Heather's Birthday Weekend Extravaganza

We tried something new this year. Heather's birthday fell on a Sunday this year, and so instead of doing a nice, home-cooked dinner t hat night, we had a birthday weekend. Unsurpisingly, Heather loved it and wants a repeat next year. Yeah ... not likely. But this year did go well.

Friday night we used a gift certificate we had and went to a really nice restaurant called Clydes. The restaurant is a collection of old buildings that formed a homestead built in the mid-1800s, complete with the main house and a gigantic barn (which we ate in). The inside of each building has been extensively remodeled into a modern restuarant. It was great food and a good start to the birthday celebrations.

Saturday had beautiful weather, and so we went hiking around Great Falls, which is a rocky waterfall on the Potomac. There were fences around the lookout spots to encourage the young and inexperieced from climbing around the falls, but obviously they were not really meant to keep the likes of us out. While taking a picture of the falls, Heather dropped her glasses off a 35 foot cliff. Luckily, I have some experiece with rock climbing. So as my first gift to my wife this year, I gave her an unforgettable adventure of scurring down the side of a cliff, hiking around the bottom, and then having a thrilling climb back up. Even though she may say that she was scared for some parts of it, I know that deep down, she was grateful for the unforgettable adventure.
That night, we met up with some friends from Heather's work for some of the best mini-golfing I've ever had. Not far from where we live, there is an awesome mini-golf course called "Perils of the Lost Jungle." The outdoor course is decked out in Indiana Jones-esque jungle decorations and all sorts of things that jump out at you while you golf (triggered by motion sensors). One hole, for example, is surrounded by all these frogs that "spit" water at you while you golf. Another hole that is right next to a pond has an alligator that jumps out at you. My favorite is the last hole. When you go to pick up your ball after sinking it in the hole, there's a sensor that shoots a blast of air and the ball right back out you. It scared Heather witless the first time.

After an exciting round of golf, we ate a nice dinner at Olive Garden. While we were waiting for our table to open up, our friends went and picked up about 10 huge helium balloons and gave them to Heather. It caused quite a stir as we all stood outside the restaurant with Heather holding a huge string of balloons. I would have never guessed that so many people would be so interested in her balloons. We had small kids and grown adults alike stopping to give Heather a quick "Happy Birthday." One little girl even gave Heather a small toy as a gift. And we even got a couple of cars to drive by honking and shouting "Happy Birthday" with the windows down. It was hilarious, and Heather and intensely embarrassed. It was perfect!

The birthday weekend ended on Sunday with a nice breakfast in bed and a hearty Primary birthday song.

This is the cliff we had to shimmy down to retrieve Heather's glasses.

A Yankee Farewell

Last week, the Woodruff family had a solemn, unusual mid-week gathering. For almost a year, we had been planning on getting together last Tuesday night to say goodbye to baseball's most famous stadium: Shea Stadium of the New York Yankees. It's not that any of us had ever really had an individual connection with the stadium or were huge fans of the Yankees. But as dedicated MLB enthusiasts throughout the years, we felt a desire to say farewell to such a historic landmark.
So last Tuesday, Nate, Dad, and I all drove up to New York from the south. Adam, Sarena, and the kids drove out from the north. Kyle flew in to La Guardia (after a lovely evening in Denver's airport), and we met Mitch Bates there. This was my first trip to the Big Apple, and I think it was Nate's and Kyle's, too. My first thought about the city as we drove over a bridge and it came into view was how big it was. It sprawled across the horizon. My other first impression had to do with the traffic... it was horrible! And people were extremely aggressive. So although it was not exactly enjoyable to drive in the city, by following the old adage of "When in Rome...," I was able to get us around without too much delay.
The game itself was nice. We had seats way out in the "bleachers" section of the outfield (which unfortunately we found out too late doesn't connect to the rest of the stadium). But we still enjoyed the game, especially when Kyle's and Jared's name lit up the big screen when it listed everyone who was having a birthday that day. Oh, and one other thing: the hot dogs were only okay there and the pretzels were a huge letdown.

