Spring Valley Beach

On Monday June 21st, Savannah, Kat and I introduced Colton to one of our favorite summer destinations......the Spring Valley Beach water park in Blountsville, AL.  We were saddened that a member of our posse (Meggie) wasn't able to join our most recent adventure due to work, but otherwise, we had a wonderful time trying to beat the heat at the water park.  And trust me, IT WAS HOT!!!!

Upon parking and unloading the car, we immediately applied the 70 SPF sunscreen I had packed.....with the exception of Savannah (she had an amazing dark tan after being in Gulf Shores the prior week).  At 10:30am with temps already in the 90's, we wasted no time as the water was beckoning.  We ventured throughout the entire area of the 4 acre pool, playing in the kid's area, jumping off the pier, and sliding down the multitude of slides in the pool.  Our first visit to the big water slides was highlighted by Spring Valley Beach's biggest thrill, the Sidewinder, which sits atop a lofty four-story tower.  Savannah and Kat rode tandem, as did Colton and I.  After seeing his sisters vanish over the spine-tingling free fall, Colton had immediate second thoughts about this slide.  The Sidewinder is shaped somewhat like an acute U, so just when you think the worst is over, the Sidewinder reminds you of where it gets its name from, whipping riders back and forth.  As I sat Colton on my lap for our free fall over the edge, he grasped the handles of the tube and we were off!  Rapidly descending over edge, Colton became instantly rigid with fear to the extent that I believe I felt every muscle in his little frame contract at once!  Savannah and Kat described the look on his face as "shear terror".  At the bottom of the ride, Colton said, "My not wanna do dat NO MORE!"  Regrettably, I laughed hysterically.

Our only break from the water came at lunch.  I broke out my little portable grill and prepared some grilled hot dogs for lunch.  As you can see from the photo, Colton loves Dorito's (what a mess)!  Savannah and Kat enjoyed some Shaved Ice treats after lunch and we (Savannah excluded) reapplied the 70 SPF.  Back to the water.

After lunch, Colton wanted to go back to the Kid's area but it was temporarily closed due to an "incident".  We didn't ask what kind of incident, ignorance is bliss in this case.  I couldn't help but take a quick picture of Colton at the barrier wall upon realizing the Kid's area was closed, accurately documenting his displeasure (see left insert).  Once reopened, Savannah and Kat took him back for more fun.

As the day sped along, Kat and I sensed the heat of our skin increasing and repeatedly returned to our picnic area and reapplied the 70 SPF.  After approximately 7 hours of fun filled water adventure and our reddened shoulders and faces (as well as my reddened feet, stomach and back), Kat and I discovered that our valiant attempts to thwart sunburn had failed miserably, however, it would have been much worse had we not reapplied as often as we did.  Savannah escaped with only a slightly pink nose and cheeks and what seemed to be an even darker tan than when we arrived.  Colton wore a protective swim shirt and managed to avoid sunburn altogether.

Overall, it was a great day at the water park.  We left completely satisfied, as well as exhausted, and can't wait til our next visit.  What a great family water park!  Now, where's the ALOE VERA?!!!!   

The Reception

On Saturday May 29th, Meggie and I hosted a "Fish Fry" as our reception dinner out at the cabin on the pond at Meggie's parent's place in Ashland, AL.  It had rained most of the day and we were a little concerned about getting rained out, but the rain moved out of the area a couple of hours before the dinner and it wound up being a very pleasant evening with mild temperatures.

We arrived out at Meggie's parent's Wednesday night and began work early Thursday morning to get prepared for the fish fry.  I was assigned "weedeater duty" and my shins payed a hefty price as I had neglected to pack work pants for the weekend.  The cabin is under construction, but Meggie's sister, Lauren, along with Meggie, her mom and her Aunt Claudia did a wonderful job decorating.  The final touches were completed in the rain around noon on Saturday.

Meggie's father, Franklin, along with friends, Brian and Dennis prepared fried catfish, french fries, hushpuppies and cheese grits.  Fresh homemade lemonade was provided by Aunt Claudia.  Everyone brought their appetite and the evening was set into motion.  Meggie and I were overjoyed and humbled at the amount family members and friends in attendance.  After getting our fill of dinner, Meggie and I cut our delicious cake which, to our delight, was subsequently devoured.

The night got really interesting after dinner when the volume of music increased and the ladies entered their dancing mode.  Line dancing, Shag dance and a few "Zumba" moves kept everyone entertained.  My brother, John, did his best to make Uncle David shoot his drink out his nose with his witty banter and Mary Kathryn did the absolute best imitation of "Elaine's dance" from "Seinfeld", she is too darn funny!.  I almost got "jiggy with it" but fortunately, for everyone in attendance, common sense prevailed.  I did, however, enjoy several dances with my lovely wife, Meggie, and I am pleased to announce she made it through the night without any injuries to her feet!

We could not have asked for a better night, a more suitable venue or a nicer group of people to celebrate our marriage.  The night seemed to end too soon.  We would like to thank everyone for making this such a special and memorable night.         

Zoo Slideshow

The Zoo

Meggie, Colton and myself took a trip to the Birmingham Zoo for a little fun and adventure. We strolled around the various areas of the zoo marveling at the wildlife and it's accompanying odors, which, at times, were quite....revolting. A large section of the zoo was closed as they are in the process of constructing a new area to be opened in the Spring of 2011. The primate center was closed and Colton was displeased when he discovered the train was not operating due to repairs. His spirits were lifted, however, in the splash area as he played in the intermittent fountains and enjoyed some quality time in the bubble pit. Fortunately, Meggie and I had packed an extra outfit for the trip because Colton was soaked by the time we resumed our excursion to the reptile center. Meggie and I both liked the playful otters and Colton chose the giraffes as his favorites. The bald eagles were majestic and the white tiger was impressive. And the turtles, well, lets just say they were all over each other.....or as Colton put it, "Dat one is on da udder ones back!" We had a great day and look forward to visiting again when the new area of the zoo is operational. I will try to add a slideshow of the pictures in the near future.