Sandpoint, Idaho

 We went up to Sandpoint, where Adam grew up to visit for a few days. We left Wednesday night and drove all night so that we could be there to hang out on Thursday. We all got ready and then went to the Sandpoint City Beach to meet up with Mick, Paul and Laura. We hung out there for a bit and ate lunch. Then we headed over to the Chapins' place. Brother Chapin used to be Adam's bishop and they have a nice place and were very kind in letting us all meet up and hang out there! They live basically on the lake so we got to go swimming and use the boats they have. Ellie loved the little paddle boat and it was hard to get her out of it! Mick brought Fate his daughter and so it was the first time that all five of the cousins have been together! It was so fun to be there for that!

  Friday morning, Terri, Chad and Adam went for a bike ride in the morning and that took up the morning so in the afternoon we went to City Beach and we played in the sand and water. We went to lunch at 2:30 with Paul and Laura and then went out to Suzie Miller's house for a pasta feed in preparation for the Long Bridge Swim the next morning. Terri and I participated while Adam was in a kayak to help with safety. We met at the high school where we found out that there were approximately 900 people swimming and then we were bussed over to the start. I rode over with Terri and Curtis, and Julie Hunt. I didn't get a picture of the bridge but I wish I would have. We started on the south side of the bridge and then swam alongside of it. The swim is 1.76 miles. I am not a huge open water swimmer and often have a hard time getting used to the cold water and that was the part I was most nervous about. But I got all the way into the water before the start and treaded water for a few minutes allowing me to warm up.

Once swimming I realized how choppy the water really was. There were a few times that I would come up for a breath and the water would splash right into my face. I think there were a few boats that missed the memo also and came rather close to where people were swimming. I finished at about an hour and twenty minutes. Terri came in at 1:33. It was fun and I would totally doing it again looking back but during the race I was thinking...I am totally crazy. Was I even thinking when I signed up?! Haha, all-in-all a wonderful weekend and it was so much prettier up there than here in Rexburg. SO much more green! We had fun!

 She looks like she's out in open water!