My Devious Little Plan Is Working

So months ago, I set a devious little plan (whoowaa haaa haaaaa - this is where the generic evil music is played ... like the fru - its of the devil) to manipulate all my inlaws into setting up their own family blogs. My siblings have all done it, and we love reading and commenting on our entries. We're not addicted bloggers, mind you, but we add updates frequently enough to make it worthwhile.
Since blogs worked so well with the Woodruff family, I thought it would be great for the Carr family, too. I made the suggestion via email last spring and, to my surprise, was harshly shot down. But I was undeterred. I decided to continue my efforts ... covertly. Heather and I decided to target Laura and Josh first. They are the most technologically savvy and are always sharing pics online anyway.
Yesterday, our hard efforts at subliminal manipulation paid off. Laura and Josh finally set up their blog. They might claim it's because their friends all have one and they wanted to stay better connected, but I know better. It's all thanks to my devious little plan!
So, the rest of you Carr family, be forewarned. We're turning our incredible powers of cerebral persuasion on you next.

1st Family Gathering

Heather and I are finally getting to that stage in life where family reunions no longer mean getting together with all your cousins, uncles, and aunts; it means getting together with your brothers and sisters. It’s kind of strange, and so I admit I’m in denial and refuse to refer to our reunions as anything but a family gathering.

So last month, the Carr family had a little gathering just outside of Forth Worth, Texas. I definitely have to give huge props to Laura and Josh for hosting this one and being our own little Marriott Courtyard, even complete with a complimentary breakfast every morning! I hope they’ve been able to put their house back together by now.

The gathering was only four days long for Heather and I, unfortunately, since I had to get back to work, but the good news is that I have more leave now for the large Carr family Christmas extravaganza. And even though we only had four days, we all made the most of it.

Among the highlights was a fantastic day at the original Six Flags (which I found out stands for Six Flags Over Texas). Heather’s dad, who I’ve decided is a real-life human encyclopedia, explained that there were a total of six flags that have flown over Texas in its history. Can anyone name them? I’ll give you a few minutes to try… Okay, the answer is... France, Spain, Mexico, the Republic of Texas, the Confederate States of America, and the US. And there you have it. Anyway, back to the story, we had a wonderful day there and did some very cool rides, like Batman, Superman, the Titan, Mr. Freeze, and Wile E. Coyote’s Grand Canyon Blaster (which was very cool, especially when I rode on it with little Ashley and Zacky).

On another day, we had a great dinner and entertainment at Medieval Times. The food was really pretty good, and even though our knight was the first to be eliminated in the battle rounds, he was by far the most skilled and so surely must have thrown the fight because he was so bored of winning all the time! Go black & white knight!

I'm the red and yellow one below.


There was also an incredible family talent show, in which all the talents became instant classics. Dave displayed his iron lung capacity, Stephanie revealed she is actually a Chinese-trained contortionist, Ashley dazzled us with her magic and little Zach with his balance, Natalie all had us laughing with her adorable singing and personality, I (as my only talent) shocked the audience with my gigantic mouth, Jenny was hilarious with her impersonations, and of course the best was my wife and company (Jenny, Christine, and Bob), who stole the show with their song and dance to “Dancing Queen.” And even Gracie had a late singing appearance via a teleconference. Even though they did not take time to do an individual talent, Laura aptly displayed her ability to juggle being a mother of three, writing a soon-to-be bestseller, giving really good public singing performances, and still keep the house spotless. And Josh…he’s been holding out on us! We were all floored with how good a photographer he is, and what a great gourmet chef, too. Makes me wonder what else he’s not telling us about.

Another fun thing was boating all day at a nearby lake. We wake boarded (which I still stink at), knee boarded, and did some battle-tubing, too. It was great. There is nothing like hanging out as a fam on the boat all day. The only problem with the day was that it revealed just how little sun our bodies have received since last summer. Despite applying two thick layers of SPF 50 and wearing a t-shirt for a couple of hours, Heather and I both came home that day with an electric red back from neck to swimsuit. I haven’t been burned this bad since I was a kid. I actually had to miss a day of work because it hurt so bad to put on a shirt. Thankfully, I’m all better now thanks to a cocktail of medicines that Bob and Christine bought me and to the patient nursing my wife gave me.

2nd Family Gathering

Not more than a week after the Carr Family Gathering, the Woodruff clan decided to repeat Church history and come from all over and gather to Nauvoo, Illinois. I forget sometimes—when I’m busy with work, my church calling, and all the other little things that fill up my day—how much I miss being around my siblings and parents. Seriously, between Heather’s and my family, we have about the two coolest families in the world: the most generous and wise parentsJ, the most adorable nieces and nephews (only to be outdone by our future kids), and the most fun and quirkiest siblings (which includes their spouses, too). Heather and I feel very fortunate.

