Thursday, August 16, 2012

Kayakin' and cabinin'


We headed up north this past weekend for a family reunion and a little bit of river fun.  When we left on Friday afternoon, the radar showed the rain moving out and things drying up.   Unfortunately, that was not the case so we had to entertain ourselves with some indoor fun. 


Like posing for moms messing with their cameras.


By working on dance moves like a rap star.


By playing old fashioned plug and play games of Ms. Pacman.


By coloring like a mad woman with a brand new twenty five cent box of Crayolas.


By playing with our iTouches and DS games.  (We had my cousin's son with us.)


Thankfully by the next morning the sun was out and we were ready for a fun filled day.   My mom purchased a couple of kayaks from a friend of hers and was gracious enough to let us keep them up at the cabin. 



I didn't take any pictures at the reunion except a couple for my aunt.  I am so far behind on posting pictures sometimes I don't have any desire to add more to my pile.  Anyway, after the party we came back to the cabin and got ready for some s'mores!



Evan and Hailey waiting for some perfect coals.


Hailey and her stylin' Grama.




Evan.  Still waiting so patiently.


Finally it was s'more time!



I was trying some stuff with my camera and kind of liked how this shot turned out.  I just wish their were people sitting by the fire.


The people were in the cabin.  Hailey is most likely trying to talk Daddy into giving her another snack.


We woke up the next morning ready for a full day of river fun!  After a bit of practice in front of the cabin, we loaded up the kayaks to drop them off for a twenty minute test trip down the river.  Is there anything better than a miniature van for some wild outdoors adventures?  






Spencer loved kayaking.  I wasn't sure he would be big enough to maneuver it in the swift currents of the  river, but he handled it like a champ! I was so proud of him.



Evan and his giant potato chips.  It really is the little things.  Or the big things in this case. 

 After lunch, Trent and I kayaked together on a longer trip down the river.  The river has really grown up and wild since we canoed it so long ago.   On this particular stretch, we had to portage the kayaks at one point where a tree had fallen across the river.  Another spot the tree was so low across you had to lay down in your kayak limbo style to get through.  It was not super fun to look up at all the webs in the tree.  In yet another spot Trent had to get out in waist deep water and push the kayaks over a partially submerged tree.  He was the world's greatest husband and pushed me over in my kayak so I didn't have to get wet.   When we got back Spencer asked if he could go on that trip and I told him the long drawn out saga and thought it would be too intense for him.  He still insisted he wanted to do it. 



So he did it.  And he loved it.  I guess the boy is a kayaker!  Is that a word?


We took a walk to see if we could catch them on their way back.  We almost missed them they did it so quickly.  Evan was showing me how he was toughening up his feet by not wearing shoes on the walk.  Well, he wore his shoes on his forearms.  What a goofy kid.


And the final picture is of Hailey Marie holding one of the Blackeyed Susans that Grama told her not to pick but she did anyway and decorated the dock with them.  I could fill a whole post with her attention seeking behavior as of late.  When does school start?


In three words I can sum up everything I've learned about life:    it goes on.

                                                           -Robert Frost