Adventures on the River

Finally! We went whitewater rafting down the Ocoee! It truly was a BLAST! Our guide was good (although I still think he was too skinny to lift any of us back into the raft if we had fallen) and not a single one of us fell out of the boat! Which was very important to me. Ha! Josh & Kevin were our paddlers at the front of the boat, dad & Audrey were in the middle and then Jaclyn & I were at the back with our guide. We managed to do so well through the rapids that our guide was actually getting us to paddle opposite directions so that our boat would spin in circles as we went through the rapids. Now that was cool! We all got soaking wet and actually me, Josh & Audrey jumped in the water for a short swim. Our guide did a couple of show off moves, including one where he jumped on to a large rock as we went by it and then ran up the rock and jumped off into the water beside us. All that excitement made the time on the water go by so quick! I think next time we’ll do a full day down the river and do the Upper & Middle Ocoee. I also want to take the kids down the Hiwasee. They’d enjoy that I’m sure. Here’s a couple of pictures we managed to get:

Also, on Sunday I was watching a little bit of the Travel Channel and on Samantha Brown’s Great Weekends she was in the Smoky Mountains where she was going…what else… whitewater rafting! AND, she was using the same company we used! Of course she was on the Nantahala though. Next year I think Josh & I with some of his friends are going to go on the Nantahala.
Here’s one I found of Samantha…

Aug. 27th 2009-
But those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.
-Isaiah 40:31

Whitewater & Fine Art

Wow, it’s been 2 weeks since I blogged. Plenty has happened since then, so I’ll sum most of it up. My birthday was good. It was on a Thursday, so of course I worked all day. Josh did really good. I love to scrapbook, but haven’t been able to afford a large tote for all my stuff, so that’s what he got me! (Good job hubby!) Friday, my girlfriends and I went out to eat after work. Obviously, it’s hard to beat a night of good food and even better friends (okay, so-so food & really great friends).

Then there was last Friday night when Josh, my friend Bonnie & I all went to the final Art on the Rocks at the Birmingham Museum of Art. This was so fun! Bonnie and I made some new friends (and after our 2nd glass of wine we realized that all of our names end with the E sound…Cyndi, Candi, Jennie & Bonnie…wow). We also did a museum scavenger hunt where the prize was a piece of jewelry from Bromberg’s. We didn’t win, but we sure did have a good time hunting. Then we ended up at Speakeasy where Bonnie was meeting a friend. We stayed for awhile and talked, but we rarely stay up late anymore, so we had to leave and go home to bed.

this is us at Speakeasy AFTER Art on the Rocks.

This weekend is going to be great too! One of the things that I wanted for my birthday was to go whitewater rafting, since I’ve never been. So Saturday morning me, Josh, my dad, Audrey, Jac & Kevin are all going to meet up and go rafting down the Ocoee. We’re using the Nantahala Outdoor Center right outside Cleveland, TN. I can’t wait!!

Aug. 20th 2009-

Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear - not absence of fear.

-Mark Twain

One last party

UUGGHH...I love birthday's, but I have a feeling that I'm done enjoying mine. I've got mixed feelings about turning 29. Sure they're saying 30 is the new 20, but who are they kidding?! If I ever see some 30 year old acting like they're 20 I'd laugh! So, anyway...29 years ago at 1:12 a.m. (sorry mom) on Thursday, Aug 6th I was born at Brookwood Hospital. Well, at least I have dinner with the ladies to look forward to on Friday. And lunch with my family this weekend. It'll be good. I guess I just need to enjoy the last 365 days that I have left as a twenty-something and prepare myself for true adulthood...THE 30's!! LOL!!

Aug. 4th 2009-
A diplomat is a man who remembers a ladies birthday, but never remembers her age.
-Robert Frost