UPDATE - RAFTING PICTURES

Blue Sky Rafting sent us pictures from our half day adventure down the Clackamas River.  Every member of their staff was polite and courteous, each with their own sense of humor.  Moreover, they were professional and held our safety as their utmost concern. 

Here are some of the pictures that were taken of us.
Our last minute safety instructions....

About half way in the trip, we are in calm water as we approach a bridge and can pose for the camera man on the bridge.

But more adventuresome waters were ahead....

After all that, we all survived---some a little wetter than others--- and no one took the big drink (that is, fell in!).  Blue Sky Rafting is top notch and certainly knows what they are doing!

DAY 11 -THURSDAY

Today is a travel day.  With our flight leaving Seattle at 11:45 this morning (2:45 p.m. Ft. Lauderdale time), we were afforded a little extra sleep.  Most of the kids reported that they were asleep by midnight (which is good for them!).

 

After breakfast we gathered in the lobby at 8:45 a.m. so that the moms could do their last room check of the trip.  They have always managed to find something left behind at each hotel stay.  We were scheduled for the 9:05 airport shuttle.

Since we had a large group going on the airport shuttle, the front desk ordered an extra shuttle bus for us.  It's a good thing---we weren't the only ones headed to the airport.

Our take off from Sea-Tac airport provided us with a spectacular view of Mt. Rainier.

 

 

And now we were buckled in for our 5 hour trip to Houston.  Greeting us as we deplaned in Houston was the heat and humidity we had not experienced since we left Ft. Lauderdale.  In an instant, we knew we weren't on the west coast any longer.

 

 

Our lay over was long enough for some of the kids to grab a snack or sandwich, since our scheduled arrival into Ft. Lauderdale was 11:00 p.m.  In just a few short hours, we were home where smiling parents greeted us at the baggage claim.  There were lots of smiles and hugs!  And just like that, the 2014 Kirk Singer Concert Tour had come to an end.  My special thanks to Lesley Karentz and Karen Woods who were our chaperones for this trip.  They truly made it special and memorable.  Thanks, as always, for your thoughts and prayers.  

DAY 10 - WEDNESDAY

Since we are about 2 hours south of Seattle, we wanted to get an early start to our last full day in the city.  We decided to eat breakfast at the Lodge restaurant this morning so that we wouldn't have to cook, clean, and be on the road by 8:00 a.m.  Our luggage was on the bus by 7:15 a.m. and we enjoyed a country breakfast of eggs, bacon, sausage, hash browns, juice, and coffee.  The folks at Copper Creek Restaurant were very accommodating to us and we practically had the place to ourselves.

We said our goodbyes to Copper Creek Inn and Mt. Rainier and headed north to Seattle.

Our first stop this morning is the Seattle Aquarium, a destination that was included on our Seattle City Pass.  It's a great aquarium with indoor and outdoor exhibits of anything that lives in the sea or even flies near it.

 

After our visit, it was time for lunch.  The kids wanted to spend more time at Pike Street Market, so we headed there. 
 

 

The underclassmen would eat lunch here while I took the Seniors to the top of the Space Needle for lunch.  We hopped into a couple of cabs and made it to the Space Needle in time for our 1:00 p.m. reservation.
 

 

 

We had a great table right next to the window and in 49 minutes we would make a complete revolution.  We had a great table with a panoramic view.  The sun even managed to make an appearance which made everything look more beautiful!

 

We enjoyed a delicious lunch together and the Seniors shared with each other their experiences in Kirk Singers and the music ministry at First Presbyterian Church.  They expressed their love and appreciation for the Kirk Singers and their church.  They also shared their upcoming plans for school in the Fall.  I made sure to invite them to join the Kirk Singers and other alumni at the 10:00 p.m. Christmas Eve service.  These Seniors will be the "freshman" alumni at that service!

