It Begins
Friday April 15
As I watch 2000 miles of country fly by on our Alaska Airlines flight in only 3 hours I can only help but wonder in amazement that what is a short flight in a jet will be 2-3 months of adventure boating from Anacortes Wa to our home port of Whittier Alaska. Caleb is excited and always in a rush for the next thing and as we gather up 2 push carts and almost 400lbs of gear for the push to the hotel shuttle I really have that nagging – what are you getting into – are you really ready for this – it is one thing to read about things like this but doing it? I have learned from experience that my ability to handle challenges decreases as I get tired in the evening and what seemed unattainable with the exhaustion of a long day feels very possible after a good nights sleep. Going to bed I play over the activities of the day in my head, looking over each of the faces of my children – Caleb – sleeping next to me, Joshua’s big always happy grin, Daniel’s mischievous eyes and constant movement, Gabriel’s self sufficient and mellow grin and the big happy smiley eyes of Josiah. They don’t realize we will be apart for 2 weeks and are just enjoying the sprig grass on their bare tows. As I start to fade of to sleep I think about the sadness Cathy has seeing us drive away but also the excitement of the focused family time ahead. I pray a silent pray admitting my need for a dependency on God and a heart felt request for safety for my family and friends until we are together again.
Saturday April 16th
“I’m hungry – let’s eat!” my wiggly oldest belts out going from supine to dressed and a let’s go in about 2 seconds. As Caleb works on a waffle, I strike up a conversation with a gal from North Carolina with a cute 1 year old Baby which of course leads to chatting about the triplets and our trip ahead. As I listen to myself explain the story ahead I can’t help but thinking about all that has lead up to this moment and all that has happened over the last year. Unless you have had multiples it is hard to explain what it is like and if it was not for my amazing wife and the loving support of our friends, family and church I am not sure we would have survived. Last summer we did our best to carry on as usual which included our favorite family activity – boating. We quickly found that our 22’ft C-Dory – The “Sundog” was not really big enough for our expanded family. The idea of a larger boat is nothing new to people who boat and 2 foot itis is a common term among boaters always getting a little larger boat but I knew 2 feet was not going to work. I think the decision for me for a larger boat was in a bay we later found out was called “DayCare Bay – appropriate I know! 🙂 Cathy was on the boat with the triplets and our boat was rafted up to 2 boating buddies. During the night a williwah popped the anchor and all 3 boats proceeded to drift towards the rocks and I was helpless from shore. Luckily Craig Cook from “Our Escape” was awakened and was able to motor to the deep and reset his anchor but I made up my mind then that I wanted a boat that allowed us the ability to safely all sleep together. So this last winter on a family Christmas trip to Northern Washington we met and fell in love with an older 1974 Grand Banks 36 Classic boat. So 14 foot itis and from a 3,000 lb boat to a 30,00lb boat and parts, pieces and systems that I can hardly spell much less run.
Just prior to leaving AK this April we were able to quickly sell our “Sundog” ~ just in time to head down for the new “Sundog”. The new owners of the C-Dory are going to re-christen the boat as ROKA Ann and I look forward to seeing them on the water. Although I am thankful to get the boat sold to belay the costs of the ‘new to us’ boat, with over a year of days and nights under the keel it is with heavy heart that I sold the Sundog and could not even look as she drove away.
In a few hours I am catching a ride with friend Mark Standley up north – I am hoping we can fit all our gear but if all goes well Caleb and I will be sleeping on the “SUNDOG” on the hard this evening.
We Are Social