Adventure 17 – DC by Segway

1600 Pennsylvania Avenue

How many times can you tell an Adventure Girl that we will be naked on an adventure and have her fall for it?  What number adventure are we are on? 17?  Ok, then 17 times.  This adventure was Tina’s choice and I know figuring out what to do was stressing her out.  In the end, she chose the Segway tour and I am so happy she did!  She thought the girls may think it was not adventurous enough, but I want to be clear on one thing.  If it is something that pulls us away from laundry and driving our children to sports practices, encourages us to take a moment to nurture our friendships by trying something new then that is all the adventure we need.  PLUS, Tina drove in DC….with Kat holding the GPS.  Adventure in itself.

Instructional Videos and Bathroom Breaks

Once again, we had to watch an instructional video that outlines all the ways you can die while on the adventure.  At least this time they used stick figures to show the many ways you could crack your head open.  This actually gave me great confidence.  Obviously, real people couldn’t fall off or they would have used actors to demonstrate, right?  But, my over-analyzing mind then took a sharp left turn.  What if they didn’t show REAL people because the results of the fall would be so graphic that you would ask for a refund and run like the wind?  So….when I get nervous I pee.   I walked into the bathroom and I caught the tail end of a conversation between two girls that would be joining our group.

Girl 1: In stall and I couldn’t hear what she said.

Girl 2:  Washing her hands says “Don’t be mean.”

It made me giggle because I was sure they were talking about us.  Here are some of things I thought Girl 1 may have said.  ”Can those girls be any louder?”  “Can you believe we are going to have to spend 2 hours with those sorority girls?” “How many times is that girl with the black hair going to have to pee?”   In the end, I hope we won over the two Brooklyn Girls that were thrown into our madness.  And since they asked for our blog address I hope they comment on what was actually said before I walked in on their conversation.

Are you ladies ready? 

It was time for our hands on lesson.  Our guide, Julie, could not have been more patient and kind if she tried.  She reminded me so much of my dear, sweet Colleen Margiloff that I felt so at ease.  UNTIL, it was my turn.  One by one, my adventure girls stepped on their segways and one by one, they rocked it.  It definitely takes a little getting used to and I think it is a wonderful workout because of the sheer amount of butt-clenching.  As always, certain people shine when it comes to ability.  Tina, Maryhelen, Suzy, Heather.  And then there is Patty and Kat.  And actually I shouldn’t include Patty.  I am the only one that fell off during the training.

It was time to hit the streets.  After navigating our first ramp, we were off.  Because DC doesn’t allow segways on sidewalks we had to follow our fearless leader and “drive” alongside the DC traffic.  And Tina was nervous this wasn’t going to be adventurous enough.  You could probably guess who brought up the rear.  Patty and I were lagging behind and that proved to be a bit scary as we watched the crosswalk timer expire to its last few seconds while we were still attempting to cross the road.  Add to that our nervous laughter and it is a wonder we weren’t taken down by a Prius.

We continued on from monument to monument stopping at various locations to hear a story or two from Julie.  She is an excellent story teller.  My favorite was a stop at the Blair House where she told a story about Boris Yeltsin wanting to leave the quarters for an American Style Cheeseburger.  Apparently after a few two many vodkas he snuck out of the Blair House through a window to find a burger joint, but was quickly wrestled to the ground by secret service.  Kindly, they had the on-site chef make him one.  And it was also at that moment that we decided we were going to eat burgers for lunch.  We are always worried about the food.

We made it to the Lincoln Memorial and we were allowed to get off the segways for a closer look.  We were given 12 minutes.  This was the perfect moment for a few photo-ops.  Our Brooklyn girls were so kind to help us with our first one.  Isn’t our beloved city so beautiful?

But, then we wanted a photo with Lincoln in the background and “The Brooklyns” were nowhere to be found.  So we attempted to take a selfie. After a million tries we had Success!  Until we realized that we forgot to include ‘ol Abe.  Here is our “successful” pic.  Sometimes I wonder about us.  I think if Kelly had been here this wouldn’t have happened.

Finally, logic struck one of us and we looked around.  Realizing there were hundreds of people surrounding us we decided to ask one kind looking woman to take our photo.  Here is what using your brain looks like, folks.

Maryhelen. The only title needed for this paragraph.  You are already laughing, I know.

It was finally time to make the last 5 minute trek back to the office.  We hopped back on the segways one by one.   We were all kind of staying put when Maryhelen, looked back and said, “See ya, ladies” and took off!  We all had helmets on and she took off so fast that the bottom of her hair was flapping up from the bottom.  It is so hard to describe, but I can’t stop laughing at the visual. The way she looked back and shouted the see ya still has me in hysterics.  We all followed suit and started tooling around the courtyard area.  Julie, ever so patiently, asks us all if we are ready and to please make our way back to her.  She says the following, “I know we are at the point of our tour where you all feel like pros and you are!  But, this is also when most accidents happen.  Let’s be careful and make our way safely back to the office.”  A few minutes later Maryhelen pulls up next to us and says, “Do you think that convo was directed at me. I think it was, do you?”  Umm, yes, Mario we do.  I wish I had the take-off on video, but here is our big attempt at breaking the rules with Maryhelen.    You can hear Julie’s sweet voice at the end telling us to gather around.  LOL.

What a great day!  We ended it with a trip to BTS.  A great burger joint recommended by Julie.  Boris would have loved it.  There were vodka-infused milk shakes on the menu.  Also, while eating we were reminded of how much we are needed at home.  One by one, we received calls and texts from home with our men needing our help.  The calls ranged from, “I was supposed to be home for daughter at what time? Oops” to “I need you to take a gander at my head when you get home.  I accidentally hit it with an ax.”  I am NOT kidding.  I love our guys.  Thanks for holding down the fort for us while we are away….kind of.

Here we are, including our Brooklyn girls, with our segways.  They were all named by the way, Crazy Eddie, Blackjack, Scareforce One, etc.  I miss those guys.  Acting like tourists is so much more fun while traveling 12 miles an hour.  THANK YOU, Tina and City Segway tours!!!  Visit them and ask for Julie.  You won’t be disappointed. http://citysegwaytours.com/

A few more pictures of the day!  I love living near DC.  It is so much fun.

Thanks to Our Brooklyn Girls!

Beautiful Washington Monument

Adventure #16 – Polo Lessons

There is something about the outside of a horse that is good for the inside of a man.  ~Winston Churchill

Hiatus OVER!

If you follow our little blog you may have noticed we have been on a bit of a hiatus.   We are a strong, collective group of 10.  When Tracy and Kelly both moved away from the area we took it hard.  There have been times when one or two of us couldn’t make it to an adventure for one reason or another, but this was different.  The dynamic had changed a bit.  We all bring something wonderful to the group and when one or two are missing it is not easy.  Life moved on and we all have been dealt a few blows this past year.  That didn’t make it any easier.  But, it was time to get back on the saddle . So I thought what better way to get back on the saddle than to ACTUALLY get on the saddle….with mallets and lots o’balls.  POLO balls, you dirty birds.

