Bonneville Salt Flats

We just got back a couple days ago from a week and a half long road trip to Utah. One of the highlights for me is basically a piece of land in the middle of nowhere, the Bonneville Salt Flats. It is just such a fascinating place unlike none I have ever been to. 

So I knew I wanted to stop at the salt flats, but was unsure how exactly to. Everything I could tell online is that there is an amazing rest stop on I-80 west bound. It has access to walk and drive on the flats, as well as foot washing stations. Unfortunately we were headed east and would not be coming back the same way. And it would be a huge backtrack to turn around for the rest stop. Well, after reading one thing online on a forum, it seemed we could just drive to the flats ourselves via exit 4. But again, I had no clue what to expect. Even the map on our iPhones could not comprehend what we wanted to do and was saying it was going to take over 2 hours to drive a couple miles. Anyway, in case you ever do this yourself, just follow the road off the exit and it dead ends into the flats. But another funny story about that...

The road just ends. It ends with a big circle area for you to turn around and there were probably five cars parked there. So, it seemed one should stop there. But, there was a car in front of us and said car just flew out onto the flats. So we followed. And ohmygosh it was so fun. So freaky. So freeing. At this point, we had not gotten out of our car, so I was freaked out that we might sink or something. Spoiler alert, we didn't. 

When we finally stopped and got out, I could feel that the salt flats were totally hard. It was such a strange feeling. It's such a vast space of emptiness. Even cars driving that I would consider nearby were hard to hear. It was as if the vastness just ate up the sound. 

The kids got such a kick out of all this. They ran on it. They tasted it...it tastes way saltier than normal salt, if that's even possible. They looked at it through a microscope...because everyone happens to have a handheld microscope on vacation with them. There also was some beyblade playing on the salt. 

When we went to get back in the car, salt was stuck to everyones shoes and made such a MESS in the car. Like, I don't even know how that much salt could be on shoes. But the same for the car tires. We drove another 2+ hours to our airbnb and our car still spilled salt out all over the garage where we were staying. 

This was definitely one of those once in a lifetime stops on the side of the road, but was so worth it and so cool. I saw later online that there is an aqueduct that goes through the salt floats with brine water and people float on it. That looked fun too. This was just a great way to start our trip. 

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Fun in the Sun

But really, it's fun in the shade ;) That just doesn't have the same ring to it though. 

I keep neglecting this ole blog of mine, but I'm not ready to give it up. I don't really document things any other way and I do want a place to remember all the things, so I will keep trudging along. 

We took the kids to the splash pad at our neighborhood park in what was actually the last weekend the splash pads in the city were on. Which is ironic given the temperatures have still been in the high 90's. Of course, it is supposed to dip into the 80's this week. I am totally looking forward to it, yet also not too hopeful as this happened a few weeks ago before the temps went back up again. And it always seems hot around here until well into October. But enough about the weather, back to the splash pad. 

The kids had a lot of fun. Isla mostly hung out at the water guns, squirting her brothers each time they came on. Connor mostly stood under the bucket of water that would dump every couple minutes. It was fun watch the anticipation of him having to wait and wonder when it was going to drop. And Callum, he did a whole lot of running in every which direction, which is typical for him. He didn't want to get wet at first, but soon got into the spirit. 

Believe it or not, this was the first time we actually planned to take the kids to the splash pad...and it's September! They have done impromptu plays in them a couple times, where we were completely unprepared and they went home happy, yet in soaking wet clothes. But this was the first (and I guess only) time we actually put them in their swimsuits and let them at it. I guess better late than never, right?

The calendar says we have 10 days left of summer, so we may as well live it up, right?!

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Little moments not to be forgotten

// drinking pool water //

// family Pokemon battles //

// chores //

// ice cream //

// sprinkler cool off //

// sprinkler cool off times two //

// pool jump //

// watermelon //

Summer and I are a bit of frenemies. I love all the downtime and fun activities that we get to do. Heck, just the fact that I don't have to set an alarm every morning is enough for me! But the heat. Oh, the heat. When it gets hot enough, it's just miserable. And I swear every member of my family gets irritable from the dang heat. See? Frenemies. 

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It's Almost Summer

It almost feels surreal that it's the kids last week of school. And temperatures have hit triple digits over here, basically sucking any and all motivation out of me on the week when I need it most. I described this week to Ian as the sprint to the finish line at the end of a marathon. It's the last push and I can see the finish line, but it takes so much freaking effort. The kids have been wanting to get in the pool every afternoon, which is extremely understandable with the freaking heat. But Connor says to me yesterday that he only ever remembers me going swimming with him once. Uh...maybe because I've yet to go in this year. Which, of course, I drug my butt in the pool yesterday to prove that I can swim! But seriously, I went with them so many times last summer and before we had a pool, I was always in the pool with them when we had swimming play dates at other people's houses. Selective memory, I guess.

But seriously, why is it so freaking hot on like the busiest school week of the year?! Oh well. I will power through. And will possibly linger longer than I normally do in the kids AIR CONDITIONED classrooms, because I am so cheap that we all drip with sweat in our own house. But yay for school almost being done. On Friday I don't have to set an alarm and I am so freaking excited about that...and crossing my fingers and toes that the kids don't decided to get up at the break of dawn that morning.

