Ridin' Wild at Slidewaters

I have an outrageous number of water park pictures...and some of these just crack me up.  It's hard to believe that all of us rode the same rides.  (Do you ride a ride at a water park?  That sounds all wrong.  I guess you go on a ride.  Or go down a slide.  Or whatever.  It's Friday night.  I'm tired.  I'm easily distracted when I'm tired.  Actually I'm just easily distracted.  Period.)

ANYWHO!!!  Back to what I was saying.  I love how these pictures show the personalities of all involved.  Some shots were not captured, so I regret to not be able to show you the shot of Brad and I coming out on a double tube, flipping in the air and landing upside down underwater.  Oh, you know the way that did NOT thrill me.  Brad and Alex assured me that being on the front of the tube is great.  I so easily forget that their idea of great and my idea of great are not the same idea.  And how easily they forget, too.  I think they both harbor a quiet hope that one of these times I'll come up from under the water, sputtering and stumbling and say, "WOW!!  That was GREAT!  Can we do it again???"  Silly boys.

So here's the recap of our great day at the water park:

this is the view from the top of the body slides.  beautiful...

Now, for the people shooting down the slides: please note the looks of utter delight on their faces.  Please also note the way they are laying down, to achieve the greatest speed...

Amanda, a beautiful smile,

Emily, a beautiful smile,

My beautiful Brenna, a beautiful smile,

And then there's Alex...

And Brad...

And here I finally come.  I'm trying my best to put on a big smile.  And note that I am sitting up ram-rod straight, trying not to gain the most speed, but to stay in the most control.

And then Emily plops into the pool, still smiling!

And now we will move onto The Downhill Racers!  This is one that took me forever to build up the courage to ride last year.  This year I knew exactly what to expect, which is exactly what I prefer to know.  So I got into it right from the beginning, and was determined to make it further than the last finish line.  I kept being told, "It's all technique!"  And the lifeguards even got into the teaching mode, trying to coach me on "the technique".  Well, I'm proud to say that after going down more than 20 times, I finally got it figured out!!  And you know what was slowing me down?  I was keeping my head way up so I could keep my eyes on where I was going.  Right before my last run, the lifeguard told me to try to put my head down behind the mat and to just trust that I'd go the right way.  He told me, "You can look at the finish line after you finish."  Hmm.  Good advice, huh?!  So I tried it, and I sailed right past the 3rd finish!  Woo-hoo for me!!

me, Amanda and Brenna ready for the first run

coasting into the finish...

looking up at the finish, too soon

A few minutes after this shot was when I finally made it all the way down!

Jack, Alex, and Thomas.  I love how much air Alex gets on his decent!

And finally, some shots of the the River Rapids.  Oh, my.  This one was new to me this year.  It was a wild ride, for sure.  I kept getting stuck in all the "pools" on the way down, and needed assistance just about every time.  Even from small children.  Who weren't even mine.  And I love, love, love the different expressions on the faces:  serene smiles, panicked excitement...we had it all:

Alex, preparing to throw himself down the final slope...

Beth, gliding down gracefully...

Emily, trying the backwards approach...

Amanda, taking the serene journey...

Now here we go.  This is one of the times I was stuck, that Brad so kindly captured on film.  Please notice the oh-so-kind 5-year old who tried valiantly to come to my rescue.  That's some fine husband material, if any 5-year old girls are looking:

Bless him, look how hard he's trying to throw me down that cliff...

And here's the evidence that it was a wild drop to the bottom:

And now I offer photographic evidence that the ever-so-sweet Brenna is truly my child:

'nuff said!

Next a break for the hot tub:

Scattered throughout all this fun there were the wild double tubes that sent me a-flying.  Here are pictures of those who enjoyed that part:

Like father, like son...

Like big boy, like little boy...

Even Amanda and Brenna!

I do love Brenna's expression in this picture!

At one point in the day, Brad and I sat on the edge of the pool and watched Beth try (quite successfully!) to swim against the current.  It makes us smile.  And it makes us remember how beautiful the simple moments are.  We never take them for granted.

"He has made everything beautiful in its time..." Ecc. 3:11

And this is a beautiful time, sweet girl...

and this is what exhaustion looks like at the end of a fabulous day!