I can’t even remember how I landed on Polo lessons for Adventure #16.  I always try to choose adventures that I know will give me butterflies and scare me silly.  I also knew from conversations with the girls through the years that it would stretch them, as well.

Phone Calls to Columbia

I am a bit of an over-planner.  I was relentless with my emails and phone calls to the instructor.  “Will there be enough horses?”  “We are all beginners, just so you know.”  “Are tennis shoes ok?”  “Do you think we will be ok?”  You get the picture.  My emails and phone calls were either not answered or I was sent a curt, “Yes, no or maybe.”  One time I called her and she was in Columbia.  She said, “I can’t hear you.”  dial tone.  I was a little nervous about what it would be like when we got there.   I will not go into too many details because in the end we left happy and fulfilled.  And to be perfectly honest,  I am scared out of my ever-loving mind that I will get my clock rung if I share the details.  Let’s just say she is tough.

Helmet Sqeevies

Patty doesn’t like lice. She now comes equipped with a beanie to put on her head just in case there is a helmet involved.  And the helmets…oh my word.  If you were there you would think we were picking out our dresses for the Golden Globes.  Those late to the helmet wall were left with the football helmets.  Once our heads were fashionably outfitted we were told to head to the barn and pick out a horse.  Tina and I were both a bit nervous so we asked for the calm, less frisky horses.  One of us got our wish and one of us did not. One guess who was saddled with “Horny Henry.”   Check out Tina and Heather trying to figure out the helmet cam, mainly to see the football helmet.

Stacy Lays Down the Law

Stacy was given a horse that just wasn’t feeling like being a good girl.  She took off running a few minutes into our lesson.  Stacy was not down with that.  She let us know she was calling it quits.  We looked over and said an encouraging, “You can do this.”  I was riding next to her and if there is one thing I have learned about Stacy through the years it is this; she says what she means and she means what she says.  She was done.  For the record, I would have been, as well.  That horse was not having any of this polo nonsense. Later that same day when Stacy showed the videos to her husband he laughed and said something along the lines of, “Are you sure those aren’t camels?  They are awfully slow.”  Oh Phil…I oughta….

It looks easy, folks.  It is not.  I have so much more respect for riders now, including my own daughter. But, to every cloud there is a silver lining.  If Stacy had not jumped off that horse we would not have this video footage.  You know the saying, “I can’t make this stuff up.”   Just focus on the audio…especially the last few seconds.  Can you take it? I can’t. stop. laughing.

Despite the “tough love” we felt ready to move to the outdoor arena.  I think Tina and Patty thought it was a lake at first?  In their defense Stacy has a watering eye and Patty is in her 40′s now.

Here we are heading to the “lake!”

Ohhh….they are supposed to all go in the same direction. Yay, that’s not going to happen.

…and it didn’t. But, we actually learned to whack those balls.  My horsey was as sweet as could be, but was smitten with Suzy’s horse.  He showed his affection by doing the following:  showing aggression, sniffing her butt, pooping as she walked by, attempting to eat that poop when she rounded back around.  I miss him.

Once again, Kelly and Maryhelen led the pack.  Kelly was kind of a big deal.  She not only hit all of the balls, but they went further than a foot.  This isn’t the first time she has showed us all up.  Remember the cave where she scaled the walls?   Maryhelen wanted to trot towards the end of the lesson.  Our instructor let us know she would think about it.  I think right about now she is thinking, “Oh shoot, I forgot to let the skinny girl trot.”

I saw this beautiful quote and picture about friendship and had to share.

It made me so happy and laugh at the same time.  I thought of the kitty with the missing tail on the farm and Stacy’s horse.  I wonder if they would smooch like that?

Sweet little kitty.

They will never tear us apart

I do know one thing.  There is NO WAY I can ever go as long as we did between visits.  I feel so inspired and feel like I am walking on air for days after spending the day with them. I realize that one day our bodies will scream, ENOUGH!  But, we will find a way to adventure together.  Maybe Tina’s dream of going in topless in public will come true.  That shouldn’t be strenuous at age 80, right?  Tina, in 2053, I will make that happen for you.

All joking aside…thank you to our tough love instructor.  She was hard-core, but she helped us overcome a few more fears.

Here we are….the 2013 Polo Champions of the World.

This picture of Stacy cracks me up.

Our instructor discussed with us how a horse can help with anxiety and depression. You could tell that she adored her horses and knew they were capable of doing so much more than just carry us from one place to another.   I can totally see that.  After the initial fear subsided I did feel sense of calm.

Until next time, my beautiful equestrians.   Next up!  Tina.  Can’t wait to find out what Spunky has planned for us in May.

One last thing: Lisa is a rockstar.  Despite foot injury and surgery she still got on the horse.  My girls are strong mammajammas.

A few more videos…

 

Adventure #15-Aerial Adventure

All harnessed in and ready for adventure

It was different this time.  We all knew what we were doing.  There was no surprise, no uncertainty of what clothing we should wear, no fear of the unknown….yet.  We met up at 9 AM in Sterling to make the hour drive to Harpers Ferry, WV.  If the place sounds familiar, it is just that.  We had our first adventure in the exact same spot two and a half years ago.  Remember white water rafting?  We should have known this one would test us.  For some reason, I was not worried at all. I know, crazy.  That changed.  I am certain that does not shock you.  The drive was everything it always is for us. Therapeutic and hilarious.  We were sad that Tracy, Stacy, Maryhelen and Kelly could not join us.  Our kids are getting older and a couple of their children had birthdays and the Army took our Tracy all the way to Tennessee.  We considered this an adventure between adventures because four of our compadres were missing.  Tina brought her helmet cam this time and here is a little video of her testing it out on our car ride.  Notice I am in the middle so I can easily see the scary bridges and speed limit signs.

Why, Beyonce, Why?

I am quite certain it was Patty that sang the first couple of bars of Irreplaceable.  “To the left, to the left everything you own in a box to the left.”  I spent the next 7 hours trying to remember if the next line was, “in the garage, that’s my stuff.”  I even swore up and down that was the next line.  Cut to my parents house later that night when my sisters googled it for me.  Beyonce’s stuff was actually in the closet, not the garage.  Sorry, I was so insistent.  I was wrong.  Moving on.

Our Bodies, Ourselves. We are all unique.

Once we all paid and Tina bought her 100th snack (peanuts) we walked over to where our “costumes” for this adventure were laid out.  We pulled our harnesses up and were told to tighten.  My harness was not feeling “right” on my lady parts.  I asked the girls if they were having the same problem.  They all seemed fine.  I used this as a teaching moment.  “Some of us just may be set up differently.”  I was feeling more than a little unique, but about 20 minutes later was relieved to find out that most of the girls were set up just like me!  The take away:  Man made harness.  Another take away: the new rule of not smiling on drivers license pictures makes Tina look like a fugitive.

