Jenngela Jubilee

September 1st begins Jubilee month,

when Jenn celebrates her September 12th birthday all month long

and I get to tag along for many of the festivities because

we're birthday twins.

Literally born same day, same time.

(3:30 in Los Angeles for me, 5:30 in Chicago for Jenn)

We met as Sophomores in high school, and when we discovered our connection 

decided we must have held hands down from heaven and have been great friends ever since.

Today's activity was kayaking.

The Mercedes did a great job of supporting a two-person kayak and between the four of us we did a great job of getting it off and on the car a total of six times. We're pros now.

Dropped off Heather and Mimi at the dam. 

Jenn and I sat next to the river and chatted on camp chairs,

then 20 minutes later drove to pick them up a ways down the river,

and switched.

After a picnic lunch by the river, (Tetons in the background -- SO gorgeous!)

we drove to Stitch and Leigh Lakes for more kayaking, hiking and portaging.

Mimi and Heather paddled to the end of the Stitch Lake where Jenn and I 

hiked over to meet them to portage over to the less crowded Leigh Lake.

Jenn and I traded spots kayaking around Leigh and meeting up with the other two ladies

 to swim in a secluded cove. The weather is unseasonably hot

and the lakes surprisingly warm! 

Jenn says usually they're in for a dunk and right back out again, 

but we're able to spend time swimming.

After meeting more friendly adventurers, 

we portaged back to Stitch then kayaked back to the main shore. 

Jenn and Mimi went out to a cliff jumping rock, (Jenn jumped) but by then the sun had gone behind the mountains and everything cooled off real quick so Heather and I were content to stay on the shore.

Took the scenic route past Jenny Lake back to the condo.

On the way home we saw bison, elk and antelope.

Such a full day playing on the water -- we didn't get home until after 8:00 p.m.

But the fun didn't end because when I took my bathing suit, I had a LEECH

on the hem of my bikini bottom!

I thought the elastic was bulging out and then it moved and yeah, I flicked it to the floor,

screamed for the girls, and everyone came running to see.

Surprisingly, I'm alive to tell the tale.

All four of us squeezed in the sauna

then ate a late night dinner of nachos, Heather's amazing homemade baked beans and guac

and talked and laughed late into the night again.