Uncle Nick reading to Selah. Everyone helped take care of Selah, so I actually got some time to relax. Thanks everyone!
The view from our cabin, the Payette River.
The cabin. Downstairs was an open living room and kitchen. Upstairs was the three bedrooms, a common sleeping area, and a bathroom. Having the rooms so close did cause some problems, though. Selah got up every morning at 6:00 and then woke everyone else up by talking.
View of the hot springs from the top. We had to cross the river, because the hot springs were on the other side.
Selah and I wading in the river.
We've been back from Garden Valley, Idaho for a week now. We had such a great time! Dan and I realized that we hadn't been on a vacation in two years, and that they really are necessary. Although, the drive was 8 hours (which took us 12 hours) it was worth it. The days were spent outside with the Payette River right outside our back door. On Wednesday my mom, dad, aunt, Nick, and Dan went white water rafting. Then when they came back Dan and I went up the river and floated down a few miles. This was the cause of our only injury the whole trip. It's quite a funny story, but I won't go into details. You'll have to ask me in person if you want to know. Anyways, Dan slipped in the water and sliced his ankle on a rock. We had to go to the little town clinic and he got 4 stitches. He's very proud of his wound, though.
The next night 4 of us went to see an amateur play at the Starlight Mountain Theater put on by young adults, so funny. On Friday we drove to a hot springs and spent about an hour soaking in the warm mineral water. There were different pools, and starting at the top was the hottest pool and they got cooler as you got down to the river. There was even a little pool that Selah could go in.
The rest of the time we played extreme badminton tournaments, which we dubbed "The Crooked Racket Tournament" because the wood rackets were a bit warped. Even my parents and aunt played. There was also a ping pong table inside the cabin in the living room, which Dan and Nick took full advantage of.
Unfortunately the town does not have a garbage service, so we had to take the garbage into town to drop it off at the dump. Well one night we forgot and left our garbage outside, stupid us. A stinky skunk got into it and tried busting through the screen door too. We also saw deer that came right through the yard in the mornings and crossed the river.
Now that we're back we are planning for Selah's 1st birthday party on Saturday. I'm so excited! Except we realized that August isn't a good time for birthday parties, because everyone goes on vacation before school starts up again. On Friday her actual birthday, Dan and I are taking Selah to the zoo and we're going to have a picnic. She's been to the zoo once before, but I think she'll be more aware of the animals this time. Selah knows how to say doggy now, and she definitely loves her dogs (Maya and Sadie). Except she refers to every four legged creature she sees as a doggy. So, I imagine we'll hear doggy over and over again at the zoo. So cute though!