Well, back to the gathering. Thanks to Mom and Sarena’s excellent planning, we were in Nauvoo for the last week of the pageant. So the day after most of us arrived, we all went to the pageant. There were pioneer games for the whole fam beforehand, things like horse shoe, potato sack races, log sawing races, etc. As the sky darkened, the play started. It was certainly no Broadway musical, but it was very well done and really made me think about all the sacrifices the early church members made. The pageant alone was well worth coming out to Nauvoo.

That week we spent at a rented house which sits on a hilltop and overlooks the Mississippi River. It was a beautiful location, perfect for watching the sunset, and the house and yard were a good match for all us Woodruffs. There was a pool in the back, too, which was indispensible on all the hot and muggy days.

So we passed the week with all sorts of activities. We interviewed and recorded Mom and Dad one night, which is a great tradition that we’re starting, thanks again to Sarena and Adam. We all were able to go to the Nauvoo temple together, which was fantastic. The temple was absolutely stunning on the inside with the detailed murals and the dark and rich colors. We also spent a while in Nauvoo and Carthage seeing all the church historical sites. Carthage was a surprisingly moving experience. I am always impressed with how kind and patient Joseph Smith and Emma were to all around them, no matter the circumstance and no matter whether the people were enemies or friends. They are good examples to follow. As for restored Nauvoo, it was kind of hit and miss as far as some of the sites were concerned. Some, like the brickyard, the blacksmith, and the family activity center were very good about catering to the mob of kids we had with us. Others, most notably the bakery, seemed to lack any clue that kids need to be “entertained,” not lectured to. Thankfully, everyone survived the outdoor pioneer game station, although it was close with Dad and Tyson’s joints and back popping during the stick pull. J

To really get in the pioneer spirit, we all went on a 2-mile handcart trek to experience just a bit of what the early church members experienced when they were forced to leave Nauvoo. We crossed the mighty “Missouri” and “Mississippi” rivers (although they were actually only little creeks). It was surprising how hard it was to navigate some of those hills. It was really deceiving. On a few, I didn’t think it would be that hard and then on the way up, gravity starting giving me some trouble. Thankfully, my sturdy pioneer-like wife was beside me most of the way. And the fact that our handcarts were empty probably helped a little, too.

We also had a good time with the marshmallow guns. Tyson, our ex-FBI specialist, taught us how to construct them. And we spent a good couple of hours tagging each other with slightly moistened marshmallows. It was a great week, and just remembering it makes me a little sad that it’s over. Can’t wait for next year!

Skydiving

I’m discovering things about Heather all the time. She’s like the ocean, full of hidden mysteries and marvels. I love it. Well, a couple of months back, Heather and I were discussing what generally we wanted to do for our two-year anniversary, and I was kind of surprised by just how determined Heather was about going skydiving! I mean, skydiving is certainly on my list of things to do in life, but it’s always been one of those things that I’ll try to do next year, never this year. Well Heather was having none of that. She wanted to go now, before school started and before we started having kids. So, what my baby wants, my baby gets (when we can afford it, anyway).
We decided on West Point Skydiving, which is located just outside of Richmond. That way, as soon as we were done, we could go brag about it to Alyson and Nate!
We loved our experience. We had to wait quite a while for our turn to go up because we both wanted a photographer (if we were going to do this, then we wanted it documented), and so that took some time since there were only a limited number of photographer skydivers. But it was well worth the wait.
Our plane was small and cozy. Heather happened to be sitting next to the door when they opened it at 13,000+ feet. I’ve never seen Heather freak out quite so much before as when they opened that side door. She had reason, though; her feet were dangling a couple of miles above the earth. It was pretty funny though.
Here are some pictures to give you guys a feel for it all. I definitely recommend this to everyone.


The "calm before the storm," as my dad would say. The plane was cozy on the way up.



Heather wishing for a refund. (Definitely click to enlarge this pic; it's much funnier close up.)





Heather still losing it as she exits the plane. (I tried but couldn't rotate the pic; sorry for the weird angle.)




And away she goes!




Now she's starting to enjoy herself.



As for me, I loved the whole ride down!