Always an Adventure

With a husband like mine, you never know what's in store for you when you get a phone call that starts off with "get the girls ready, dressed for the outdoors, and I'll be there in 30 minutes to pick you up." He's a pretty adventurous guy and I love that about him. I just can't keep up with him. I did indulge him (against my good judgment)and bought him a sky diving gift certificate for his birthday. Although I'm starting to wonder why on earth I did a thing like that. He hasn't gone yet. Therefore I'm still blogging from the comfort of my home vs. a hospital bed recovering from a mild heart attack. Anyway, the other day he took us all to Hurricane Creek Park north of Cullman to hike and rock climb. Us girls (minus Towns - she was busting at the seams to get there) weren't overly thrilled about the trip. It was pushing 100 degrees. B and I are girly girls and aren't keen on breaking a sweat if we don't absolutely have to! {However, J's gotten me to go to the Decatur High football field with him a couple of times this week to run 400 meter sprints and a whole stadium of stairs...which is why I can barely move my legs as we speak.} I must say that we had a grand ol' time. And carrying a 17 pound baby in the Baby Bjorn all the way down a mountain (ok, maybe not quite a mountain, but that's what it felt like) and then back up was a great little workout! Bethany and Towns had a great time and were rock climbing champs! J even showed us a few tricks on the rock climbing wall...he's such a dare devil. I'll just let the pictures tell the rest of the story...

Everyone took a turn on the rock climbing wall (just a small one to practice on before you climb the real thing)...

J's hanging upside down from the ceiling here...

Cate enjoyed climbing all over the padded mats...that was more her speed!

After a practice run, we're all ready to go...

Cate was loving the Baby Bjorn (mama's back, however, was not!)

5 minutes into it and we're already lost...J has to consult the map!

Now we're back on track and had to stop for a quick pic..

B coming out of the outhouse...a first for her, I do believe! :)

All Cate wanted to do was get down in the dirt and see what all her little hands could pick up.

I think Towns had almost had her fill by now...

But then we got to the creek and her eyes lit up...she just had to take a dip! B and I opted to watch from afar! {Just realized you can barely see J & Towns...they're on the far left wading in the water}

Here's Towns wondering how she's going to get across that little walkway to get to her sister (you can barely see B in the background).

Cute Bet-ny! She's going to strike a pose for every camera that comes her way! :)

Cate got a little dirt on her hands and was thinking hard on how to get it off...

She figured out that brushing her hands together did the trick...smarty!

Since we all made the family trip to Hurricane Creek Park, J's roped me into two more hiking adventures for just the two of us. I think I've turned over a new leaf. I've always been opposed to doing things I didn't like, or maybe I should say things I thought I wouldn't like. Turns out I should have been a little more open minded. I've never thought of myself as a very outdoorsy kind of gal. But after a 6 mile hike two days in a row I know now what great exercise it is without really even realizing your body is working so hard! It felt great. It's really neat to be in the wilderness (one of our hikes was in the Sipsey Wilderness which has never been touched and still has trees that have been there since the beginning of time...or so they say) and see God's creation from a different view than what I'm used to. It gives me a lot more appreciation for it. And when you think about it, not only is it wonderful exercise, it's great for the relationship too....where else can you go where it's just you and your hubby for hours, you don't see another soul the entire time, and you have no choice but to talk each other's ears off (something that rarely happens when you've got small children)! Ok, well, other than being on a secluded island lying on the beach which I probably have voted for over hiking through the woods, but you get the point!