Annual boating trip with Pa

Ok, so I really only have one more story to talk about our summer in Utah, only it's been so long, and it was such a let down that it's almost not worth it, but here goes anyway. 

Every summer the kids love to go with my dad up to a little lake in the mountains and paddle around.  My dad usually packs up the canoe, kayak, and raft. 

The canoe is the oldest and weighs a ton.  My dad has had this thing as far back as I can remember.

(If you look closely one of the blurs in the back seat is me)

The raft is probably pushing 30 years as well.  Which is a stinking miracle that it's still around.  I looked and looked for a picture with me in and the raft, but all I could come up with was my two brothers.  My guess is that this picture was taken at the Great Salt Lake, which explains why I am no where to be found.  I always thought that place was ugly and smelly and gross.

The kayak is only about 15 years old.  I know this because this picture of Nick was taken the day my dad brought it home.

ANYWAYS.

We always go up to this one particular lake.  The kids love it.  That lake was the first place my dad ever heard Zach speak.  Poor kid was so anxiety riddled on a daily basis, but we got him out there on the lake and it was like you could see the anxiety melt away. I saw this picture and started to cry.  I hadn't seen such peace on his face in so long.

So, we make plans to spend the day at the lake, but Nick had so much chemistry to do that he had to stay behind.  (He had to do an entire semester's worth of chemistry in 4 weeks. He had very little time for fun that month.)  I felt bad about leaving him behind, but it had to be done.

So we my dad spent over an hour strapping down canoes and such to the top of his truck and we headed off.

But the second we got there I instantly stopped feeling guilty that we left Nick behind. The lake was so low, it was crazy.  Seriously like only 20% full.  Since it was a bit of a hike from the car through the dried up lake bed to get to water, we elected to not even bother with the very heavy canoe.  We decided to start off with the raft since it was the lightest, but we quickly found out it had a hole in it and unfortunately had seen it's last little lake trip.  (It really is a wonder it's lasted this long.) 

In the end, we ended up just hauling the kayak down to the lake (that sucker was heavy enough, I can't imagine trying to haul the canoe) and letting the kids take turns for a bit. And then we went home.

THE END.

I know.  Anticlimactic, right? 

The first time we went to the lake it was like one of those perfect afternoons.  The weather was gorgeous, the mountains were breathtaking, and there was just this moment on the lake, this peace, this tranquility, and I saw it in my kids faces, this wonder and awe at being there, surrounded by nature at it's finest.

And sadly though, each time we go back, that moment seems to slip farther and farther away. Who knows if and when we'll ever be back.  Odds of making it to Utah next summer are pretty slim.  Possibly next Christmas.  We want to give the kids an opportunity to hurl themselves down a mountain strapped to a couple of skis at least once.  But the kids are growing up and things are changing, and pretty soon Nick will be gone and who knows if that was our last summer in Utah or not?