The Ocoee!

Grant planned a trip with our youth group to The Ocoee over Labor day trip and it was GREAT! I haven't been since I went as a 9th and 10th grade intern with Greg Hauss at Bellevue and it was still as awesome as I remembered it! I think a good instructor makes all the difference. Our instructor or guide, Chris Phillips, asked us if we wanted a "mild" or "wild" (white water rafting) trip and everything in me said "MILD" but the rest of the boat overcame my small voice so our trip was WILD :)

Let me preface this by saying that my Mom and Dad went white water rafting about 10 years ago and she had a little incident. Mom was born (well, not born with it, but close enough) with a buck tooth that I was OH so lucky to inherit and when she was white water rafting, her oar (or more specifically, the t-grip...I feel like a pro white water rafter using my terminology!) hit her smack in the mouth and left her two front teeth (one being her buck tooth or "snaggle tooth" as Grant and I like to refer to mine) dangling. So, I was KIND of hoping for that same thing to happen to my snaggle tooth...much to my dismay...it's still there safe and sound :)

On one of the first rapid was a Class 4 called "Double Tuck". This one was where our instructor tried to "sink" us...obviously knowing what he was doing. He warned us by saying: "If you do not cling to your seat buddy you WILL fall in." So, I was sitting next to a youth, Matt Moore, and I did what I was told then look to see Grant dangling out of the boat along with another youth, Kayla. I start frantically screaming for Landon (Grant's seat buddy) to "GRAB GRANT, LANDON!!! GRAB GRANT!!!) I don't know if I thought Grant was on his death bed, but you would have thought my screaming was saying just that! And, Landon, being the hero he was saved Grant from his doom! Kayla's seat buddy, Molly, also rescued her. So, our whole raft had successfully stayed aboard for the whole "wild ride".

Another really awesome part of the ride was going down the last rapid "Hell's Hole" backward. It was cool to see the river like that but also kinda freaky because....we were going BACKWARD.

We had a group of 39 awesome adults and students and we just loved it! We luckily brought an amazing cook who made us this OUTSTANDING BBQ pork on the first night and then grilled out hamburgers and hotdogs the second night...pretty sweet for "roughing it in cabins".

I actually thoroughly enjoyed the bus rides as well...I started the Twilight series...but that will be for another post :)

This is one of my favorite snapshots of the white water trip...please notice Chris, our Bartlett campus associate pastor screaming for his life. He says he was hamming it up for the camera, but I don't believe it :)

I plan on sharing some GREAT Weight Watcher recipes soon! I will keep you posted.