Happy Father's Day!

I have the best dad in the world. I know there are lots of great dads out there but I am quite partial to mine. Someday I'm going to write a book about my dad but for now I will just cut it down to blog size. My dad is my buddy, my hero, my teacher, my consultant, and so much more. He has helped teach me the power of optimism and how to make every day a good day. He has shown me how important it is to dream and to work hard for worthwhile goals. I've always known that my dad loves me and would do anything in his power to make me happy. I love you Dad.

I also think that Sophie has the greatest dad in the world. Happy Father's Day to you, Jake. Sophie is one lucky girl and she loves her dad. Sophie loves her dad because he takes her to Home Depot and buys her donuts, he carries her on his shoulders, sings her songs, plays with her, reads her books, takes her on bike rides, takes her to feed the ducks, and does anything he possibly can to make her happy.

Sophie and I feel very lucky to have such great dads. Happy Father's Day!

Graduation Speech

I went to my sister's graduation yesterday, and I had a lot of thoughts running through my head. First I was thinking, "How is Sophie going to make it through this," and then I thought, "Wow, I'm getting really old - what have I done with my life since graduation?"
I vaguely remember my graduation day. I think I was playing Tetris. I ate food with my family. Then I left for Lake Powell and watched my friend rear-end a car that was stopped at a red light.
Since that day, I'm not sure if I've really lived up to the potential that everybody told me I had that day. I don't know if anybody can. Apparently the room was full of lawyers and doctors and engineers. All I saw was a bunch of kids who were excited to move on to adulthood. Fools. If only they knew... I would've stayed eighteen for eighteen more years.
If I could speak at graduation this is how it would go:
"Wow. For some of you this is a really big deal to be graduating from high school. Some may see this as a great accomplishment, and others may see it as an exciting step into the real world, and having been in your position, I would feel the same. But I'm sure future-you would tell you a different story.
"Future-you may commend you for not falling into the traps of drugs, alcohol, crime, and emotional despair that may have kept you from graduating. But future-you is a fickle friend, and won't let you get off easy - there is plenty you need to know to help future-you improve his life. He would probably agree with the advice I'm going to give.

"If you find a good teacher (in any form) stay close to them. They are important and often hard to come by - often the lowest paid are the best."
"Life is going to be a lot of work and a lot of tough decisions. Day after day. Most of the time you just have to keep on keeping on.
"The rest of life is going to be complicated, confusing, and crazy - and most people make it through just fine.

The above speech would likely put a damper on any graduation. But my life since then has been a lot of hard work. The only thing that will take a high school graduate to be a doctor, lawyer, engineer, or whatever else they may want, is that individual's approach to each day. Thomas Edison said that you can judge a man by how he views his alarm clock.
Some broader advice - When life rains, rather than looking for sunny weather and trying to stay dry, it is better to learn how to play in the rain and find a good puddle. If it rains enough, build a dam.

Ode to the River

Jake on the bucket drum with Phil and Ryan as they create beautiful river music.

Jake and I in our Groovy Digs from Rags and Wags (which is our personal favorite thrift store)

One of my personal favorites of my dear ol' Dad in his glory years in the Grand Canyon. I sure am grateful to my Dad for starting the whole river legacy. It has been a big part of my life and I have loved working with my Dad, my siblings and my husband on the river. Thanks Dad.

This was one of my favorite days of rafting on the Locksa in Idaho. This was our first time running this river and it was quite an adventure.

Mat, Michael, Ali and Me

Oh the Salmon River, how I miss you. It is almost the beginning of another river season and I've been thinking about the river. I made a river memory book for Dad for Christmas and in the process I found a lot of great pictures. I thought I would post a few here as I reminisced about the river.

Jake and I are going to try to get up to Idaho to run a Main Salmon trip this summer. I've missed the river the past two years and it would be great to spend a week on the Salmon. I don't think I'm quite ready to take Sophie on the river but someday I know she would love it.