...with a husband and 5 sons, I am truly outnumbered....stories and thoughts on life from a mom in a houseful of little men!

Tuesday, July 15, 2014

Rafting the Mellow Yellow

I'm back online tonight outside Rockford, IL, after living a week which seems like an eternity.  A week ago today, we had decided to stay an extra day in Gardiner, MT to raft the Yellowstone River.
 No doubt about it; I am in love with the Mellow Yellow.  We camped beside it the night before our crazy, 12-hour day in Yellowstone Park.  I could not take my eyes off that beautiful river, sunshine glinting on it as it flowed so clearly and quickly by with hayfield, mountains, and bright blue sky as it's backdrop.
That night, as Noah and I sat admiring the beauty, we looked at each other and grinned, and mischievously agreed we'd love nothing more at that moment than to slide a boat in and go for a float.  The next day, as we drove through Gardiner, I convinced my other half that that would be an excellent idea!
 Our guide, Mr. Mitch, seemed to be hand-picked for our family.  He has two brothers, one older and one younger, and he went over-the-top to make this an amazing event for our crew.  Plus, he was just a really great young man with a bright future, who was great to talk with and get to know.

 We also could not have had a more perfect day for rafting.  The sun blazed down on us and made the river sparkle, just like our faces were sparkling with so much joy at having the blessing to partake in such a fun and memorable event.

 
 The scenery was spectacular.  We all went for a dip in the refreshing, powerful current half-way through.  And here's a fun tidbit--Tony's sunglasses are now bumping along the river bed somewhere as we speak!

It was all over way too soon.
While we waited for our pick-up down-river, Mitch played around with the boys and taught them special sand castle building techniques at water's edge.

We're always thrilled when we come across super role models for our sons.  Kaleb was especially inspired, and has dreams of being a rafting guide.  His "Yellowstone River Swim Team" bracelet has not left his wrist once yet. 

What an all-around incredible day.  It was the kind you just want to linger in and not have to let go.  At least, we were able to close it out camped again by the edge of this gorgeous river.  I sure hope it's not the last time I laid eyes on it.

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