Fathers Day 2015

Fathers Day 2015 will forever stand out as an adventurous one.  We took a kayak trip from Pammel Park to Middle River, as a family.  It's a 10 mile trip and figured we'd have a good couple hours of quality family time.  5 people, 3 kakaks.  We can do this.  Below is what I hope to remember about the day.

 

Mike 'rocking' the kayak when he had Maisie on his kayak to help wiggle them off rocks, tree trunks and sand which they would get stuck on.  Maisie then crying that she wanted to go home; or just ride with mommy.  She got her way and got to ride in my kayak while Molly went to Mikes.

  

Subconsciously yelling, "Grab Your Daughter!" as I watched Mikes kayak flip over and Molly fly out into the rapids. 

 

Watching Mike grab Molly and feeling overcome with relief knowing she was o.k.... just scared and ready to be done with this crazy sport.

 

Ross yelling downstream:

Slow-down guys I'm trying to enjoy myself. 

Why won't anyone wait for me? 

I like to take my time and enjoy things, why is everyone in a hurry? 

I've got a boner. 

Why are the girls constantly bawling?

I'm just gonna stand on top of my kayak and take a piss.

I found a skull.

My fingers are blistered from the paddle.  Will the water infect it because it's starting to burn.

 

Passing under the first bridge which said we had gone 1.8 miles and thinking we should have been nearing the end.  We had 8.2 miles to go and based on the position of the sun, it was noon.

 

Singing every Barbie song, library preschool song and Girl Scout song I could think of to help distract the girls.

 

Maisie asking me if I've 'met the voices inside my head yet'?

 

Finishing the 3-hour kayak trip (in fast rapids) and dragging the kayak to the side of the river to keep Maisie from drifting down the river in the kayak as the current pulled me down onto the sharp river rock and feeling a stabbing pain in my shin. 

 

Getting the kids and kayaks out of the water and realizing I left the car keys we needed in my purse inside the van (which was parked where we started).

 

Feeling like a cross between Clark Griswald in Wally World and a poorly dressed triathlete when I decided to 'run' back into town (between 1-2 miles on the highway) in my soaking wet clothes, sand and water filled sketchers, and bleeding shin to retrieve Mikes car from our house to pick up the van from Pammel Park.

 

Feeling Gods Grace upon us through the entire adventure and knowing we 'lived' on Sunday.

 

We witnessed Mother Natures breathtaking scenery, flew through rapids which craved respect and forced us through brush-filled roadblocks, grabbed our baby out of the rapids, watched the birds in the sky dance a dance made just for us, joked, sang and accomplished something we weren't sure we would.  Best of all, we did it together.

 

No pictures this time.  Can you even imagine if I'd had my camera?!