Rexburg Rapids

When summer began, we didn't plan on going on any big family vacations during the summer months. We'd already taken a trip during spring break in March, which was the only real one we'd planned for the year. And since we knew that two of my sisters were getting married this summer. and we'd be traveling around eastern Idaho for Ammon's golf tournaments, we figured that would be enough trips. And it was...until August hit and I started feeling in a slump. 

I like going on vacations: they give me something to plan, something to look forward to, something to anticipate about having fun with my family. When August came, I was reflecting on the summer, and it felt like it was missing something: it was missing a summer vacation. I felt like our family worked a lot this summer: Josh at the golf course and mowing lawns, me working on college class and at the salon, Ammon at the golf course and mowing lawns and changing pipe, and the younger 3 boys at home doing chores and weeding the pumpkin patch. I didn't want to end the summer feeling like all we did was work; I wanted to be able to look back on the summer with reflections of happy moments, too! 

I proposed an idea to Josh about going on a family vacation for my birthday in the middle of August. I researched some options on the internet, and finally came up with a plan that Josh agreed with: we would go to Rexburg one afternoon and play at the new water park then spend the night in a hotel. The next day we would drive to Yellowstone National Park to do some hiking, walking, and driving, and spend the night at a lodge. Then we'd spend one more day in the park before driving home. I was so happy about the prospect of going on vacation and couldn't wait for it to happen! 

We had to go in the middle of the week, because it was the only time it would work with Josh's work schedule and Ammon's cross country practices, but that meant that Jonah and Micah had to miss a few days of football practice. We left on Monday August 11 in the afternoon. Josh had to work at the golf course that morning, and I spent several hours preparing food, packing luggage, and cleaning out and packing up the car. 

To make the trip more affordable, I created a meal plan and brought all the food for our trip except for one dinner. We'd contemplated about sleeping in a tent in Yellowstone park to save money, too, but Josh was still very uncomfortable with his dislocated shoulder, so he said he'd rather sleep in a motel. The best deal we got on our trip ended up being at Rexburg Rapids, the newer water park. On Monday nights, they have a family deal, so the cost per individual is $2 less. In addition to that, on the Monday night we went, they had a special deal of "buy one, get one free". For all 6 of us to swim and play and slide for 2 hours, it only cost $13.50. We can't even swim at the Salmon Pool for that rate! 

The main attractions at Rexburg Rapids

Rexburg Rapids has two water slides, a lazy river with tubes, a shallow splash pad, a kids' play area with 2 slides and a dumping water bucket, and a pool with a basketball hoop and a climbing wall.

the lazy river & the water slides

When we first got there, the boys all went down the slides. Then it started getting really busy because there were 2 promotional groups that night, so the lines for the big water slides got longer.

Kanyon on the slide in the kids' area.

Jonah

Ammon

Micah

Josh

Kanyon on the other slide in the kiddie area.
All the boys loved this green slide!!!

Josh only went down the slide the one time, because doing it agitated his shoulder. So he and I just sat on the side relaxing in the sun and watched our boys swim and play.

It was a very enjoyable evening for all of us! The boys climbed and dropped several times:

Micah

Jonah

Ammon

They floated the lazy river a few times: 

They played water basketball:

Kanyon

Micah

Ammon

They played at the splash pad:

After I took a photo of the boys all together, a woman came up and asked me if I had twins. I knew she must've had twins too by the way she asked me. She has twin daughters who are only a few months old. We had a nice conversation about preemies, twins, hospitals, and being a mother. It was a truly pleasant experience for me that felt so random because I have no idea who she is. I enjoyed talking to her, and sharing my experience and hearing about hers. Shortly after that, it was time to go because the water park closes at 8:00.

We gathered up our stuff and headed to the car. It was then that Josh noticed that the Bishop had called and texted while we were in the water park. He wanted Josh and I to speak the next Sunday at church about tender mercies. Immediately, I thought of the conversation that I'd just had moments before with the woman at Rexburg Rapids. I was already in a good mood, and this just topped it off.

We drove to a restaurant to get some pizza to go, and went back to the hotel to dry off and eat some dinner. Surprisingly, Kanyon was the only person who wasn't tired out after swimming and playing for a few hours, so I took him down to the hotel swimming pool for a while. While we were in the hot tub, Kanyon pointed out that he could see the temple in the distance glowing in the dark night. The primary children have been learning a song with the words "I see the light of the temple at night...". When he was done swimming, we drove the 10 blocks from our hotel to the temple to see it up close. It's not a common sight for us to see one at night, because we don't live near any temples, so I enjoyed taking the opportunity to take Kanyon to see its glow up close.

I was already so glad that we'd chosen to take this family vacation. Day 1 had gone so, so well!!