Spunky Tate goes Lohan on us.

Here we go again…on our own?

We have never been guide-less.  We have always had some guy (usually pretty darn good looking) guiding us through our adventure.  This time we were treated to a 5 minute class of safety.  We were not allowed to practice because 20 five year olds had recently jumped on the wires.  We were confused, but didn’t question.  We knew Heather was listening and would remember….or would she?  There really was a lot to remember and we knew we were in for a definite challenge having only ourselves to rely on this time.  We were given two choices.  Easy course or intermediate.  If we completed the intermediate we could move to black diamond.  We had two hours to complete what we were able.  We decided immediately to do the intermediate.  Wait, allow me to edit that.  Everyone, BUT Patty and I, decided on the intermediate.

Ladders, ropes, wires…oh my.

Only three people were allowed on each canopy at once so we split into two groups of three.  Lisa, Heather and myself were first.  We climbed up the first tree and stood on the canopy.  The canopy is a teeny, tiny piece of wood wrapped around the tree.  The first obstacle was pretty simple and low to the ground.  We had two wires to hold on to and we just had to walk across the log to the next canopy.  From there it was two hours of pain, of struggle, of fun and eventually accomplishment.

Is this thing on?

How many adventure girls does it take to put on a helmet cam?  This made me laugh so hard.  This is so who we are in a nutshell.  Helpful, dependant on one another, and most of the time coming in at a solid 7 on the clueless scale.  It never stops us, though.  We always have someone who knows something and we are a perfect fit for one another.  My favorite line in this clip?  Tina asking Patty, “Is this centered mama?”  Funny yes, but funnier because of the cock-eyed helmet on Patty’s head.

It’s gonna hurt.

Heather was our fearless first, AGAIN.  Lisa and I followed her lead and passed along the instructions to Patty, Suzy and Tina for the second obstacle.  Basically, we said “The wires will tear into your skin and you will feel like death is knocking on your door, but hold on tight anyway.” Of course they rocked it.  But a few obstacles later we were facing the obstacle that almost broke Heather, Lisa and I.  The TIGHTROPE.

Barnum and Bailey will not be calling anytime soon.

Heather was first and looked like a pro.  We all continued to talk and watched as Heather methodically made her way across the tightrope obstacle.  It wasn’t until she made it to the other side that we realized the magnitude of this particular one.  She looked over at us and said, “That was the hardest thing I have ever had to do. ever.”  Let me put it to you like this.  Heather is a bada&*.  When she says something is difficult I hyperventilate.  Lisa went next and made it to the other side…barely.  It was excruciating to watch and not be able to help….we were all clipped to trees for crying out loud.  I was next and I am sure you can guess what happened….I fell.  My big ol’ butt landed on the tight rope wire and wrapped around it for dear life.  Who knew my bootie had survival instincts?  I was scared out of my mind, but finally pushed myself off of the tight rope wire and used my hands to shimmy over to the other side.  I am so thankful for the encouraging words.  Patty, Tina and Suzy watched from the other canopy and had the good sense to treat this obstacle as a zipline.  Why in the world did we not think of this?  We were watching from the other canopy in disbelief that we were stripped of our skin…and dignity, when we could have just gone for a ride.

Proof of Body Damage

Where is the ground?

We continued through the course and had so much fun.  This was quite possibly one of the most challenging adventures, but it was a beautiful day and once again we pushed ourselves beyond what we thought possible.  My husband said, after hearing a recap of the day, “your next adventure should be a group massage and wine tasting. You all deserve a little downtime.”   I am down with downtime.  Please enjoy a video of our day by way of Tina’s head.  I hope it inspires all of you to get out there with good friends and LIVE LIFE…no matter how high the obstacle may seem I promise  your friends will be there to break your fall…or your a$* will.  Either way, YOU CAN DO IT!!!

Also, I promise Suzy wasn’t the only one that completed this adventure.  She was just right before Helmet Cam Tina so most of the footage is of her.  Thank goodness….she is fearless so pretend that is what we ALL looked like…:)

Adventure #14-Sailing and Operation Surprise the Pink Killa!

RACHEL GREEN AND LITTLE WHITE LIES

Kelly and I planned Adventure #14 and we quickly decided on sailing.  My husband had taken lessons before so I knew (or so I assumed) it would be challenging.  I gave the girls one clue and that was Rachel Green.  Well, I did also tell them to get brazilion waxes.  But that was just to confuse and terrorize. I only get the opportunity once a year to put them through the torture I put myself through before each and every adventure.  I ran with it!  I sent them a youtube video of Rachel Green singing in her apartment nakie.  Remember that episode?  While I wasn’t thinking up new ways to scare my sweet girls I was busy scheming with Patty’s husband Jamie.  He was throwing her a surprise 40th birthday party the day of our adventure.  It was crucial we planned everything down to the minute.  The plan was to meet at Pattys on Adventure Day so it was not odd that we would need to get back to her house after the adventure.  We were to leave no later than 9:40 AM so our paths didn’t cross with The Margarita Man.   To tell the girls what we were doing, Kelly and I showed the video clip of the Friends episode where Joey and Rachel go sailing.  See, I wasn’t COMPLETELY lying.  Rachel Green was a valid clue.

SUZY’S HAIR ALMOST TOOK THE OPERATION DOWN!

After we showed the girls the video clip we knew we had to get on the road.  Patty’s husband, Jamie, had a party to set up.  As we were walking out the door Suzy casually asked Patty for a hair tie.  Patty went upstairs to find one for her and was taking FOREVA!  Beads of sweat started to form on Jamie’s head.  I yelled up to Patty that we were just going to wait outside for her.  Patty finally arrived with hair tie in hand and we hit the road….JUST IN TIME.  Jamie said a few minutes after we left the Margarita Man arrived.  Phew.

Side note:  Suzy NEVER used the hair tie.  Proof below.

Suzy’s Wild and Sexy Hair (Can you tell I am envious?)

EVERYTHING LITTLE THING IS GONNA BE ALRIGHT

We arrived to Belle Haven Marina and we were all surprised by what we found.  Reggae music and bare feet.  This was my first clue that this adventure was not going to be as challenging as I thought.  My second clue?  Our “sailing class” lasted all of 5 minutes and 3 minutes of that were spent explaining our adventure group to the instructors.  I am not sure, but I think they may have taken one look at my baby blue Keds and realized that we (I) were (was) in over our (my) head.

Our Five Minute Class

AOT, ya’ll.

We had to seperate into two boats.  I tried to put my best rushers in the boat with Kelly.  She was the only DZ able to make this adventure so I thought if this was our only opportunity to sway her over to the KD side I was going to pull out the big guns!  I am not going to say what happened, but she was asking a lot of questions about frogs, daggers and white roses later that day.  We sure did miss Stacy and Heather!

