Lava Cold Springs

we left for a little, three day weekend to get together with my mom's side of the family. let's not call it a reunion, because it wasn't officially, but we had a good time together...if only it hadn't been cold. oh well. we got to mom and dad's late thursday nite and visited with dad. then we met over in lava hot springs and had a potluck lunch on friday, then headed off to the pool. we had never swam there before, but they have a great facility. if it had been warmer, we could have spent the whole day there! alas, emerson and bridon were so cold they were crying. bentley was bummed to have to get out, but we took him on some of the slides and he had a great time while we were there. lisa had arranged a cabin for us to stay in that nite. her family, mine, my cousin stacey, and my cousin shane's family got together up there for dinner and then some of us stayed the nite. we had a camp fire, hiked around, played games, ate treats, and ben took the razor thing out for a ride (i think it was supposed to be off limits)...it was a short one. it was a cool little place and i think the kids had a lot of fun. emerson fell down the wooden stairs and banged up her lip, but other than that there were no mishaps. it was fun to visit with my cousin stacey who stayed up there with us! we went the back way out the next day and headed to park valley via malad. it is amazingly green over that way and all the wild flowers are still out. mom met us in park valley and we had dinner, visited, and worked in the yard till we got rained out (thanks mom for being there and cooking!). we went to church with grandpa for father's day, played a bit...the boys love playing with my two younger cousins and their dog 'dead fred.' he fetched whatever bentley threw at him. bridon fell down the stairs there after church and got a bloody nose, we had dinner and we were off on the road again. it was brief, but a great visit! grandpa loves to visit with ben and ask him questions about farming. we also visited one nite about his time in the philippines and marianna islands during wwII (ben served his mission there so it was a fun conversation). i thought it was interesting that on sunday he asked me a couple of times if i remembered my grandma moncur (other side of the fam). i only remember her vaguely, she died of cancer in 1983. he said i look a lot like her. i'm glad my kids, especially boys, have had a chance to get to know 'great-grandpa'. bentley asks him questions and tells him stuff even if he can't hear him a lick! :) this week he is spending time with my mom and dad on his '5 year old vacation.' we are so blessed to have all of these opportunities and wonderful dads on both sides who love us..we miss you bentley!! be a good boy!