goodbye, twenty-nine

I have always wanted to do something new & exciting for my thirtieth birthday- and leaned alot towards skydiving. Since we didn't prepare properly for that, Char and I thought of deep sea fishing. I'm not a huge lover of fishing, but I do enjoy water, the outdoors, eating fish, and trying something new. Unfortunately, we had miscommunication problems, and that, too was eliminated.

So, on my "big-3-0" (thank you, Dad!), and after a few frustrated tears, we jumped in the car for a spur-of-the-moment ride an hour and a half north to the Ravine Waterpark. We had passed it many times and always thought it looked fun... plus, I have never been on a water slide.

I have come to the conclusion I am not a water slide person, per say. I loved the inner tube rides and could've easily spent the entire day on those. However, see the pic below? The green one was my first ride- straight down with a wedgy- producing stop... oy! And the blue and yellow one? After watching many a people (including Char a few times) go down it, I'd decided I'm probably not going to like that one, either. But as we were walking past it on the way to our car, Char talked me into doing it on the account that "we might never make it back here, you'll only turn thirty once, and you'll regret you didn't go on all the rides". True. So I paired up with another lady on the stairs and we bravely encouraged each other up and through the line (she didn't want to do it either =]).

My turn. I lay at the top and as I go down the tube part, I pick up so much speed I can't keep my head tucked and hit my head on every. seam. possible. See the bowl at the bottom? It's called the toilet bowl. It's open on top with a hole in the bottom. I shoot out into the toilet bowl, still hitting every seam, mind you, and go around and around the bowl until... I almost come to a complete stop. Oy! My body inches forward. Finally, I encounter the stream of water which shoves me to the hole... only I'm facing the wrong way and it forces me through the hole, belly flop style. Double Oy!

Not graceful at all! I chuckle to think what the line of people on top saw since they have a view of the bowl and the flop. All I know, is when I came up from the pool below, my guys and the above- mentioned new "friend" were all waiting and watching my hilarious flush =] All I can say is I did it and I didn't turn chicken on my thirtieth =]

Zeke loved the slides!

We couldn't in good conscience drive home without stopping at the Lowe's there (we so wish we could have one closer!) and picking up a few good deals for the house =]

Twenty-nine was a year of growing, learning, and yielding... I'm glad I went through it, but I'm looking forward to the new allotment of 365 days =]