Power of a Kayak

 "Should we take it?" 

That question was always asked as we prepared to pack for our annual trip to Lake Powell. Initially friends insisted on loaning us a kayak; eventually as a family we "earned" a kayak. (Read about it here.)

On the one hand, the kayak added a lot of weight to our already heavily loaded vehicle transporting the six of us, plus everything we needed-food, bedding, books, clothing (mostly swim suits), etc.- for the middle of nowhere for two weeks. Additionally it was one more item to load and unload from the car in the desert heat.

But almost every year the kayak made the cut. Why? Because on the other hand, the kayak could stop and go.

GO 

In various spots on Lake Powell, potty stations are set up. Beaching the houseboat near the Rincon around mile marker 77 is always one of our favorite spots. (The fact that military planes sometimes buzz by low in the canyon is just one of the reasons we love it.) Nearby is one of the potty stations and the perfect way to get there is a nice quiet kayak run. (Yes, the houseboat has a tiny bathroom with a small potty, but you never want to risk it filling up before the vacation is over.)

One scary night, when we were returning from an emergency in the dark, we were trying to navigate our little motor boat around the rocks to return to the houseboat. Because of lack of depth perception in the dark, we needed another point of reference. Daniel took the kayak out with a big flashlight to help solve the problem. Thank God, for the kayak. 

If you are a high school boy at Lake Powell, it is a long way away from the girls back home in Wisconsin. If you have a particular sweety you want to talk to, you need to navigate to where you can see the cell tower at the top Navajo Mountain. ...Often from one of the locations we frequent on the lake, you can see Navajo from the top of the rocks on the other side of the main channel about one mile away. The kayak is the perfect mode of transportation to get to the opposite side of the lake in order to climb the rocks at a chance for cell service. 

STOP

Although, we often have a houseboat full of people (read more here), part of the allure of Lake Powell is quiet time. You are a speck in the grandeur around you. You want to soak it all in.  A quiet paddle in the kayak to rest in the middle of nowhere is ideal. God designed us to rest-physically, emotionally, spiritually, relationally. In Mark 6:31 Jesus said, "Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while." (One of Lake Powell theme verses.) Our kayak time is valuable rest time. Rest is not just for the summer, but all seasons. To find more resources check out Run Hard. Rest Well.  How can you find rest?

We thank our friends, the Webbs, who began our tradition of the kayak, a tool for both going and stopping.

Your Brother Said What??

"Do you want to go house boating on Lake Powell? My brother invited us to go with him," my husband announced after work one spring day.

"Where in the world is Lake Powell? And a house boat? What is that-a house on a boat? Like you can just step out of the boat and into the water?" I dubiously replied.

"Lake Powell is in Utah. And yes a house boat is like a house on a boat & you can walk right off the edge into the water," my husband calmly answered.

More questions.  Like why in the world would I take my nine-month old baby to a place where he could crawl right off the edge and drown???

Ultimately we did join the adventure of the Murdy family's maiden voyage to Lake Powell on the "Tanya". My husband, myself, our baby, and eight of my in-laws on a 48 foot house boat in the middle of no where.  Certainly felt like God was pushing my limits?! 

If you fly from CA east, you will fly over a vast area of desert nothingness. You might see the long strip of the CO River from Page, AZ north which is 150 mile long Lake Powell. Very few roads- about six- in and out of Lake Powell.

It was an intense family time- dealing with keeping meat safe for eating in a desert for seven days with a camping refrigerator that sorta of worked about half the time, figuring out how to manage nap times with the three toddlers/baby aboard versus grown-ups who did not want to be quiet, trying to keep everyone cool in 105 + degree temps, managing the boat and anchors in some vicious storms, and so much more.

It was an incredibly beautiful time of nature-seeing the magnificent hand of God in the beauty and majesty of the rock formations and the dazzling light of the stars and moon in a place otherwise completely dark at night, the peace of being on the water in the middle of no where with no one except your 10 people around,

As we left, I wondered, will I ever return? 

There had been some extremely difficult times...Living with in-laws in tight and hot quarters, wondering if I was going to get food poisoning toward the end of the week with the uncooked barely cool meat, etc. After a tift with a family member, I took a long hike, but ultimately I had to return to the boat (or die in the desert). But I loved the time with my husband. (No cell phone service or phones out there at the time.) I loved living in this place of awe-inspiring nature. ( Nix Nature Deficit Disorder read this link.) I loved being on the water. (Water calls my name ever since a family took me boating when I was a little girl.)

"For you shall go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and the hills before you shall break forth into singing." Isaiah 55

Did I return? Of the past 30 years, I did return 27 of those years! Incredible memories of special family adventures.  More stories of our Lake Powell adventures to come.

How can you create a time and space for unique family togetherness?

Who can identify these locations on Lake Powell?

