Family ROCKS

Carmen, Brenna, Lauren, me, Mary, and Sandra. And in the back there, doing all the work, are Tom and Jesse.

This is some of my family during our 2006 reunion. We rafted the Snake River to celebrate my parents' 50th anniversary. You may wonder why I'm posting about it now, and I have to blame my friend who writes for the Tribune. Or maybe it's my dream's fault: last night I dreamt that my friend, I, and another friend were preparing to go boating on a mountain lake in blizzard conditions. That led to questions, and then to stories about boating incidents, particularly with canoes.

That got me reminiscing about this particular reunion, and how much fun it is to be on the verge of death with large numbers of your family. :) Seriously, there were moments on this trip that were absolutely terrifying. But we all survived, and I'm sure most would laugh about much of it now.

How many of you remember Nelson practically slicing off his finger? Or how about "Row for your lives, you scurvy dogs!"? Two sisters going in the drink, as Dad would say; cold weather; the river at its highest in 50 years, according to Dad; yummy food, like chili, the stuff Beth and Dom made (can't remember what it's called, darn it), and of course whatever I cooked, ha ha.

I just wanted to acknowledge my awesome family and tell you all how much I love you. Here's to another 50 years of celebrations!