Maine and Rafting

Yup, a weekend review on a Thursday! I actually posted these pictures last night, but I am writing the text now, before work :) Anika is playing in the closet. Ill see how long I have.  On Friday, Andrew, Anika and I drove up to Maine to meet my parents at a campground they were at.  We pretty much had dinner and went to bed that night. Actually, it took a LONG time to get little Miss A to go to sleep.  Everyone was in bed, and she was at the window of the camper just yelling HI to everyone. I eventually took her for a ride.

Dinner was lobster!

Saturday morning, Andrew and I left the campground at 5:30 AM. We left Anika with my parents.

We drove 3 ish more hours north into Maine.

We met our friends up there. They had stayed up there the night before.

We ate breakfast, got our life jackets, packed our stuff in wet bags and got on a bus.

We drove 1.5 hours more.  We were on a  LONG dirt road and we got to a part where the road was being ripped apart by an excavator, but the operator told us to sit tight in the bus for 10 minutes and he would put the road back together. HA. There was no way the bus could turn around on the narrow road.

We got into inflatable kayaks, called duckies. I was SO nervous and scared.

But, I ended up being awesome and it was fun.

There were parts with rapids, but I obviously didn't have my water proof camera out then. Yes, I had a $9 disposable water camera snapped to my life jacket. And, that is where most of these pics came from.  My cell phone was in my wet bag that went on a boat with another person, so we didn't have any phones or electronics ALL day. Actually, everyone else left their phones back at base because no on had service. I had one bar out on the dock at the site,  and that night I did call my mom to check in on A, and everyone made fun of me for using the phone! It was kind of nice not being attached to it for the weekend.
ON that note, I ALSO Cancelled CABLE!!!  It hasn't set in yet.
We are going to use a roku, but so far I dont know how much I like that. I will keep you posted on that. Ha, maybe with no tv, Ill blog more :)

The river was nice because there were rapids, where you had to pay attention and paddle and work, and then there was calm parts to just cruise along.

My friend, Ry who planed the trip :) She has a baby 2 weeks younger than Anika.

 After a day on the river, a boat dragged us across a lake to a little island where we camped.

The rafting company supplied almost everything! All our meals, tents, camping gear, etc. We only had to bring our sleeping bags, clothes and booze. SOO much different than our other camping trips where we have to pack a TON.

The guides made us dinner that night on the camp fire. I had haddock. So good!

we had fun around the camp fire playing games. Our group had 10 people. Then there was another couple we met that day. There were 2 main guides and then the boat driver, who was also the main chef :)

The next morning we got dragged across the lake again.  I got in the bigger raft that time because it was too chilly for the ducky. Water came in the little boats.

 The 2nd Day, was the real rafting part. I was a littler nervous because my friend broke her ARM white water rafting the weekend before in Washington. 

But, we only did class 2,3 and 4 rapids. NEXT year we are going to do the bigger trip with bigger rapids. Actually, Ill probably be pregnant, so I might have to wait until the Next summer :) But, this is definitely something I want to do again!

Andrew pulling Matt back in the raft

M pulling Ry in the raft- HAHAHA.

The next pictures were posted on the fb page of the rafting company. The rafting company is Three Rivers Rafting. I give All credit to them for these photos and All the FUN! AND, I give a lot of credit to our awesome guides. They really made the trip that much better :)

After the full day of rafting on Sunday, we went back to the main base and had a late lunch. They showed photos and videos, but Andrew and I ate and left. We had A LONG ass ride back home.  We left there at 4 and got home at 9:30, after picking up Anika at my parent's house. YES, I was away from her for 40 hours! That is the longest yet. Andrew was supposed to leave for work at 3 AM Monday morning! 
Also, to note, although we are good Friends with one couple (M& Ry) and I know one of the other girls who went- the other people in our group are friends of M&R, who I met for the first time Saturday morning!  
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Totally random, but Isn't it weird that NZ sends apples over here? Ha, I have been eating these a lot lately.

And, Tuesday night, Anika and I met my friend L and her daughter at the park near my house. L brought a picnic dinner! Not just any picnic dinner- A WARM swiss chard and Swiss quiche she made! She even had real plates and silverware, a cheese board, etc. It was a PERFECT night- cool air, but still warm. The girls played, we ate, and even had some wine :) L is the perfect domestic diva :) It was such a fun night. AND, Anika got so tired out playing, she pretty much bathed and went to bed when we got home!