What I Did Do Last Week

So, I really did get in my car, drink a few Dr. Peppers, stop at the store to pick a few things up, and drive to Idaho. I even wore a bra on the trip- but then I changed into my swimsuit and I was wet for the rest of the week.

Our oldest was at camp for the week, the 2 youngest were at Papa and Grandma's house, and the middle children, Sebastian and I, and our friend met up with some other river nuts in Idaho and had ourselves a grand week long adventure drifting down the Salmon and Snake rivers.

We had a great time. It was sunny and warm to hot the entire time. In the evenings, warm breezes blow down the canyon. By 9 pm, you might think about pulling off your swimsuit and putting on pants, a tank top, and maybe a sweatshirt.

Immediately after we pulled off the river, we began talking about what we should tweak for when we do it again next year- and making sure that 4 of our 5 kids are available the week we do it.

Camping

I've been camping.
Because in addition to having no kitchen, I also needed no bed.
And no walls.
And no vacuum cleaner.
And no bath tub.

We did have quite an adventure. I ordered pictures to show you, but they may take a couple of weeks to get here.

We left home on Wednesday and camped in Easton, WA. Plan A was to go the the yurt on Friday. But alas, plan A never works for us. We usually don't even have a plan- let alone A and B. Actually, plan A was to go to the coast. The weather had other ideas. We decided to go east. I guess that makes it plan C that we ended up in Leavenworth. We met up with our friends on Thursday and camped at 8 Mile Campground. Except for the pit toilets it was a nice place. The tent sites were sand- better than dust- and the sites were far apart. Our 8 kids were able to play without running through other people's camp sites. We stayed until Sunday before we headed home.

Friday and Saturday we spent rafting. Because we own a purple Aire whitewater raft. Wanna come sometime? We might begin taking reservations for next year if we get enough takers....

Friday we rafted from Leavenworth to Peshastin. We followed the company that Sebastian and I went with in May.

Saturday we started off solo. We went from Peshastin to Cashmere. About 1/2 way there is a dam. There was another company going down from the dam so we shadowed them the rest of the way.
What a BLAST. Our kids groan when we tell them we are taking the raft out. If we do flat water the whine the whole time about how boring it is. There was no whining this time! A lot of holding on tight and "tucking in" as we blasted through some great rapids, but no whining.
A lot of horse play on the still, deep water, but no whining. Some good lunch, many dips in the river to (ahem) pee, but no whining.
I brought home a couple of souvenirs. They are purple. And they hurt. You shouldn't stand in a raft. On the thwart. In shallow water. While drifting toward a large rock.
Our friend, the dad of the other family, was the only other swimmer of the day. He didn't think we were serious when we told him he had to cram his feet into the boat really hard. In his defense, though, I was sitting across from him, and I ended up inside the boat when he fell out the other side. He ended up riding the rapid all the way to the bottom. At least he caught the chicken line and remembered the swimmer's position.
Impressive, really, that we didn't have any kids that ended up as swimmers. This trip was Jesse's first turn at the paddle. When we take just our kids we have to take the rowing frame. I don't like it as well since it is not as responsive in demanding situations as paddles are.

We also spent some time playing mini golf, sleeping on the ground, eating at the world's BEST Italian restaurant, sleeping on the ground, roasting s'mores, sleeping on the ground, and generally enjoying each other's company in a place that most people never see because they are stuck in the tourist HELL that is Leavenworth.

It is good to be home.
Sleeping in my bed.
Next to my bathroom.
That has a shower.
Even if I have no kitchen yet.

I'll have to show you an update soon.

What Did You Do Last Weekend?

We went "camping" in our friends' Yurt!
We took the kids and headed for Eastern Washington. Through Wenatchee, to Eniat, and back up into the hills. We had a lot of fun playing in thier snow. The days were super warm (38-40), but the night inside the yurt was super cold (34 or 35- with a fire in the stove). But what can you expect when you are sleeping in a glorified shopping bag?


































We made an igloo while we were there. I got inside and built from the inside and my honey built from the outside. I packed snow into all the crevices until there were no more cracks, while
the family did the same from the outside. Only we didn't cut the door until VERY LAST. I remembered this story by Edgar Allan Poe while I was waiting for Honey to cut me an exit. A little Morbid, I guess, but it was rather small in the space I chose to wall myself into. We had a great time and I can't wait to go back when it is hotter than the blazes for a good swim in the tiny river.