She looks beautiful. Must have been taken right after initiation.

OLD LADIES SHOULD NOT SAIL BOATS

Well, I was right.  This turned out to be the most relaxing adventure we have ever been on.  Although, our instructors did allow each of us us to steer the boat.  Sometimes it went well: Tracy.  Sometimes it didn’t: Tina, Patty, Kat. Here is a quick video to illustrate what happens when an instructor gives a “screamer” the till?  jib? jab?  Whatever it was named it sometimes made the boat rock? tilt? capsize?  You be the judge.

Other things heard on the boats:

Instructor: oohh…we just hit the bottom.

Patty:  The bottom of WHAT?

Instructor:  The bottom of the river….ok grab the jib-jab and pull.

Kat:  ***crickets.***hands over ears.  If I can’t hear anything it is not happening.

Turns out this happens quite often, is not a big deal and we looked like complete newbies.  Nothing will ever change.

One more convo worth repeating, although I am trying desperately to put it out of mind.

Kat:  We are having our 20th High School reunion next month.

Instructor:  So that would be class of 92?  Man, I thought you all were a lot older than that?

Kat: What the HAIL?

Tracy:   That is something you should have probably kept to yourself.

Instructor:  (attempts to recover, but digs himself deeper) I think I will just drink my water.

Are we dilusional?  I really thought we were more kitten-like and less cougar-like.  I would to believe it was the salty air playing tricks on his eyes.  The Potomac is a salty river, right?

I think these girls don’t look a day over 21.  If you agree, let us know!  If you don’t…well, why don’t you just keep that to yourself. 

Side note numero 1000:  Maryhelen was so happy she was not in our boat and the comment was ONLY directed to those of us that were …She would have jumped overboard.

I had this idea to recreate the Whitesnake video.  The direction I gave the girls was to lay on the front of the boat and I would throw water on them while singing, “Here I go again on my own…going down the only road I’ve ever known..”  Here is what actually happened.  It was a little more Laura Ingells Wilder than Tawny Kitean, but I still think they are hot, hot, hot for 50 year old hags!

 

 

PINK KILLA TURNS 39 11/12! 

After the wonderfully, relaxing adventure we dropped off Patty at her son’s last t-ball game, hit chipolte and drove back to Patty’s house for the big 40th Perfectly Pink Surprise Party!  Patty was surprised, the Margaritas were yummy and of course more laughter ensued.  Have you ever wondered who Jason Houtz (Suzy’s hubby) would want at a dinner table of six?  Well, I won’t reveal the entire list, but Abe Lincoln and the bearded guy from Jackarse are on it.  I want to be at that party!  Who is on your list?

Here is the video the Adventure Girls made for our sweet Pink Killa for her party. She really is such a wonderful friend….and no matter what “bearded man-child instructor” says…you do not look A LOT older than 40.   (I am not sure why this internet version has some of it upside down.  The copy shown at the party did not.)

NEXT UP:  Tracy, Suzy and Lisa.  They swear it is something NONE of us have ever done or would EVER guess.  I am officially going to be peeing my pants for the next two months.

A couple more videos of sailing just for fun.

Adventure #13-Tramping with Red Lipstick

Clues:  yoga pants, red lipstick, short sleeved shirts.

Guesses: Athletic ladies of the night, tattoos, botox party.

Actual Adventure: Tramping, french word for jumping on giant trampolines.

Who you calling a tramp? 

We fall for it every time.  A clue that is just there to confuse us.   The red lipstick had all us completely in the dark.  For once I didn’t google the clues beforehand.  But, I did this morning just for kicks.  I was surprised by how many blogs and articles have the words yoga pants and red lipstick in the same paragraph, but there are literally hundreds.  Finding out what we were doing from those clues would have been nearly impossible.

Unfortunately, Tracy still lives in Iowa?  or Kansas?  It really depends on if you ask Stacy or the rest of us.   Stacy has lived in Ft. Leavenworth after all, so I guess we should trust her and concede that it is Iowa.  And Suzy had a soccer tourney she couldn’t miss.  We really missed those two spunky Adventure Girls.

Speaking of Geography, I have to let everyone know that Heather is going to Hawaii soon and she has been to Hawaii before.  She will probably go to Hawaii every year for the rest of her life and we will continue to count the ways Heather brings this fact into conversation.  She will do this while climbing over everything and everyone with her enormously long, lean legs.

I am going to get straight to the adventure.  After realizing that we were not going to get poison injected into our face or ink zapped into our buttocks we were informed that we were going tramping.  We had no idea what to expect with this one.  When we walked into the joint there was a giant white board that listed all of the parties.

Party 1: Logan  Party   2: Brenna Party   3: Adventure Group Party  

This was our first clue that we might be of the older persuasion.  Second clue?  Our party room was equipped with paper plates for our pizza party.  I was laughing too hard to remember who said, “When does Chuck E. arrive?”

 After checking out our totally awesome party room we were escorted single file to the tramping area.  Along our route we saw scores of women that looked like us, but were sitting cross-legged on the floor texting away on their cell phones, while their children were bouncing away behind the giant walls.  I wonder what they thought seeing 8 grown women walking single file through parent alley to their bouncing doom?  My hope is that they will think twice next time and put on those nasty, tramping shoes and join their children.  Because…..

TRAMPING IS LAUGH OUT LOUD FUN!

The place is jumping…hard…with a ton of pre-teens.  We started off slow and finally started to learn some tricks.  All of the walls are trampolines too so once you get up enough nerve you can bounce off the walls.

Like always, Kelly and Maryhelen picked it up quickly.  Look to the left, though, and you would have seen Patty and I laying on our backs laughing hysterically because we can’t get back up. We were reminiscing back to our first adventure of white water rafting where the two of us were stuck at the bottom of the raft unable to stop laughing long enough to get back up.  Thirteen adventures later and nothing has changed.

Lisa was unable to participate because of the “boot”, but she came anyway.  How wonderfully sweet is that?  She snapped all of these photos and managed to make us laugh with the moments she captured.

Here are my top 10 photographic moments!  Thank you Lisa!

Number 1:  Tina’s new profile picture.  How beautiful is this picture?  I love Tina.  She is so sweet, but dang, that girl is tough as nails underneath, as evidenced by the Glock Girl t-shirt she is wearing.

Number 2:  Party Room.  This is what had us rolling from the moment we walked in the door.  Definitely looks like a place 30-40 something gals should be on Saturday night, right?

Number 3:  Nasty Tramping shoes.  Here we are sporting them.  Notice how Heather is so far behind us, but her enormously long, lean legs are still front and center.

Number 4: Did someone say tattoo?  Yes, I was correct….kind of.  We did get our own tramp stamps.  They all match for fear of stranger danger. I kind of ruined the picture on account of my giant thumb covering up almost ALL of MH’s hand. 

