Thursday, June 24, 2010

Father's Day Date

I decided that Johnny and I needed to try something new for our date nights ... and maybe even actually take a date night. Typically we get stuck in the dinner and a movie rut. Father's Day provided the perfect opportunity to surprise him. I arranged for a babysitter from 3:30-8:30 pm (a big things for me. I hate leaving my little people more than a few hours).

Clas Ropes Course in Provo had a Father's Day special complete with four hours on the course, a BBQ with smores, and an optional canoe ride down the Provo River. I sprung for it all. Keep in mind - I had just run my first 5K earlier that day. I must have been feeling adventurous!

We arrived just a teensy bit late and they put us in a group with another couple and a Dad with his two preteen kids. The first few activities were typical leadership/bonding/problem solving activities. You know, the one where you both have a rope tied around your wrists and you have to figure out how to get untangled from each other without taking them off? I swear I have done it a dozen times at Girls Camp, but we still couldn't figure it out. No worries, it was much more fun doing it with my husband!

For the next activity, we had to swing from one platform to the next. All of us. Without touching the ground. But first we had to figure out how to get the rope over to us. Johnny saved the day by sacrificing his shoes and using the laces/shoes to lasso the rope over to us. This is where the real fun began. I danced A LOT growing up, but typical sports were not my thing. I am missing whatever type of coordination I needed to be successful. Like the coordination needed to swing across an open space holding onto a rope.

I figured that I was an adult now, how hard could it be? So I grasped the rope, took a running leap, and landed right on my thigh not too far from the first platform. For my second attempt, I stood on Johnny's back (lucky man), and got a higher grip before I leapt across. I almost made it. In fact, the other guy in our group tried to pull me in, but I ended up pulling HIM in instead. Oops. Sorry random man. Our boy scoutish leader took pity on me and allowed me to stay on the platform. Whew!

Next, we had to figure out how to get our team members across a series of boards and stumps without touching the ground. It involved moving the boards around and was quite tricky!


My hubby is on the far right helping the little boy to safety.

And then came our favorite part! The part I was worried we would never get to because it took us so long to finish the bonding activities.


First we took a ride on this giant swing. You held on to a rope and your team mates hoisted you to the top. The hardest part was holding on until the very top. It was such a rush when you let go.

Next we went rock climbing. I am still attempting to figure out how people balance their feet on the itty bitty rocks.


And here we are are sitting and waiting for our turn to go down the zip line. Lucky for us, you get to climb to the top of the zip line pole. I saw lots of kiddos doing it and even a cute Grandma named Earlene doing it. It took Earlene awhile to get up there, but I figured if she could do it, so could I. So I scaled a wooden pole balancing my self on these much too small metal staples. But it was worth it because the zipline was lots of fun!


To conclude the evening, we canoed down the Provo River to Utah Lake. BEAUTIFUL! It was so relaxing and our arms definitely got a work out!

My honey on the dock.

All in all - a fantastic evening. What did I learn?
1. My kiddos will survive for an evening without me.
2. It's good to try new things and step out of your comfort zone.
3. Anything is fun with my Johnny.
4. My body can do hard things.
5. It's worth it to plan date nights!

1 comment:

Julie Carlile said...

That looks like so much fun. I bet he loved it.