June 7, 2026

June 07, 2026

Dearest Elder Isaac,

This week has been an adventure - even more than I expected.

We got new carpet on Monday! It took them all day, but it all got done in 1 day! It looks great, and I'm so pleased with it!
The girls and I went to go see "My Fair Lady" at Hale Monday night. It was FANTASTIC! One of the best performances I've seen there this year.
Lily left for her FSY training on Tuesday.
Dad and I left for the river on Wednesday. We camped at the Boundary Creek Camp before launching Thursday morning. Dad and I drove up with Greg, Kent, and Tyler. Tyler's daughter also came, but she met us at the campground with the rest of our group (Jayson, and Jeremy).
Launch on Thursday took a long time! We got to the launch (which is a GIANT slide that you slide the boat down) around 7:30am but didn't get on the river until about 10:30, I think.
This river is crazy! The rapids start about 100 yards from the launch and don't stop for several miles.
Here's the big adventure of the week. In one of the rapids on the first day (Hell's Half Mile) Dad got injured. The oar hit a rock and jumped back at him and punched him in the ribs. He couldn't breathe very well for a bit and had to row through most of that rapid with only 1 ore (since the other one popped out of the oarlock and was under the boat). I did get the ore back in the ore lock for him, but he was a rockstar in getting us through that rapid while injured with only 1 oar. Plus, the other guys said his line through the rapid was pretty much perfection.
He couldn't row after this injury, though, so we tied Kent's cataraft to the back of our boat and Kent rowed BOTH boats through the rest of the rapids till we got to camp. Pretty impressive! I went on Jayson's boat.
That night in camp we made the decision to get Dad out of there. We arranged for Jayson's brother, LJ, to fly in to row our raft and for Dad and I to fly out the next morning. I am super grateful LJ was able to fly in so I didn't have to pack a raft out. Dad couldn't have helped me carry it, and I'm not sure how I would have done it.
So... we flew out of Indian Creek the next morning. That required rowing about 12 more miles to the camp with an airstrip. Jeremy took over Kent's cataraft, even though he says he isn't a rower. Dad went in Greg's boat, and I went in our boat with Kent at the oars. I am SO grateful for such a great group of people that just stepped in to make sure we were taken care of.
Once we flew out of Indian Creek to McCall, we took LJ's car back to his house in Boise and then rented a car and drove home. We got home about 10pm.
We got Dad into the doctor Saturday morning where they took xrays. Nothing looks broken. But it looks like he has 2 dislocated ribs - sometimes called a slipping rib, where the joint between the cartilage and the rib has been compromised and allows the rib to partially separate from the cartilage and "pop out". It's incredible painful. The doctor said he should be feeling better in a week or so. Shane thought it might be closer to 3 months, so we'll see.
Fast and Testimony meeting today was great! Most of the people who went up were one's we haven't seen in a while. And Gospel Doctrine (which Shane Petersen taught for Dad) was great! I love the stories of Ruth, Hannah, and Samuel!
Other than that, I've been working to get the house put back together. I think I'm pretty much there. I finally got the big mirror hung that goes with the big dresser and headboard in the boys room. Stuff like that.

I am a little sad to be missing out on the last 3/4 of the Middle Fork of the Salmon river, but I am totally confident that we made the right choice. Dad needed to get off the river. I just hope we get to go back someday! It's one of the most beautiful rivers I've ever seen!

Dad and I are headed to Vernal/the Basin for a couple days this week. Dad's cousin GJ's wife, Kandice, passed away unexpectedly last week, so we are going out for the funeral. I am so grateful for the gospel and how it gives perspective to difficulties and trials! Jesus Christ makes ALL the difference.

Love you to the moon and back!

Mom