Number 5: Kelly the Onion strikes again and again.  There she is showing all of us how the wall climb trick is done.  I love her fearlessness.  Funny little tidbit:  Look in the background.  Witness little girl in pink pants.  Yeah, that was the median age.

Number 6: Stacy’s Money Shot.  Lisa shot at LEAST 80 photos trying to get Stacy in mid toe-touch.  FINALLY the camera flashed at the exact moment Stacy was in the air.  UNFORTUNATELY, pre-teen boy got in the way.

Number 7: Maryhelen’s Money Shot.  Look at this shot…I mean, really, is there anything in this world that MH doesn’t look perfect doing?  There was lots of behind the scenes laughter about this photo that I can’t share, but I can tell you to look in the background because it CRACKS me up.   Check out Patty to the left in blue.  Most likely she is calling out, “Be careful.”  And then check out Heather to the right.  She is jumping as high as MH…she is using those enormously long, lean legs to make sure she is in the shot.  I think she may also be thinking, “My legs are going to look fab in my bikini on the white, sandy beaches of Hawaii.”

Number 8: Tina’s Money Shot.   Again, awesome picture. She is so darn cute. But, again, please focus on the background.  Look at MH.  Why so mad, doll face?  And, you may not be able to tell, but Heather is coming FULL FORCE at me.  On the way, she said, “Catch me.”  If I recall correctly, I did not.  Shocker.  I look like I am barely hanging on myself.

Number 9 and 9.5: Kat’s fall from grace.  Unable to get myself out of the foam pit I happily received a helping hand from one of the referees.  By the looks of the picture it “appears” he received a small token of my appreciation.  Really, really not the best camera angle.  Picture 9.5 shows me falling right back in immediately after being brought to my feet and sweet referee running to my rescue again.

Number 10 and 10.5: Rock you like a Hurricane.  We decided to hit the hurricane machine after our tramping session.  That thing is no joke.  What I learned is that one should not open doors during hurricanes.  I also learned that if pizza comes to our party room during a hurricane Maryhelen will pound on the hurricane door for everyone to get out the darn thing. She really doesn’t care if you are being pounding by 80 mile an hour winds when she is hungry.  The girl needs to eat.

 

A few last things before I BOUNCE….(it’s funny.  You know it is….I heard only the sound of my own laughter the first time I said it.  But, it will get you.  Maybe a couple of hours from now, but you will laugh.)

Ok so here goes…

1) When receiving your tokens for the arcade ask for a pitcher of beer.  Something about it feels so wrong and so, so right.

2) When being pranked by pre-teen boys at Logan’s party, don’t take it personally.  His friends may have dared him to sneak into the “old ladies” party room, but we all know we are years away from acting our age.

3) We did finally settle the Iowa vs. Kansas dispute when I told Stacy that I, too, lived in Ft. Leavenworth at age three and it is 100% Kansas.  Small world, huh? I also shared my dream of being a talking baby later that night.  Could you imagine Stacy and I, babies in Kansas, being strolled by our mamas and we pass each other as stranger babies on the street.  We catch each others eye and I say to her “what up? In about 35 years you and I are going to be tramping together.”  In my dream, Baby Stacy turns to me and says, “Word.”

Seriously, not in my wildest, craziest dreams did I ever think I would get the chance to do all of the things I have done these past two years.  I think the others would have to agree.

Until next time when Kelly and I have a fabulous day planned for these crazy kids!

Adventure #12-Spelunking in West Virginia

Still clueless on what lie ahead

What is spelunking you ask?  By definition it is the hobby or practice of exploring caves.  Google Images tells a different story as we found out on our car ride to WVA.  Don’t look.  It scarred us for life and I would like to save you from the same fate.

Ok, are you back from checking out google images?  Told you so.   Let’s just wipe those images from our minds and move on.

We are kind of obsessive compulsive.

The final email (or at least what our planners thought would be our final email) went something like this:

You will need:

Driver’s license and medical insurance card

·      Large trash bag

·      Bottled Water (several)

·      Food that does not need refrigeration (dinner will be very late so you might want to bring a hearty snack or sandwich)

·      Small backpack/sack for your belongings

OLD CLOTHES THAT YOU DO NOT MIND GETTING DESTROYED

·      Wool or synthetic socks (not cotton)

·      Non-cotton long underwear (polypropylene, wool or synthetic blend)

·      Sturdy, close-toed shoes or boots

·      Long pants and long-sleeved shirt

·      Rain gear if there is rain in the forecast

·      Complete change of clothes, including shoes, socks and underwear!

·      Hat/Bandana

·      Thin Gloves

This email started a thread that went into the high 2 digits.  While most were concerned about the clothing requirements I was most concerned about the food.  Why would we need hearty food and extra hearty snacks.  Will we be gone for a long while?  I carefully and methodically planned my food as if my life depended on it…it turns out that it could have.  More on that later.

Later that same day as part of the marathon thread:

Kelly: “Can you provide details like….if the average car gets 25 mpg, how many gallons of gas should the designated driver have in her car for the distance of the adventure….?”

Tracy: “That sounded like a Kat question.”

Stacy: “It’s always prudent to drive with plenty of gas.”

Kat: “This is insanity.”

Maryhelen: “Stacy, I saw the Fruit of Loom thermal blend for $8 on the end cap but it had cotton in it, is that okay? Sorry I’m being a pain:) just want to make sure gig the tigg gear:)

Maryhelen: “LMAO, autocorrected.”

And so it went for about another 40 emails.  I wanted to give you a behind the scenes look at what it is like the week prior to EVERY adventure.  It is madness and I love every minute of it.

After our Deliverance inspired drive to West Virginia we finally arrived at Whitings Neck.  We met our tour guide, Eriq, and started the mile or two hike to the cave.

We kind of have small bladders.

When we arrived we were told we would be in the cave for 3-4 hours so if we had to “pee-pee” now would probably be the time.  A few of us headed to what we hoped was a good private spot.  Walking away we spotted “poo-poo” that was not human sized.  What in the world were we doing there?

famous side note: Eriq said there was a port-o-pottie, but there is a mouse that lives in there.  He let us know he probably wouldn’t bother us.  Umm…yeah, we will take our chances with the bears instead.

We are kind of clairvoyant

We always try to guess what our adventure guide will look like on our way to each adventure.  We hit the nail on the head with Eriq.  30 something, facial hair, athletic build, and married.   Here he is with our two planners of the day, Tina and Stacy.

So here we go.  It started as it always does, with me turning to whoever is next to me (this time Stacy) and whispering “I don’t think I can do this.”  I always hear a confidant, “yes, you can.”  It works every time.  I was first to head into what looked like the rabbit hole in Alice in Wonderland.

 One by one we entered the cave and headed down the ladder and then up another ladder to what will be the “no turning back 75 foot tunnel.”  Here are some of us right before that wretched hole of death.