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It's Still Summer…Sort Of

 

 

Whoever decided to start the school year at the beginning of August never looked at the weather forecast to remember that August is still most definitely summer. We have been in the triple digits lately and it's just wrong for me to be sweating so much at the school pick up. Not to mention that it's hard to hang on to and enjoy the last bits of summer when routine has become necessary and our norm. No longer are we out playing with friends almost every day, spending hours frolicking in the pool, constantly indulging on sugary treats (which I am pretty sure my ob will be throwing a party when the scale reflects this new change) or staying up late into the evening.

It's weird to be in that limbo period. Shorts and tshirts are still a must around here. The air has yet to get crisp and beg for us to come indoors, yet the homework and bedtime routine (to keep everyone sane from the early morning wake ups) beg to keep us inside more often. Dinner has once again become like clockwork, rather than something I throw together once Ian is home. Quiet evenings at home are becoming more necessary. Yet, the sun is still peeking above the horizon at bedtime.

This whole school thing starting in August is just playing with my emotions…it's like I'm the kid again.

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Fun in the Sun with Friends

 

^^ I struggled deciding between this picture and one of Isla actually smiling at the camera. Ultimately this one won out because Isla has been doing this lately. Instead of smiling at the camera, she looks at the person she is in the picture with and smiles. Like only a mother would, I find it cute. 

Last week a few of my friends and our kids met at the river to play. I had never been to this area before and didn't know what to expect. And, truth be told, the words play/river/children just don't go together for me. But I was pleasantly surprised. The river was clear. It didn't get deep until about halfway out…and up until that point it was at most 18 inches deep. It was the perfect spot for kids to play. They splashed in the water. They played with trucks in the water. They turned a big log into a teeter totter. I enjoyed it so much that there will definitely be a next time. And next time, I will wear my bathing suit so I can sit in the middle of the water and cool off…my friend did this and I was totally jealous. And, next time, I will bring toys for my kids to play with so they don't have to steal everyone else's.

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Fun in the Sun

Okay, so really this should have been titled "fun in the shade", but it just doesn't have the same ring to it. With temperatures being in triple digits and apparently ready to stay like that for a while, I headed out and got the kids a pool to play in. I decided to set up this gargantuan blow up pool on the patio. I figured it would keep the kids from getting too much sun exposure and would also keep the water from getting too hot, thus allowing me to reuse the water for longer. Yes, I have had problems in the past with water getting too hot in the kids kiddie pools when sitting in the sun. It be hot here people! The kids had a blast. The pool play was mostly fight free. We even busted out some popsicles…because pool or no pool and shade or no shade, 104 is HOT! And in case you are wondering, yes Connor did shoot me with the squirt gun while I was taking his picture and unfortunately, no I didn't get an action shot.

 

 

 

I must admit, later that evening the kids and I went back into the backyard to play. They decided to make mud to play in and Isla threw her mud covered self into that clean kiddie pool water…the water I was trying to allow us to reuse for days, given that we are in a drought and all. So yesterday, the kids got to play in a pool filled with dirty water. But, it's all good because they covered themselves in mud again and I didn't even have to try to stop them from getting in the pool to rinse off! Oh, and I am slowly getting rid of the water by watering the plants in our yard. Gotta conserve people, gotta conserve.

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Summer Bucket List

I've never made a summer bucket list before. And really, even without one, we always get out and do things. But I like the idea of having this hanging on our frig and making each one a special thing for the kids and letting them cross them off as we get them done. Most of these are already activities we do, but I did throw in a couple things we wouldn't normally do, just to make it special. And hopefully our from seed watermelon plants don't disappoint us because they made the list and no matter how big or small, we want to eat a home grown watermelon this year! Touring the cheese factory is a random one, but it is only 30 minutes from our house and Connor asked how cheese is made, so I thought it would be a fun little excursion. Though I can't believe next week is the kids last week of school, I am excited for all the fun, leisure and friend time that summer brings.

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Swimming

The kids and I have gone swimming a lot more this summer compared to years past. I don't know if it's because of friends going swimming more...you know, then other moms have bathing suits on and it becomes one of those "misery requires company" scenarios so I put my suit on...or because the kids are at an easier age.

Neither one of my kids are those kids that will jump into the pool. In fact, Connor is pretty afraid of the pool. If you just leave him be, he will play on the steps happy as can be. Try bringing him in the water, even holding him, and he freaks out. So far, I am taking a hands off approach and figure (or hope) that he will eventually want to be in the water.

 

Isla, on the other hand, loves "swimming" in the baby floating devices. She hated them last year. This year, she loves 'em. She says "Look, I swimming". Not exactly, but whatever. She also loves riding on people's backs while they swim. I have hope that with her my dreams of a child jumping to me in the pool may just happen...in another year.

^^ That smile on Connor's face is from being splashed. The kid loves splashing and being splashed.


With the temperatures being triple digits lately, I will admit that I like being in the pool too. And cannon balls off the diving board are my speciality. They make my kids think I am cool. And I am all about scoring some cool mom points.



On a side topic, I am experimenting with image watermarks. I really don't like how intrusive the one I have been using is. I wish I didn't have to use one at all, but after the experience I have had, also want to feel like I am doing something to protect my family. Thus, a little less in your face watermark. 

 

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