Hot springing

Our trip up to the mountains two hours out of town was pretty amazing. Getting out into nature and away from the problems and worries of your everyday life--it was pretty blissful. Just what we needed. We really like to escape to where there's no phone service, where we enter a different world from the one we live in on the daily, and just experience something different. This trip was just that. We were all happy, all ready for an adventure, and for those of you with kids, you know that elusive state where no one is bickering, the conversation is good, everyone's content and peaceful? It's pretty rare, especially with a big family, but that's what it felt like most of the weekend.

 driving up to where there's snow on the ground

 gorgeous views I had to snap on the road up to the hot springs

 this private property is amazing. I couldn't stop oohing and aahing over everything.

 not the usual roads we drive

 finding opalescent minerals in the puddles on the ground

 we arrived!

 snowballs?! I thought that was over and done with for the year. :)

 my loves

 relaxing in the warm water with my four

 girlies having too much fun

 silly grins

 love this leader of our family

 my one and only boy, who's never content to just sit there. always up to something.

 so glad a man volunteered to snap this family shot. i swear we glow every time we're here.

 the tiniest member of the clan. she loooved the water.

 that moment when she turns to me, puts her arms tight around my neck, and melts into me--I live for it.

 these man-made pools don't look very man-made in spots. you just feel a part of nature.

 my awkward pose and the yurt for changing. the best part is not having to change outside with little kids.

mountain ranch surrounded by so much beauty, snapped on the way back home. those fences are my fave.

Before we left the house Saturday morning, we booked a hotel room last-minute so we could go to bed after soaking instead of having to drive back home, wet and tired. You are so relaxed after sitting in the warm water for hours, and the last thing you want to do is stay alert and awake for two more hours on the drive home, so this was the best decision. We arrived in McCall after dark on Saturday, because of course we slept in first, took forever packing, and make a ton of stops along the drive (if only we all had catheters for the drive. kidding!). We headed straight for the hot springs, then after some effort trying to get Naomi to fall asleep that night, we all got some amazing, deep sleep and headed out for breakfast the next morning. There's a popular breakfast place there that holds so many memories for me, of my dating years and coming in with huge groups of friends. Now we come there with our rowdy kids. :) They sell Christmas ornaments there year-round as well, so we browsed and admired everything, and off we went for more hot springs. It was a pretty short trip, but it was exactly what we needed. I love this tradition of ours.

xoxo, 

Tanya