Before the Crawl

The crawl was so difficult.  Eriq had just completed what he said was a “french repel” which made sense to us.  We were already convinced that he was indeed french because his name ended in a Q instead of the typical C.  He became Er-reeq from that point on.

Back to the crawl of death.  I can’t remember much except that I wanted it to end.  You couldn’t move your head and basically had to do an Army crawl to the end.  It was wet, muddy and when we finally reached the end we were beyond happy.

We kind of freak out easily.

Every so often, Eriq would try to put us at ease.  One time he let us know that the key to his car was in his backpack just in case.  Another time he let us know he had short-term memory to which one of the gals said, “Do you at least remember how to get us out of here?” He also pointed to holes and said those can shatter ankles.  In all seriousness, he was extremely comforting, knowledgeable and funny!

We kind of enjoy food.

Everything is the cave is named after food.  There was The Wedding Cake, The Donut Hole, The Pancake Cave, The Popcorn Cave, etc.  You get the idea.  We had only been in the cave for 25 minutes and this group was already starving.  When Eriq said, “this formation looks like bacon.”  Heather said, “mmm….Bacon. I like bacon.”  It made me giggle and reminded me of a certain commercial when the couple talks about nutmeg.  You know the one?

We continued exploring the cave and let me tell you this is tough.  Eriq was shocked we were doing this BEFORE sky-diving.  It was definitely a “constant state of fear” as one girl put it.  There is no relaxation time.  You are constantly challenged mentally and physically.  But, I have to say I really started to enjoy it until we spotted this…………

The baby

Who does that?  She was sitting on a rock that was right in front of you when you exited a teeny tiny hole.  She startled all of us.  Especially Tina, who even after 5 minutes of standing near The Baby said, “she’s not real, right?”  YUP, the cave air was making us loopy.

We kind of ALWAYS laugh at the immature stuff. 

There was a cave that required us to go down a slope to get in.  Eriq yelled, “Are you ready to go downtown?”  Say what?  After much laughing he said, “bad choice of words.”  Honestly, I wonder if other women our age would find that so funny.  Do you? Somehow I think if you are reading this blog you do….and we salute you!  Here’s to being 21 in spirit for life!

We kind of always have a Star for each adventure.

This adventure it was dear Kelly.  We were given the chance to go down the donut hole.  We would have to go across a large crevasse.  If you don’t know what that is, Kelly will tell you “it is french for crevice.”  She cracks me up.  All, but Kelly declined.  She kind of rocked that one.   Way to go!

We kind of like to snuggle.

Which is why we decided that yes, we would like to belly crawl into the Pancake cave.  One by one we slithered in and made room for the next.  As I so eloquently pointed out, “the pancake cave is not made for us big-bottomed girls.”  I decided to try the roll method.  If you ever find yourself in a cave, don’t do it.  Especially if you, too, happen to be a big bottomed girl.   Here we are, all snuggled up in the Pancake Cave.  Now quick, take the dang picture.  Maryhelen HAS to get out here, now.

The Pancake Cave

We kind of always come through CLOSER, STRONGER, BRAVER.

I know it goes without saying, but I could never do these crazy things without these girls.   They are forever changing my mind about where my limit is and that the beautiful, adventurous moments are sweeter when shared.  My hope is that I do the same for them.  If for some reason we were ever trapped in a cave I could depend on each for something different that when put together would keep us alive (at least for a few hours.)

Stacy would help keep us calm by showing us different uses for our Wal-Mart bandanas.  And would also let us know when “Big A** Holes” are ahead.

Stacy

Maryhelen would make sure that we knew of all dangers that could exist in the cave.  Earthquakes, falling spiders that turn out to be rocks, etc.  We would be aware with MH there.

Maryhelen

Heather would hit us with one-liners when we are at our lowest.  She would also convince us that the Bacon rock was real and that we should attempt to eat it.  MMM….Bacon.

Heather

Tina, would be the nurturer and mother figure for all of us.  She would rock us, love us and feed us her smushed peanut butter and jelly sandwich.  She would also do all of the above for The Baby.

Tina

Kelly would, well, to be honest, Kelly would be our only chance of getting out.  Most likely we would send her into holes and crevasses and have her report back to us if that is the way out.  If not, we send her to the next hole. We would cheer her on, though.  We aren’t animals.

Kelly

Suzy would make sure we kept our wits about us.  She would not let us stray from happy thoughts.  She would be steady and rock-like.  If all else failed she would allow us to hold her hand.

Suzy

Kat would panic. She would roll.  She would try to steal Tina’s pb&j sandwich. But, then she would look around.  She would see the 6 other girls that have her back, feel a deep sense of calm and she would say, “this is going to make for a kick-a** blog post, ladies.”

Kat

Thank you again to Tina and Stacy who planned this magnificent adventure.  Thank you to our patient guide, Eriq! We survived!

The End

We missed you Tracy (lives in Kansas now), Patty (had another party she had to attend) and Lisa (just got through foot surgery).  We wish you had been there!  NEXT TIME!

Next Adventure:  March 3rd.  PLEASE let it be in WIDE, open spaces.

One more photo of the wall of slippery rock we had to make our way up….

Wall of Doom

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Adventure 11-Guns and Thumbs: A Deadly Combination

Watch Out, Paper Bad Guys!

Did you know that thumbs are kind of a big deal when it comes to operating a 9 MM Glock?



 Our mission was to meet up at Kelly’s house in DC at 8:45. We all carpooled in two vehicles for a few reasons. 1) Tina is weaing The Boot. 2) Kat would never make it on her own. 3) It takes more than one adventure girl to figure out what “take the 5th exit on the Rhode Island round-about means?  4)  Maryhelen watches the news.

PG County had better recognize

We waited in Kelly’s adorable DC rowhouse to hear what was in store for us on this, our 11th adventure! We were visibly shaken when she pulled out photos of handguns. When we finally started to settle down we got into the car and we asked, “Where? Kelly? Where?” She let us know we would traveling to the delightful county of Prince George.  Anxiety Overload.  Tina was front seat navigator with a map Kelly handed her with a “blank” second page.  We got there though…we just followed the smell of gun powder.

Sa-cur-a-tee



As we waited outside for the doors to open we were struck by the sad, sad state of their security camera.   It was hanging by a thread….just like every last one of our frayed nerves. 



Sketchy Security Cam



10 AM and the doors click open.  Patty turns to me and says, “not sure my black flats are appropriate” to which I replied, “umm…take a gander at my black patent leather flats.”   You know the scene in Resovoir Dogs when the guys are all walking down the street together and some cool song is playing in the background?  Yay, we didn’t look that cool. And when I think back to all of us walking up to the front door I don’t hear a ghetto fabulous song. Instead I hear, “This is it, this is it, this is life the one you get, so go and have a ball.”  Yes, that is the theme song from the old 1970′s sitcom One Day at a Time.  We were out of our element fo’ sho and that ALWAYS makes for a great adventure.   

