Twin Falls

 As kids get older it seems summers become less family focused.  The teenagers both worked hard this summer and with Emily gone to Nepal for almost 3 weeks we didn't get a chance to schedule a big family vacation.    Instead I had the girls block off the weekend Emily got home from Nepal to go to Lake Powell with the Bagleys and Jill.   Well Jill hadn't recovered well enough from an ACL surgery and things came up with Sarah's family.  We thought about taking the tug boat by ourselves but we didn't want to risk going all the way and it not start to be stranded in the vastness of Lake Powell.  

I still wanted to take advantage of a weekend where all of us could be together.   Twin falls has been a destination I've wanted to experience.  Suzanne talked highly of her kayaking adventure she did a few years ago, a coworker told me about how cool Shoshone falls is and my dental hygienist told me all about how fun she had biking down the canyon on rented e bikes.   I had a $100 credit from being a super host  on airbnb and found a reasonable house to book for the weekend.   

The morning after we picked up Emily from the airport we loaded up the Pilot and off we went for a family getaway.   First up was the e bike adventure.     Spencer was really disappointed they didn't have an electric bike that would fit him but he didn't want to be left behind so he gave in to the "baby" trailer.   It didn't take long for him to realize that he had the best seat.   He got all the treats, water and shade he could ask for and even snuck moms phone to play a few games.    Bart hasn't changed a bit since we rode bikes back from the Haleakala volcano.     He's like a horse headed for home.  Wants to get there quickly with no time for scenic breaks.    This is the only picture we took before he and Aaron spend ahead and was long gone.  

Meanwhile the girls and I stopped at every pit stop to take pictures.   It was fun to be above the falls and take in it's beauty.  

We met up with the boys at Centennial Park and enjoyed the shade and cooled off at a small waterfall.  

On the way back it was hot and straight up and out of the canyon.  Jane was left in our dust which surprised me because she's really quite fit.   Come to find out Jane's always driven a beach cruiser bike and didn't understand how  bike gears work.  Her e bike was on the highest gear and  she couldn't figure out why we zoomed out the canyon and she could barely pedal and finally had to walk because she couldn't kick on the assisted pedaling.  One nice thing about the climb out is that is slowed Bart down a bit having to carry a 60 pounder behind him so we were able to get a picture to prove we all did the ride together.   

After the bike ride we were all overheated, thirsty and tired.  We picked up some drinks, dinner and shakes.  Curled up on the couch and enjoyed the evening cooling off in the house and binge watching a few episodes of Barbies real life size dream home make over.   

The next morning we set out early on the Snake River to make it to Shoshone Falls and back.  

I requested Aaron be my rowing partner.    He liked that idea until he saw Dad and Spencer zoom ahead like they were in a race and he was coming in last.  Did I mention Bart b-lines it and never stops to smell roses?  

After hearing Aaron complain about being in the slow boat we pushed hard and caught up with Bart and Spencer and I requested a switch for someone ok being in the slow boat.  

 Spencer got in with me and let the racers go off and we enjoy the nice breeze, water, birds chirping and other nature sounds.  

The worst part of the trip is having to haul all the kayaks over the rocks at Pillar Falls to get back into the river.   

 I am strong but my balance sucks especially helping carry a heavy kayak.   Bart is my hero and did most of the work himself with a lot of fighting amongst the kids.  

Finally we made it to the falls.   We had a quick lunch on some rocks. Bart took the boys up close to the falls and then we set back to where we started.   I've heard the falls are the most magnificent in the spring but then it's too cold to kayak to so I'm glad we picked later in the summer.  

Since Aaron won the race to the falls he volunteered to be my strong rowing partner on the way back.  My family accepts that mom is slow but I will always finish.   I was so happy to have his strength.    We were often around this group with the chatty wife and focused husband.  I'd look over and see her waving the rows around but seldom did she put them in the water.   Her husband on the other hand was steadily rowing them up the stream.   I couldn't help but think how nice it would be to be in front of Bart.   Instead Spencer got the luxury of Bart's rowing and enjoyed being along for the ride.   Jane and Emily made great partners and enjoyed their time together.  

A Idaho vacation isn't complete until you soak in some natural hot springs.  On the internet I saw Miracle Hot Springs was about 35 minutes away from Twin.   Emily didn't feel good.  She was still feeling jet lagged from her Nepal trip and Jane said she was too hot to go sit in a hot springs so we left them to at the airbnb to R&R and took the boys to the hot springs.

