The Moyie Cabin is an A-frame cabin originally built by Abe's grandparents along the Moyie River in far north Idaho. Now it belongs to Abe's Aunt and Uncle who are kind to let the extended family still use it from time to time.
Here's what we looked like the last time we visited the Moyie--seven years ago. Cannon was a new baby.
This time around we celebrated our 18th wedding anniversary at the Moyie, where I learned something about myself. I wish I felt otherwise, but I don't like camping. I don't like the dirt, the bugs, the looking after children in possible dangerous situations. I do like having little adventures with my people and am not opposed to exerting myself physically, but then I like going home to the comfort of my home (or another similarly comfortable abode).
I am not proud that I am such a creature of comfort and I'd rather my children didn't grow up to become like me. I'm afraid it is too late for Bethany. She has joined me on the air-conditioned side of life. But there is still hope for the younger ones.
Clark was born loving the great outdoors and wished he could have stayed at the Moyie another week. He cannot respect the fact that my happiest moment at the Moyie was getting in the car to drive to Grandma and Grandpa Fox's house. But, in all fairness, there were some very good moments.
The kids liked settling in upstairs. There was the boys side and and girls side. Bethany spent many hours braiding Jedi-braid-type things into the girls hair.
The first order of business Wednesday morning was rushing George outside to see the train passing by.
Abe went to the Moyie at least annually for his entire childhood, and yet he never visited the mysterious "Chinese Dam", known to the rest of the world as the "Eileen Dam". I don't know why they called it the Chinese Dam, but I'm guessing it wasn't PC. The dam was built almost 100 years ago, but broke just a few years later and is completely non-functional and has been for many, many years.
It was, in my opinion, quite a treacherous hike to get to the dam. We really had no business being there with so many small children. Not to mention the wear and tear on our van getting to the place we began hiking. I think we took about two years off the life of the van.
It was, I admit, quite an accomplishment and we were pretty proud of ourselves.
Here we are hiking back up from the dam. Now, if you look closely, you will see Faith in the lead ducking under a branch across the trail. I'm not in the best shape and I was really leaning forward concentrating on my footing and trying to keep my breath.
I had an unfortunate run-in with that branch just moments after the picture was taken.
See my injury to my eye on the right? Probably would have been worse if I hadn't been wearing my sun glasses.
Would you like to see the importance of good lighting when it comes to your self-esteem. Prepare yourself.
This ought to make you feel better about yourself.
I LOOK LIKE A DEAD PERSON!!!! A dead person with a huge schnozzer and seriously bushy eyebrows! WOW! Dang fluorescent lights!
But back to the matter at hand-- look at my eye! I nearly lost an eye. I did not however and am perfectly fine. Well, perfectly fine, with a lower self-esteem.
Bethany's traditional crane pose in a dangerous location.
So for our anniversary we decided to do some international travel.
While walking back to our car after taking a picture on the Canadian side, a border patrol agent informed us that, technically, if we ever cross the border we are supposed to check in at the office they have there. So we went back to the office and the officer there looked at us like we were the dumbest people he'd ever met. Apparently, that is a technicality that doesn't apply to huge families just crossing the line for a picture and immediately going back to their car.
Our next adventure was hiking to Copper Falls.
I didn't go all the way to the falls with Peter, as it was yet another hike I deemed too treacherous, but Abe and the kids went all the way with some of them actually going under the falls.
Looks very cold and I really don't know how I feel about this picture. It seems like maybe there could be some really funny captions.
And as always, the reptile whisperer (Clark) found this little beauty on the trail.
That night we enjoyed a hotdog roast and fireworks and hanging out at the cabin enjoying electronic free family time.
Creative dance with sparklers.
The man with the lighter was very popular.
Watching the fireworks show.
Embarrassing Bethany while we sing our city's super cheesy song that was commissioned for a recent 150-year celebration.
Children beginning to suffer the effects of no electronics.
And lastly, the picture Clark would rather I didn't put up. He did, however, make a deal with me that if I put up my dead person one-eyed picture, then I could put up his D&D picture. He is a D&D Dungeon Master, but as he approaches his 16th birthday, he'd really rather word didn't get around that this is who he really is.
He grew up seeing pictures of Abe and his brothers and cousin playing D&D at the Moyie Cabin and he was pretty psyched to get to experience it for himself.
(Abe here: And it was truly one of the Greatest sessions I've EVER been a part of))
Peter was quite a happy camper, chewing on weeds.
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