Our homegroup at the Salt Mines...minus the six that went skiing!

Alexis, Nathan, and Aidan learning about the salt process

...Noelle is almost in the picture :)

On the bridge outside the salt mines!

All suited up ready to go down into the mines!

A picture I took as we left the lodge going down the mountain!

The Lodge we stayed in...Hinterbrand Lodge.

The weekend started Thursday evening as we drove to the Lodge...but as we began our trip up the steep road to the lodge we found ourselves unable to get up the snow covered road. The plows had stopped for the evening and would not began plowing again until 7:30am so we went back down the hill and stayed in a hotel for the night. The next morning brought clearer weather and plowed roads and we finally made it to the lodge. We unloaded all our gear from our vehicle and hiked down to the lodge. It was snow covered...about 4ft of snow cover. It was so beautiful!

The kids and I did not do much but hang out in the lodge. The kids were sick with fevers and a bad cough so we went only to rest and relax in the cabin and enjoy the company of our family...our homegroup family...and military family...and our brothers and sisters in Christ! It was nice. On Saturday we went to a local salt mine and that was Awesome. We rode a train into the mine...we went down two slides to go deeper into the mines and we took a ride on a boat across a lake in th mines. It was really neat. The kids and I loved exploring underground. After the mines we headed home that evening around 5pm. The kids were exhausted and still not feeling well. We had a good ride home and enjoyed sleeping in our own beds. It was a great time with our homegroup family and it really grew our community of friends together. Looking forward to our next trip.

Although...the next trip I want Michael to be with us. That was the only thing missing the entire weekend...My Love, their Daddy, and my best friend! The kids and I spoke of him all weekend and how he would have loved the mountains...the kids kept saying you know Daddy loves the mountains...he would love that mountain! Yeah, tis true...he would have been beside himself! Our first trip to the Alps...absolutely Beautiful! We are so blessed!