Annual Raft Trip

Well, I surely would be remiss if I did not include a blog post about our annual church rafting trip. We were a little concerned on Thursday and Friday as the skies threatened and temperatures dropped. We waited for the phone to ring Friday night with the call that the trip had been cancelled, but alas, the call never came and we were up bright and early on Saturday adding a few extra layers for warmth.
Once again we were joined by our friends Dave and Kay Smith. (You may remember them from last year's blog post.) This year their son, Dan, also joined us for the adventure. Now at this point I feel it important to say a few words about our friends.
Normally it takes years of getting to know people before you would feel comfortable enough inviting them out on a trip where they will be pounded repeatedly by the blasts of waterguns shot at close range by persons they don't even know or asked to ride in the back of a van some 10 miles to the put- in spot..and I mean the back..behind the 3rd row seat. However we have not known the Smiths for years, in fact it has been less than two years since our paths first crossed, but the friendship that has formed feels as though it's been a lifetime.
They are the type of friends you can call last minute to help you put together a surprise 18th birthday party for your daughter. (Like..call on Wednesday..party on Friday) Who will play card games deep into the night and listen to your family sing countless verses of Silly Songs with Larry and invite you back. Who will invite you to participate in their annual New Years Eve traditions and not laugh at your poor attempts at Charades. (In our defense....I think some of those titles were made up ;-). ) I imagine you get the picture. Most importantly, they are the sort of friends who will pray for you in your most trying of times and are always ready with a word of encouragement.
The sun did intermingle with some clouds on Saturday, but the rains stayed away and the rafting trip proved to once again be a blast...at least for the elder Smiths and Harts on board! (Thank goodness we've refused to grow up!)