Lava Hot Springs

We left the day the girls got out of school last week and headed to Lava Hot Springs in South Eastern Idaho.

It was a little slice of heaven on earth.

They have these series of hot, mineral pools that you just sit around and soak in - in the most

beautiful setting.  (Plus they have pools with huge slides, diving platforms etc. for the kiddos).

 We hiked up and around the mineral pools...

 walked all throughout the landscaped "sunken gardens"  - which the girls dubbed

the "secret garden".

 We had cousins coming and going... but here's a pic of most of us who were there.

These are my cousins (except for my brother Doug in the back)... on my Dad's side.

It's crazy that somehow we all grew up.  When I think of this group, my first thoughts are of all us scraggly kids catching polliwogs, swimming in Boy's Pond and building tree forts at my

Grandpa's farm in Santa Clara, Utah.

 My cousins who were in charge of this reunion, did all the cooking and spoiling.

We ate like kings, had so many treats-- it should've been illegal since we were running around

in swimming suits much of the time and caught up on years of chatting.

 Kean started what will likely be a love affair with corn on the cob!

We had an incredible time and we definitely want to go back.

This is the same group that went to Lake Powell on the Yachts when I was in the hospital.

I'm still hoping that reunion will be repeated for my sake.

Sigh...

(Coming up next... part two of our vacation).