Boise Adventure Day 2!

The second day of our trip to Boise was packed full of fun!!We started in the morning at the World's Center for Birds of Prey. It was pretty interesting. The kids really enjoyed learning about hawks, peregrine falcons, owls, raptors and other cool birds.

This little guy couldn't help but through rocks in the water off the bridge! It was a beautiful day and perfect for viewing birds.

Inside the center were hands on learning experiences for the kids, even dressing up like birds!

Here are a bunch of little birdies! So cute!

Now isn't he just the handsomest little thing!

After a morning at the bird center we headed up the canyon to Lucky Peak! A perfect place to play on a hot summer day!

The water was just right for wading and it wasn't too cold!

The kids loved swimming and splashing!

I think the kids could have played at the beach all day!

We had to stop at the store on our way to the beach and pick up a few toys, but it was well worth it! They loved digging in the sand and loading up their truck.

The boys dug a big hole in the sand and filled it with water, it turned into their 'hot tub'! It was actually warm too!

Ty doesn't look like he is having fun, but he really did have a great time!

Fun in the sun day for Mara Lew!

What a silly kid! He cracks me up!

Well since we didn't have a swimming pool in our hotel I think this was just as great swimming at the lake!

Such a fun day with my kids! We had a great time at Lucky Peak and playing the sand and water! The kids played so hard they slept all the way to the hotel!

Next stop: Boise!

After camping three days in the Sawtooth National Forest we packed up our things and headed to the big city of Boise! Nate had round 2 of training. He did not look forward to going! He dreaded the gruesome course on conflict management! While Nate worked all day trying to survive his class we played every minute either at a pool, park, or some other fun adventure. The ironic thing of this trip was our hotel swimming pool was closed for maintenance. :( The kids were so disappointed! I promised them I would take them to a swimming pool and we would go swimming. I inquired from my cousin who lives in Boise the best swimming pool in town and she suggested Ivy Wild Pool. So Tuesday afternoon when it was scorching hot we headed to cool off at the pool. I didn't get any pictures of swimming, I guess because I was in the pool the whole time with the kids! But we did have a great time splashing, swimming, and even going down water slides! 

Nate had work to do in the evening one night and I did not want to sit around the hotel room on such a nice evening. So after eating all we could (and more) at Chuck-a-Rama I took the kids back to Wild Ivy Park to play until the sun went down! At first their tummies hurt from eating too much and they didn't think they could even play, but it didn't take them long to digest and before long they were running, climbing, and having a great time!

 I realized this trip my baby won't be a baby for long! He is so big (and stinkin cute!)

Carder can do just about anything the big kids can do! He sure loves playing at the park!

I love when he poses for the camera and says 'take my picture!' so funny! 

We all had a fun time playing freeze tag! We each took turns being it and running around the park chasing each other! 

I said to the kids we could play freeze tag and when I tagged all three kids and they were all frozen at once we could go home! Well, I think we might have been at the park for the rest of our lives! No matter how fast I was the three of them were always faster! Just when I had two tagged as was going for number three they would un-tag the others! Oh we laughed and played most of the night. Finally I had to trick them and pretend I was leaving the park without them, when they chased me and got close enough I tagged all three and it was time to go home!! Fun times and good memories in Boise!

Red Fish Lake!

We woke up on a Sunday morning hoping to attend church. We heard there was a LDS church in Stanley not too far from camp that we could go to. We did not have church clothes but thought maybe we could sneak in attend Sacrament Meeting and leave. We arrived on a beautiful sunny morning, the air was crisp and clear. The view from the church building was incredible, perfect view of the Sawtooth Mountain Range. As we walked up to the building we could hear men singing and realized they were outside having a meeting. We peaked our heads in the building and found the women having Relief Society. There were no children. Sacrament meeting was last and they only had two meetings! We turned around quickly and walked back to our car. Our heart was in the right place to try to attend church but it didn't work out! So instead we went on a beautiful nature hike and thought of all of God's glorious creations!

