into a nursery and find out. I loved them that much.

The highlight of our trip was a stop to a smaller geyser to make our own soda pop. Carbonated water comes out naturally from the geyser and flows down to a river that bubbles. Seriously. Isn't that cool? I thought so!

The man we rented the house from told us to bring water bottles, kool aid and coffee filters. You simply fill up a bottle with water and then pour it through the filters and then mix with kool aid. The kids thought it was the coolest thing in the world, hence making Josh and me the coolest parents in the world. It is the little things...right?!

It was such a fun trip. It ended too soon. School and work are not nearly as much fun as being on vacation. It was worth it though...AND it got me to blog!