Gentle Jim and Band-Aids

It was now time to “train” to handle our gun of choice: The 9MM Glock. We lucked out and got Jim. His first question to us was, “Do your husbands know you are here?”  Not only was he sweet as pumpkin pie, he also had the patience of a saint.  The first thing we had to do was learn how to load our ammo.  This is where the first thumb incident occured.  For those who do not know me I have seriously funky thumbs.  They are short and stumpy and I lovingly refer to them as my “dumb thumbs.”  While trying to load the gun my thumbs got in the way and ammo went everywhere.  I mean, EVERYWHERE.  The girls helped me retrieve the ammo while we were all laughing hysterically. 

Tina was having a bit of difficulty pulling back the slide.  Her palms were so sweaty and her stance a bit wobbly due to The Boot.  I think this may have been Tina’s first attempt to get out of this craziness.  She turned to Jim and said, “I don’t think this boot will  keep me steady enough to shoot the gun.  I think this may be too dangerous.”  Jim let her know she was just fine and the boot will actually give her extra support.

One of the girls walked up to take her “test” (I believe it was Stacy) and immediately Jim shouted, “You have already failed.”  Apparently if your thumb is anywhere near the back of the gun it can cut you to the bone and he will refuse to give us a band-aid because we should all know better.  
We all took our turns taking the test and one by one we passed. Shocking, we know.  My thumb could not reach the slide release so he let Maryhelen and Tina know they would need to complete this step for me.  Those thumbs were screwing us up at every turn. Dumb, dumb thumbs.
**piece of advice.  Do not wear low cut camisole to shoot guns.  You may be embarrased when asked to “cover up because the shells may burn your exposed skin.”**

Shaky Hands and Exposed Skin

The Onion Strikes Again

Kelly never ceases to amaze.  She chose this adventure because it was completely out of her comfort zone.  She ended up KILLING it and even walked away with a signature stance.  Kelly’s team flew through ALL of their ammo before the sweaty team even had a chance to reload.  Once again, Patty went all gangsta on us and nailed her bulls-eye her first go at it.  I do have to point out that Patty asked Jim if the bullet could bounce back at her.  Jim let her know that,  ”frankly, yes it could, but since we’re shooting at paper the probability of that happening is pretty slim.”  How in the world did he keep a straight face?  

Maryhelen is always so supportive of everyone and never seems to want to compete with any of us…but she ALWAYS competes with herself.  She will be back at that range next week to try to hit that dang bulls-eye and you can bet that Jim will be standing right behind her checking out her ”stance.”        

Patty asking the question of the hour

I am still wondering how we got through this adventure after listening to Jim tell us (right before we all took our first shot) “You know you could kill someone.”  Ahh…so very reassuring.



Tina still not sure The Boot will give her enough support



Just our waitress

We took our customary post adventure trip to a restaurant to talk about our latest adventure and annoy strangers with our story.  Kelly kept with the gangsta theme and we went to Carmines in DC.  The waitress came over and we let her know we were part of an adventure group.  After noticing she had little interest in hearing more about our group we decided she may not have heard us.  She returned with our food and Maryhelen said, a bit louder this time, “We are a part of an Adventure group.”  Crickets.  And then she was gone. Lisa turned to Stacy and said, “Obviously she is just our waitress and not our friend.”  After 11 adventures together it still stuns us when strangers are just not interested in knowing more about us.  We will never stop trying to convert others to the adventurous side, but until then we know we can out-raft, out-Helen, out-zip, out-surf, out-dance, out-trap, out-paintball, out-race, out-glide, out-boudoir, and now out-shoot ‘em all.  Thank you Kelly for an unforgettable day!  I am now in post-adventure girl funk and can’t wait to see you again.  We missed you Tracy, Suzy and Heather!   

***We came out of this adventure unscathed with the exception of Patty’s thumb which is now purple for reasons unknown.  DUMB THUMBS!***

In All Our Glory



Kelly



Lisa

Maryhelen

Kat

Patty (please note her updo)

Stacy

Tina

The Adventure Girls are now pairing up to plan adventures and the team of Stacy and Tina is first up.  Until November….



Summer Hiatus

The Adventure Girls are taking the summer to go on adventures with their families!  We will be back in September. 

Adventure #10 Adventure Girl Anniversary Photo Shoot

Cute and summery, denim: white or blue=Adventure Girl Tailspin

Who knew the words white denim would send my adventure girls into a tizzy? I love how they will strap themselves to a zipline, trapeze and PLANE with no fear, but telling them to wear jeans and a “summery” top scared the living daylights out of them. Patty made the comment that “while we are fearless and courageous we are still GIRLS in the end.” Yes, we are girls in the end, but today my sweet, precious Adventure GIRLS were going to have to find their inner Adventure WOMEN!

The planning actually started weeks before June 11th. I had written an email to the husbands requesting their assistance. Here it is…

Adventure Girl Husbands,
Please, PLEASE, PLEASE do not share the contents of this email with your wives. We take the surprise factor very seriously. And some of them will find a way out of this one if they read about it. LOL.
So, it has been a year of Adventures and since I started this madness I wanted to commemorate the year with something fun! I have hired a professional photographer to shoot an Adventure Girls calendar. The actual calendar will be fun and campy. We will just be acting out all of the adventures for the monthly photos…..But, here is where you come in. I have to make them squirm a little bit! I am asking that when she is about to leave to go on the adventure that you hand her a bag that is COMPLETELY stapled shut. In the bag please put one your button down shirts and one of your ties. The photographer will be shooting your wives in JUST those items for a secret photo just for you. It will be a THANK you to our hubbies for putting up with our shananigans this year! Please also include in the bag a letter to your wife telling her in your own way how proud of her you are….because I know you are…and what you think the Adventure Club has meant to her…etc. The letter should be between 2-3 paragraphs so they are all about the same length. I know it is sappy, but work with me. It will be read to her before she heads to the basement for her pin-up photo…so make it good.
Remember this is all TOP SECRET! Don’t TELL!!! so..to recap: Give her the bag right before she leaves. The bag needs to be STAPLED shut. In the bag a button down dress shirt, tie and the letter. If you would rather email the letter to me you can do that instead.
Thanks in advance! I think this is going WAY out of the box for some of us. I will make sure to get a photo of all of us having a pillow fight, as well. Just Kidding!!! Please reply that you received this and are on board. THANKS!
-Kat

The email replies were hysterical. They ranged from short and sweet: “on board FOR sure” to long and hilarious: “Should I pack choices, will there really be a pillow fight?” I love these guys. I got the enthusiastic OK from all of them so I got started thinking about the details.

The photographer of all photographers: Becky Danzenbaker http://www.rebeccadanzenbaker.com

I had contacted Becky a long time ago about this idea. I have known her for awhile and knew she would be game for anything. She is witty, funny and easy going. I knew that would put all of us at ease and in turn would get some great shots of my girls…ahem…WOMEN… in their prime. At the end of the day we turned the tables on our sweet photographer and put her in FRONT of the lens. A natural in front of and behind the lens. So fun!

