SALT!

And lots of it!

Back in August we took a family trip to the

Great Salt Lake - Antelope Island

A few known facts:

1- The Great Salt Lake, located in the northern part of Utah, is the largest salt water lake in the western hemisphere,the fourth-largest terminal lake in the world. In an average year the lake covers an area of around 1,700 square miles.

2 - The Great Salt Lake is endorheic (has no outlet besides evaporation) and has very high salinity, far saltier than sea water.  Because of its unusually high salt concentration, most people can easily float in the lake as a result of the higher density of the water.

(resource: wikipedia)

We have talked about going for years - each year. 

The kids ask, we talk about it, we think we are going to go

and then....

we don't.

This year - WE DID!

We hiked up, up, up.
Checked out the views.
AMAZING.

Climbed the rocks and hiked around.

Tess

Abbi, Elizabeth, and Maggie

Hudson carrying the Hunk for a bit.

WOW!

Where's the Beach?
That way!

Crazy Mountain Kids

Our Incredible 9

Tess and Daddy

So not fair!

All of us!

On top of the world.

(well, not really)

We saw several buffalo and antelope.

THEN...

we went to the beach!

Some of us (actually just one of us) took a nap.

While the others played in the sand

and swam/floated in the salty water.
Very salty.

Found a few "soft spots"
and sunk

Me and Cooper enjoying the beach
(along with a gazillion brine flies)

The Coop!

Awake and happy

We all had a blast and highly recommend it.

Definitely a highlight of this summer.

Garden of the Gods

One last thing from our trip to Colorado...

Our conference was in Colorado Springs, CO.

Sooo, we took an afternoon to visit the State Park

Garden of the Gods.

It was beautiful and very fun to walk around.

However, I will say, it just "killed" my boys that they were dressed up and couldn't climb on the rocks.

Oh, the temptation and the self-control (or lack of it).

:-)

The Crew

 My Girls

 My cute Man and Me

 My guys

Our future (happy) rock climber.

note: see the guy in the background?

 Oh how his two-tooth grin just melts me!!

I have no pictures of the conference but we had a blast and the children learned lots.
We are thankful for our experience!

Colorado is the place to be...

at a conference called ICC!
(wow - it rhymed)


ICC stands for 
 Institute for Cultural Communicators 
"The mission of ICC is to shape culture through authentic communication and equip Christian students with both the competence and character they need to influence culture for Christ."
We had the opportunity and privilege to attend.
It is for ages 6 and older. They were all able to participate except Tessa and Cooper.
So we all packed up and headed out.
(Grandma stayed home with my parents)


When you have many peeps and you are traveling more than 45 minutes to your destination than you travel through the night. This is a great lesson we have learned through the years.
Here is why...
Everyone sleeps (except the driver, of course) and no one is hungry, thirsty or needs to go potty. 
(makes for a much quicker and less hassle trip)


So, we left at 3am and arrived to Denver at about noon.
We had lunch packed and decided to stop at one of our 
old stomping grounds - Washington Park - to have a picnic and stretch our legs.
(We lived in Denver for 2 years and lived just a mile from this park)

Cooper loved the swing.

Anything is better than his carseat

Little girls enjoyed the slide.

A Race!

Go. Go!

Cooper and Maggie
Does this boy ever NOT smile?

Tessa

Weston

Dani Rae

We also drove by the apt we lived in while attending Denver Seminary.

And the park we use to walk-the-dog.

Denver Seminary has relocated, but this is where it use to be.

We had a great time playing, running, eating and visiting old places.

Then we continued on our journey to my sister's...
stay tuned!