All Work and No Play Makes Jack a Dull Boy

Even though we cross the considerably bigger Snohomish River to get there, our family calls the Stillaguamish River, The River. The first time I went to The River was the summer Adam and I were engaged and I came to visit him (sadly I was in Nevada that summer and he was in Washington). Adam swam me across the river then and I'm still never in the water without being an arm's length away from him. Although I watch a lot of swimming each summer, I'm not really much of a swimmer.

Yesterday after a little work (of the yard work and email variety from Adam and I steam cleaned the stairs because I knew we'd be gone a long time and they could dry), we headed to The River.

How we needed it!

We made one detour to the Pita King in Everett. I would tell you where but I really don't think I could ever find it again. It's in the neighborhood of the train station. Does that narrow it down? Adam had been intrigued by the place. He bought a gyro and cheese pie for us to pass around and share as we drove.

I think I would be darling as a Greek. That's good stuff.

By the time we were singing Bohemian Rhapsody loudly along to the ipod between bites of luscious Greek food, I thought.

We really needed this.

You've got to release the pressure cooker every once in awhile...get out from under the worry and stress and drudgery of work and just have a good time.

So we did.

they stood like this for several minutes, contemplating whether they were up for the cold water

the three water lovers

Adam swam Mark across the river so he could climb on the rocks like a goat

and here, reading, is where I happily spent most of my time

here I am with Adam--far away and blurry and mostly underwater--I think that's the only way I'd post a picture of me in a swimsuit

Here's how Emma spent about three hours...swimming her strong body up and down and across the river. She doesn't break any speed records on the swim team but it's too bad there's not a marathon swim team. That girl could swim all day (she did eventually get tired...she slept the whole drive home).


I didn't get any pictures of them but Linn and Geri joined us...being the wonderful grandma she is, Geri brought bubbles for Mark. Poor youngest child! I don't even think about getting bubbles for him.

The Scout made a fire:


And we ate a lot of health food:


Mark is eating a s'more with a toasted marshmallow between the layers of a maple creme cookie (about the only kind of store-bought cookie I deem worthy). It was good.

And the essential ride on the zip line on the way home:


We didn't use the straps and after Mark had zipped along and nearly fallen off we saw the sign: Absolutely no children under 10 years of age.

oh dear