 I'm not sure what the name of someone who throughly enjoys hot springs but Bart is that person.  You know you are committed to hot springs when you show up and its 102 degrees and you pay to sit in hot springs that range from 98 degrees to 104 degrees.   

Nothing fills a momma's heart like spending a weekend all together!  I asked everyone if they liked the kayaks or bikes best and I got mixed reviews.  Spencer declared that he liked both because he had the best spot with dad who did all the work.  Spoken like a true youngest child!  

HXP- Nepal

 Emily chose to go on an amazing humanitarian experience with the HXP group.   This non profit organization is an independent organization but aligns with the principles, values of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.  

Emily mentioned going a few times after hearing her best friend Alix talk about her trip.   The day of registration she sat me down and we discussed the $4000 price tag and Emily committed to paying for half.    Although you can't simply pick the experience or the people you are with they let you pick your top 3 and dates available and then assign you the place.   Emily talked always wanting to go to Japan but I said if I'm helping to pay for this I want you to go to a real 3rd world country.    India was her top choice and I told her Nepal would be an amazing once in a lifetime place to go so she chose that as her second choice. 

A day or so later she found out the was chosen to go to Nepal.   She was so happy she got Nepal and I was so happy she would experience such a different culture and people than she is used to.  Emily painfully gave me most of her pay checks for the next few months and completed lots of prep work with Dr notes, passports  and buying airline tickets and  supplies but the closer it got to July 10 the more excited Emily was for the adventure. 

I dropped Emily off really early at the SLC airport for her to make her way to meet up with the group later that afternoon at LAX.    She texted me she discovered one of the trip leaders and another person in her group was on the same flight.   I was relieved she had others to navigate LAX with.    When it was time to board the airplane to Dubai the leaders had them turn in their phones.    This trip was a no phone zone for the almost 3 weeks she was going to be gone.    What a relief it was for me to discover the HXP-Nepal instagram page where a dear "Parent Builder" basically a mom who signed up with her daughter to chaperone the trip posted daily updates of what the group was doing.    I lived to see this updates and loved every single picture, video glimpse and smile of Emily.     Emily sometimes jokes that I live vicariously through her.   This was one of those times I whole heartedly admitted I was living through her.   

Here are the daily instagram posts and pictures from momma Mandy that Emily said she became besties with along with her daughter Gracie.    

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Soon after this last post we were all anxious to get our Emsabob home.   Everyone wanted to come to the airport except the early to bed Dad in our house.  We made her a little sign and treated it like she was coming home from a mission.   

In many ways this was like a mini mission.      

A couple weeks after Emily got home I got a text late one Thurs. night asking me to speak in Sacrament meeting.  As I was reading over the conference talk about service and Heavenly Father's unconditional love for his children,  I had an impression that Emily should give this talk for me.    Emily came home from work and was sitting at the counter and I ask her if she would be willing to give my talk in sacrament and speak tie the conference talk to some experiences she had.   She shared about how this experience deepened her testimony that God loves all of his children no matter what circumstance they are in.  She talked about how service is the way to happiness and was strengthened one day when she was on the work site really struggling to want to do the hard work.    She thought "I can't believe I actually paid money to come all this way to shovel gravel and move rocks".  Just then a group of kids got off a bus from school and came running up the hill eager to help and would pick up any small rock they could lift and were so happy doing it.   Then Emily thought "I am in Nepal this is incredible and if these kids can be happy doing hard work so can I".   She shared about how sad she was to leave the orphanage after playing with a boy.    He smiled and told her to "come fast" meaning come back quickly.   She turned away and started to bawl knowing she would never see him again.  Her friend looked at her and said "You will see him again.  When we are in the next life I promise you he will be your eternal friend."    Emily also mentioned even though the food tasted good it was really hard to eat the same potatoes, rice and curry soap every day.  They are mostly vegetarians in Nepal and she really missed meat.   A few days before coming home she was really homesick, her stomach hurt and she had no energy.    She was picking at her pancake and potatoes for breakfast not really eating it and a boy from her group noticed that she was her happy self and asked her what was wrong.  She told him she felt so sick and just didn't think she could do much on the work site.     He volunteered to say a prayer for her and Emily said almost instantly she felt so better and was able to eat her breakfast and go to the worksite.  It was a miracle to her that during the day she had even more energy than normal and in fact felt like could go build the who medical center herself. 

Emily made such good eternal friends thinks back and gets a little teary feeling so grateful she had this experience.