 

 

After lunch, the Seniors and I walked back to the Pike Street Market to meet up with the rest of the group.  Once everyone was accounted for, we headed to our rendezvous point to meet the bus.  Now it was on to our last hotel of the tour, the Seattle Airport Hilton, where we would have our Farewell Dinner.  We arrived at the hotel a little after 4:00 p.m. which would give everyone enough time to get ready for our dinner, which was scheduled at 6:00 p.m.  As one of the kids had to fly back home tonight (he has an early morning flight out of Ft. Lauderdale on Friday), an impromptu ceremony was held in the lobby.  This ceremony was the passing the "tenor horn" from senior Mason Woods to Freshman Elliot Mahon.  It was a brief but touching ceremony and may not have made sense to other visitors at the hotel.

 

 

It was now 6:00 p.m. and time for the Farewell Dinner.

 

 

 



We had our own private room for the evening.  The food was outstanding, complete with a salads, vegetables, and chicken, beef, and fish.

 

After dinner, the Seniors gave their speeches, addressing each member of the group.  Then it was time for dessert.

Here are the Seniors....

The "angel" Juniors....

The Sophomores.....

And the Freshman (minus Elliot)...

After such a great evening, there was a little time for the kids to relax and enjoy the outdoor pool and spa.  Then it was everyone in their rooms for the evening, our last overnight of this tour.  Everything has gone very well. We're grateful for our Seniors as well as all the underclassmen.  Thanks for your thoughts and prayers.  Tomorrow we fly back to Fort Lauderdale.  It will be a long day, so we need a good night's rest.

DAY 9 - TUESDAY

After a long day yesterday, our schedule was more relaxed for today.  Breakfast started around 9:00 a.m. and the kids ate as they woke up.  The moms made a delicious breakfast of sausage and eggs.  We're scheduled to meet the bus at 1:30 p.m. to take us into Mt. Rainier National Park.  Not know how long we would be, we decided to have lunch before we left.  That meant that the "mom crew" turned right around and started preparing lunch of homemade chicken soup with grilled ham and cheese sandwiches.  Some of the girls pitched in to help prepare the sandwiches.

 

 

.....while others found the calling of the hot tub irresistible....

 

 

 

After lunch we hopped on the bus and began the journey up the winding mountain road toward the Paradise Ranger Station in Mt. Rainier National Park.  The left side of the bus saw nothing but a mountain wall while the left side had a great scenic view of mountains, trees, and a stream.

 

 

 

 

Once at the station (5,420 feet in elevation), the kids saw a mountain of snow and they were like kids on Christmas morning.  They all climbed the hill and disappeared as they went running and jumping in the snow.  

 

 

 

The bus drivers and adults stayed behind and went for the warmer clime of the visitor center (and gift shop, of course).

 

Inside the visitor center was a sign listing the current conditions.

The kids returned at the designated time, and they were wet ("didn't know snow was wet") and cold.  They had some time to warm up in the visitors' center before we returned back to the lodge.

Upon returning to the lodge, it was time to begin preparing for dinner.  Tonight's menu: chicken piccata, rice pilaf, steamed broccoli, salad, garlic bread, and a peach cobbler for dessert.  (Are you getting hungry?!?)

Some of the kids helped with dinner prep while others worked on their "roasts" of the seniors which would take place after dinner.  Seniors, meanwhile, worked on their speeches for the Farewell Dinner on Wednesday.  We invited our bus drivers to join us for dinner and to celebrate one of the drivers' birthday.

After dinner, some helped with clean up...

...while others reviewed their notes for the senior roast.

The underclassmen did a great job of roasting each of the seniors.  It was a lot of laughs.  After the roast, it was time for some of that delicious homemade peach cobbler (made from fresh, not canned, peaches!).  It was sooooo good!!!

No leftovers of the cobbler!

 

We figured our ride into Seattle tomorrow would be about 2 hours, so that meant an early wake up call so that we could be on the road by 8:00 a.m. 

 

What a great day of fun, food, and enjoying the beauty of God's creation.  We are all safe and blessed.  Thanks for your continued thoughts and prayers.