Drinkie-poos

I knew we would need liquid courage so I made sure we had it all. Margaritas, Firefly Lemonade, Stellas, Champagne. They walked in the door and I marched them right to the kitchen. I was so nervous that if  I divulged the adventure to them sober that I would hear, “oh no, I completely forgot that I had to go to a wedding, hair appt, doctors appt, etc. etc.” I thought my best option would get some drinks in them to stop them from walking out the door. It worked.

Check out Maryhelen!

Somebody is telling a good story…could it possibly be Stacy?

Suzy remembers!

Stacy finds her “courage” and Tina is always just along for the ride!

Brown Paper Bags

I had faith in the husbands, but I still was holding my breath that they would come through on their instructions. As my beautiful girls walked to the door with their brown paper bags stapled about 1000 times I was relieved and amused. I love how the husbands followed my rules exactly as stated. Good Boys. Two of the guys veered a bit from the rules and it had us rolling. Lisa’s husband had two bags for her. Bag one had one of her sons button shirts. So funny. And Tracy’s husband also packed a white t-shirt, belgian waffle mix and a water bottle. We were like, “What in the world?” More on that later. And then Phil (Stacys husband) packed her rockin red heels. Phil, you are a very wise man….

Part One: The Campy Calendar


Part One was the Adventure Girls calendar. I wanted the calendar to be a look back of all of our fun adventures together. As we looked back on the past 9 adventures we had Becky shoot what we thought to be the funniest moments of each one. We took all of these photos in my front yard. I found out later some of the neighbors saw us. But, it was no surprise to them. Because as you know anyone that has any sort of contact with one of us finds out ALL about our Adventure Group. We are beyond sad that Kelly couldn’t make it at the last minute. We missed her so much when we were taking these pictures!

White Water Rafting “The Screamers vs. The Gigglers”

Helen Says What????

Ziplining…Kat needs an intimate rescue and Tina gets poked with a stick

Surfing! Tracy gets a concussion, one lung Kat, Maryhelen gets up, two surfboard carry!

Trapeze!  The scariest part was letting go.  Thank goodness we had such a sweet instructor quietly telling us to “PUT OUR FEET UP AND LET GO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”

Race Car Driving!  Tracy is in Time-Out.  Heather Won. Fantastic Suits. Kat and Patty saw ponytails.

Pole Dancing! Inner Bad Girls found and Pole Pressure emails will continue for life!

Hangliding.  2500 feet. No net. Stacy turns green.  Heather says, “It was good.” God protected. Aretha joined the group.

Part Two: Letters and neck-ties


We were all now ready to tackle part two. We started with a pillow fight (really, we did) and then sat in my basement together to listen to the letters our husbands wrote for us. Maryhelen was the “brave first” this time.  She read her letter from Sam, stepped into the red heels (thanks Phil) as the rest of us sipped on our magic cocktails.
Here is a little of Sams letter to Maryhelen and one of her reading it.  The pin-ups are under strict lock and key.    Sorry, folks.

“Whether you are having a baby, running a marathon, hang gliding, surfing or just putting up with me you never fail.  Maryhelen, you impress me time and again and you don’t even know it…. So here’s to the year of camraderie and adventures gone by and to the anticipation of many epic adventures to come. I love you.”
-Sam

It was now Suzy’s turn and after reading her letter from Jason we decided to just read all of the letters AFTER we were photographed.  They were all so sweet and touching that we thought we may look better for our photos without smudged mascara.

“Life is short and you only get one shot at it.  This world is full of awesome sights and experiences and yet most choose to settle for the norm without trying anything outside of their comfort zone….You have always
been a spontaneous type of person willing to try new things and you have made the boys and I very proud of you.  I hope you continue to push your limits and do the things that make life exciting. “

-Jason

Tracy read it for Suzy

 

And so it went…beautiful letters read, red shoes slipped on and lots of giggling.  Poor Becky.  She probably was so exhausted by the end.  I swear she must have said, “Stop Smiling!” a thousand times.

“One last thing I wanted to bring up…You will be reading this exactly 21 years from the date we started dating in High School.  Crazy, right?  It’s funny how I forget so many dates/appointments, but have never forgotten that one.  There has been no greater adventure for you to tackle than putting up with me for so long.  Let the adventure continue for another 40 years.  Thank you and I love you.”

-Phil

“I have included 2 choices for you: 1)The easy road…includes a shirt and tie just as Kathleen described. 2) The hard road…includes my favorite t-shirt (un-washed) and a bottle of water. (use your imagination). Face one more fear…I DARE YOU! You have never been one to take the easy road. I love you.”

-Jonnie

Waiting on pic of Tracy reading Jonnies letter…(which we were crying with laughter while she read)

“‘My “you’re so pretty” wife has shown the world that she is so much more than a mom, wife and friend. She is a fearless woman-one full of courage and spirit. I am also happy that you have found a group who can help you find a place and time in our crazy world and schedule just for Patty.  Having something that is just for you, makes you a better you.  I have seen it in all you do and I am so thankful for this….so remember that I love you with all of my heart: More and more everyday.”
-Jamie

Maryhelen reading for Patty

“Thank you for selecting me as your partner to through the adventure of life with….thank you making our life together amazing. I am getting all hot and bothered just thinking of you. You have brought two beautiful kids into this world and are showing them how to live their life to the fullest; with confidence, no regrets and showing them what true friendship is all about. I am so proud of you and love you very much.”
-Chris

“I am so proud of you for having the guts to try new things that most people never attempt to do.  I love how excited you get when you start getting clues and how cute you are with your nervous excitement the night before and the day of the adventure.  I love you so much DOC and I am amazed at what a wonderful woman I married.”
-Brian

Stacy reading Heathers

“Love, I look forward to the day when we can look back on our life knowing we truly lived the good life…an even larger smile will come as I think about my quiet child bride and how she turned into an adventurous beautiful woman.  One day our great grandkids will come across the picture and they will be envious of our life together. We can only hope that it inspires them to live an adventurous life.”
-George

“Noone will ever be able to take away the times you have shared and the fun things everyone has done together. I feel it has turned you into a stronger woman and an even better mom.  As your husband and best friend I can’t tell you how proud of you I am.  Through you I have learned how important friends are and living life to its fullest…I love you with all my heart.”
-Kevin

And because I PROMISED THE BOYS!

So to my courageous, sweet, supportive adventure girls:  Cheers to us for following our creed of stepping outside of the box without hesitation.   We can look back on this year with memories to last a lifetime and with old friendships renewed and new friendships revealed.  Chris said in his letter to me, “I hope you continue your adventures with this group of women for the rest of your life…”  Well, I think we can all agree with that sentiment.  So, here is to the future and the many adventures that await….

Kelly is next!!!  Summer hiatus and then back to business in September!