Mara and Carder ready to hit the trail. I can't remember the exact name of the trail but it was near Red Fish Lake. 

I can always count on my kids finding a huge rock to climb! 

The hike was beautiful past a stream, through meadows, inside forests! This is where we finished: a beautiful view of the mountain range. 

 The scenery up there was spectacular! Definitely on par with the Tetons! 

 

Picture perfect! Great hike! We could have continued on into the National Wilderness area but the kids were tired and this was a great place to turn around.

Next time I come I want to go backpacking and climb to the top of this mountain!! I should mention that although I loved visiting this place I was grateful we didn't live here! Nate applied for a job on this forest five years ago. He was actually given the job but turned it down. We just felt like it wasn't where we to live. A few days later Nate heard back from the Manti-La-Sal Forest and we moved to Price. It was interesting to go to the Sawtooth National Forest and think we almost lived there!

Nate had a surprise for all the good hikers! At the end of the trail everyone was given a Tootsie Pop! I don't know if this was a good idea or bad! Carder was one sticky mess in the end!

Everyone enjoyed their tootsie pop, thanks daddy!

In the afternoon when it got nice and hot we went and played at the beach of Red Fish Lake.

Can you see something in the water? What could it be? 

A crazy kid Ty! He jumped off the boat dock and swam to shore. Now I should tell you the ice just melted from this water two weeks before arriving there! The water was freezing cold!! He didn't seem to mind!

How do you feel now Ty after the swim?! COLD!

The kids had fun playing in the sand and building sand castles. 

After swimming in the freezing cold water the warm sun felt good on Ty's cold body! 

This smiley boy loved sitting in the warm sun (when it wasn't behind a cloud!) 

 Mara burying herself in sand!

 

Carder only dared getting his feet wet. I don't blame him, it was so cold it hurt! 

Fun times in the sand! 

 

The kids thought if they dug a hole and filled it with water it could be there 'hot tub', there was nothing hot about the water! It was still chilly!

It felt good after playing in the water to wrap up in a towel and sit in the sun!

Road Trip 2014: IDAHO!

One of our Christmas presents from Nate last year was a trip to Idaho! He had another training in Boise but decided to make it a 10 day+ adventure all around the state! I've been to parts of Idaho before, I was even born there, but I haven't really explored the state and seen all the beauties it has to offer! We set off for our big trip and five hours later made it to our first destination: Red Fish Lake!

 We arrived at our camp sight at Red Fish Lake and set up camp. The kids were eager to feel the water and check out the lake right by where we are camping. Let's just say the water is freezing! 

The next day we went for a short hike around our camp ground. The Lake was so beautiful! 

Carder learned how to say 'take a picture of me' on this trip and every so often when he sees the camera he will say 'take a picture of me!' Such a cutie! 

 Ty does not pass up a rock to climb!

And Mara loves to climb also! 

We had a yummy picnic lunch with this view in the backdrop! 

There was still snow on the peaks but the weather was perfect! Not too hot, not too cold! 

After lunch we rented boats and kayaks and explored Red Fish Lake. Ty was in a Kayak by himself. He had a great time rowing around the lake! 

The rest of the family went on a paddle boat! It was so fun! Just ask Mara Lew! She loved it! 

Carder tolerated riding on the boat, he hated the life jacket part and being confined to the boat! He wanted to jump into the lake! 

Carder and his cool daddy! We went quite a ways out in the lake!
 

Somewhere in the middle of the lake Carder decided he had had enough and Mara really had to go potty! So we paddled over to our camp sight and Nate dropped us off and he took the boat back to the dock! 

This is our camp sight right by the lake! The kids loved being so close and threw as many rocks in the water as they could! 

It didn't take Carder long to fall asleep! After hiking, playing, throwing rocks, paddling the boat, he was exhausted and had a great nap in the tent!

 The kids had a fun time playing near camp. They even made themselves a see-saw out of logs!