Lake Powell to WI to TX....Over 3000 Miles All in ONE Wild Week

One year ago this week, it was crunch time. Not as in “I have to study for a test”, “school starts tomorrow”, or “quick get the trash out as the trash man is driving up the street", but as in “we are moving to TX and we leave in a few days”. If you have ever moved, you probably understand the myriad of feelings and activities that engulf you. My last relocation had been to Jaesville, WI from Alabama in February of 1988 and my most recent move had been from the farm house in Janesville to Linden Ave in Janesville in December of 1996. Leaving WI after thirty years in the same town and 22 years in the same home resulted in a lot of root pulling, both physically and emotionally.

“I remember You upon my bed, and meditate on You in the watches of the night; for You have been my help, and in the shadow of your wings I will sing for joy. My soul clings to You; Your right hand upholds me.” Psalm 63:6-8

Last night as I lay in bed, I realized last year at this time was the week of leaving. My mind replayed the week and I meditated on how God has continually been our help!

Organizing and planning the 1st week of August 2018 was brain maximizing. Starting in Lake Powell, Utah on Saturday, we went to NE on to WI back to NE and finally to TX arriving the following Saturday. Good thing I like to travel. But I must admit after that trip, even I was tired of traveling. And so thankful that God’s right hand upholds me. 

On August 3, 2018, we returned from our annual family vacation at Lake Powell in Utah. (Our Lake Powell vacation included all 4 of our sons & their 2 girls- we were singing for joy that we were all able to gather together before the BIG MOVE for an incredibly special vacation.) We traveled across UT and CO to NE and on Sunday morning, we worshipped with our dear friends, the Burmas. After unhooking our red boat, which we had taken to Lake Powell, and leaving it with the Burmas to “boat sit”, we headed to University of NE in Lincoln to drop #3 son off for RA training. On Monday we completed our trip back to Janesville, after stopping in Rock Island, IL to visit the cemetery where David’s parents and sister are buried and going to Whiteys, a delicious local ice cream store. (Chocolate chip cookie dough is my favorite -lots of extra chocolate chips in addition to the chocolate chip cookie dough.) https://www.whiteysicecream.com/menu/

Monday evening, Tuesday, and Wednesday were supposed to be more packing time. However as often happens in life, the days were filled with a multitude of interruptions. Wonderful interruptions of friends and patients stopping by our home to say good-bye, of bon-fires encircled with friends as we shared memories and prayers, and of many tears and lots of laughter. Particularly I remember one of my son’s friends praying that our home in Texas would be filled with friends and laughter, just as it was in Wisconsin. Every time our Texas home is filled with laughter and friends, I remember God’s yes answer of that prayer and I sing for joy.

We needed to leave Thursday morning. Wednesday night about 10 pm the doorbell rang. I emphatically pronounced to my husband, “We have to be packed! Whoever it is at the door will just have to come to our bedroom so we can finish getting our clothes packed for Texas! (Once we got to Texas, we were planning to stay at my brother’s home until we bought our home, so by this point we had given up on trying to get everything in the house packed and were frantically just trying to get packed what we would need for a few months, knowing I was going to have to come back to finish packing up the rest before the movers arrived.) At the door stood one of our best friends, who came for one last goodbye, and thankfully didn’t mind finding a place to sit in our bedroom amidst all the stuff while we finished loading our suitcases. 

Thursday morning, we left on our big adventure. Excited. Tired. Scared. God's right hand upholds us. God had guided us to this point and we all were blessed with peace knowing that He was leading the way! Our little expedition included my husband and #4 son in our very full suburban pulling a

U-Haul car trailer loaded up with Grandpa’s pick-up truck (David’s dad’s old 1979 Dodge pick-up) which was loaded up with Grandma’s furniture. I followed in my little filled to the brim red car. We arrived in Perry, IA, to drop the pick-up truck with dear friends, the Bice family, who were storing our pick-up in their barn. Grandma’s furniture was wrangled, tied and duct taped to the car trailer. (We prayed for no rain, until we could get the furniture safely delivered to #3 son at UNL that evening.) After dinner at Lucky Pig with our friends, we continued safely on to Lincoln, NE. No rain!

Friday morning, we spent some time helping our college son get a little more settled-hunted for a room rug and a few more college essentials-and delivered the U-Haul trailer to the drop off location. After a walk and lunch at Cane’s, we said our sad good-byes, driving back the 80 miles to the Burmas to hitch up our red boat to pull to Texas. 

Saturday was a long driving day of anticipation and reflection. Finally, we crossed the Texas border! After about 4 more hours, we arrived at my brother’s home. Many times in the past we had been at his house for vacation. It was hard to imagine that now when we arrived we were actually staying in Texas! We were lovingly greeted by my brother and his wife, my niece, her husband and 2 sweet kids. And some of us might have even kissed the ground!

“I remember You upon my bed, and meditate on You in the watches of the night; for You have been my help, and in the shadow of your wings I will sing for joy. My soul clings to You; Your right hand upholds me.” Psalm 63:6-8

Now a year later, we are mostly settled into our own home. Our year has been filled with many blessings of extended family and friends, laughter, Concordia High School, fulfilling work, and so much more. I sing for joy in thanksgiving to God as His right hand upholds me. I remember His help.