I had the chance to take the trip of a lifetime with Mom, Dad, Jeanette, and Debbie. We floated the Middle Fork of the Salmon River for 5 nights and 6 days. It was a trip we had taken when I was in middle school and dad invited us to join him on another round. We had the most amazing experience. The beauty of the surroundings, the quiet time to reflect, the chance to catch up with sisters and parents....it was a unique experience that I will treasure! I feel so blessed to have had the support of Alan to take the time off from being a mom and go on a wild adventure!
On the last rapid of the last hour of the trip, we had an experience I will never forget! We were on a paddle boat with six women and a very experienced guide who has never flipped a boat before. As we went into the rapid it was clear that we did not have the man-power to get through it. My dear friend Harriet (65 year old Jewish woman from NYC) and I were in the front of the boat, and before we even had a chance to process what was happening, we were literally swallowed by the rapid. Suddenly, I was UNDER the boat, deciding if I was going to live or die. Fight and swim or just relax and let it happen. It was the scariest moment of my life! I used every once of strength I had to get out from underneath the raft and somehow we all made it out safely. We spent the next hour shaking as we finally made it out of the river-- I was never happier to have the ground underneath my feet! Our dear babysitter Valarie Burnham took care of the boys for me while Alan was working. We sent her off to BYU a few weeks later. She has been the boys second mother and we will miss her SO much!
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