How to convince your Wife...

River's First River Trip 1-yr old

I love the river. It brings peace, focus, and clarity. Kass relented to go for 6 days on the San Juan River (Sand Island to Clay Hills) with our first daughter River at the age of "1".  River is now "3" and has since logged over 30 days on the river and has never died, not even once.

Sloane Byrd was born in February this year. Since then I have tried to get Kass to break her "line in the sand" of  one-year-old for taking kids down the river. She thinks it is dangerous.

My sister Meg is in town from Hawaii and wanted to go on a river trip. We planned to run the Moab daily the day after my youngest sister "Ali" was married. My whole family was set to go. Somebody would stay at camp and play on the beach with Sloane while everybody else went on the river.

Kathryn broke her foot 2 1/2 months ago. She has been non-weight-bearing all summer and has missed out on everything fun. We had an x-ray appointment the morning of the trip. At the doctor's office we found the bone was starting to heal. She could finally start putting weight on the foot, she even got a stylish new "post-op" shoe. She was ecstatic, the situation was perfect.

Conversation to Moab:
Me: Last night at work I was talking to my co-workers about going on river trips with kids, they think I am crazy.
Kass: Most people do.
Me: I told them that you had a one year rule for our kids to go on the river.
Kass: Sloane can't go on the river.
Me: I was just thinking though, just hear me out, no pressure, just a thought, just listen for a second.
Me:  The difference between a 6-month old and a 1-year-old on the river is nothing. Both of them are in danger, it is not like a 1-year-old can fight the current or swim any better than a 6-month-old. Sloane is bigger than river was at 6-months and already fits her life-jacket. A 6-month old would probably be safer because she wouldn't fight so much and would let the life jacket do its job. If sloane went you wouldn't have to sit at the hot beach in 110 degree heat, that would be boring. Your foot is getting better. You have not been able to do anything for months, it will be fun...

 Sloane's First River Trip 6-months-old

Am I crazy?