Rafting in Yosemite

Today we rented a raft and went down the Merced River. This was one of the neatest things we've done so far due to the breathtaking views the whole time. And I had to laugh at the irony of some of our family dynamics when doing things like this.

I'm not sure if it is due to having teens or that we've been doing this for a year now, or both, but it amazes me that we can be in a place like Yosemite and my brain is screaming wow, I can't believe we are here and I can't get over the beauty I am seeing...the teens on the other hand are focusing on things like who has the paddles for the raft. We spent most of the ride down the river with me freaking out that we were going to break the raft or capsize, the teens rivaling for power of the paddles and Nathan trying to ignore all of us. If he had his iPod, he'd have probably been successful.Most days I love this lifestyle. There is so much good to it that I tend to just feel incredibly lucky to be able to live this way. Other days, like today, I want to leave all of them by the side of the road and continue on alone. I share all of that to laugh at the reality that our humanity rises to the top no matter where we are, what we are doing and how marvelous are surroundings are. Petty still rivals spectacular in our lives, and sadly, sometimes it wins. It keeps me really humble. Or at least when I get past being frustrated at myself and them, it helps me stay humble.

I'm counting this as one of my "faves", even with the frustrations involved!

Living the life in California!