Five Springs

I think I've mentioned before that Taysum and Bailey have really enjoyed dress up lately! They like to dress up and put on a show! Well, last week, Taysum decided he wanted to put on as many dress up outfits as possible... this is what he came up with!! Then he wanted a picture of just him...

Then he wanted a picture of his leg and toes... then his other leg and toes... and then his face...

Needless to say, it was a very entertaining 20 minutes or so! :) What a Taysum Guy!

That evening, we went up to Five Springs for Family Home Evening. I've been wanting to go up there for a long time now, but it has been so cold and rainy and just crazy... but finally we made it!! This was Hayden's second trip to the Big Horns, but his first to Five Springs. Five Springs is just an absolute haven for me!! It's in the way top of my top five (no pun intended) favorite places on the earth! It's just absolutely beautiful, it's close, not too crowded at any given time and we went there all the time as a family when I was growing up. Our family had our favorite camp site right across the bridge.

The night we went, we were the only ones there! I had packed dinner, so we ate up there, too. It was so great and the kids just LOVED it!! Hayden and I were the last ones to cross the bridge and as I did, looking at my family in the same place where my family growing up had been together so many times, it just really hit me and was a very special moment! I can't explain it! So many times as a teenager, I would daydream about my future husband and kids and showing them places I went growing up. I'm pretty sentimental and it is just so fulfilling for me to be there with them! We had a lot of fun!

Hayden was so calm and content as usual!

I could hardly get Bailey to hold still enough to even get a picture of her! She was just EVERYWHERE!

Taysum was excited to show me all the pine cones he gathered to throw in the river.

My family in one of my favorite places on earth!

Puddin' face!

The one thing Ken doesn't like about me taking the pictures all the time is, I'm never in them! Well, hon... give me a few more Zumba classes and then maybe I won't be such an unwilling subject... maybe...

There were some beautiful flowers on the trail to the waterfall...

Bailey taking a rest on the trail... literally!

We made it to the falls!

Taysum and Bailey are part mountain goat! Ken said in this picture he looks like he's encouraging the kids, but really, he was pretty nervous and just trying to keep them from falling!

Bailey found a little cave to hide in...

Hayden hung out by the falls with me

We tried out the automatic timer (that's why the picture is kind of slanted) and got a picture of all of us at the falls (the falls are behind the camera). Bailey didn't really like waiting for the camera...

On the way down the mountain, Ken let me hop out of the car and take a few shots. My Dad always told us this was Santa Claus' cave... I have never made it over there to check it out to see if it's true!

The road off the highway to Five Springs is actually the old high way; which is just unbelievable to me! I can't fathom trucks hauling freight back and forth across the crazy 5 MPH switchbacks up a very steep mountain! I've always trusted my Dad's driving, but it would make me nervous going back and forth on the way up and down. It would seem like we were SO close to the edge! I guess I've passed that on, because Taysum was getting a little nervous as well. Bailey was so funny, because she would get excited about seeing this blue lake. Every time we came around again she would say, "Look! Another blue lake!!" So here is one of the "many" lakes she saw! There was an INCREDIBLE sunset on the way home and we had a great time watching it change...the clouds, the colors... it was the perfect ending to a perfect time together!

So...you know how you get kind of goofy when it's late and you're tired...well Ken and I were in this state and we decided to have a camera flash challenge: who ever could keep their eyes open during the flash would win a back rub...drum roll.........

Ken Try 1

Ken Try 2

Kim Try 1

And we have a WINNER!!!