Determined to zip!!

Nathan's birthday present from us was a zip line tour.  We decided to do the zip line at the Riverbanks Zoo because we had heard good things about it and Camden could go to the zoo with my parents while we zipped.  The problem was our car!  After a tire problem on Saturday, we had an alternator problem on Sunday afternoon.  After church we went home to change clothes before lunch.  Dave noticed that the battery was low, but figured he could deal with it later.  Well, we first had to deal with it after lunch when we needed a jump at the restaurant.  But the jump did not do much good because the alternator was bad and not charging the battery.  But we thought we could make it to the zoo and then deal with the problem.  Well, we made it to about a mile from the zoo!  The car totally stopped...no power at all to anything.

Needless to say, Dave didn't make it to the zip line because he and dad had to stay with the car and call for help.  Mom and the boys and I hitched a ride with a nice old lady...a good thing to since the mile was mostly uphill!!  After getting into the zoo, Nathan and I sprinted to the zip line start and the fun began!!  We were very determined to get to that zip line :)

 The zip line was fun, although not as thrilling as the Hilton Head zip line.  But the last zip over the river was definitely the best!!

Camden got to ride a pony and the carousel at the zoo.

     

Determined to see the mountains

I love the mountains, but unfortunately we haven't been able to get up there in a long time.  Between baseball and Dave working and having already been on vacation this summer, I knew we couldn't take an overnight trip.  But I was determined to at least have our family make a day trip.  To do this we sent to Columbia for the weekend and then made a road trip to the Greenville area on Saturday. 

But first, we had to get our tire fixed because there was a nail in it and a slow leak.  So after waiting an hour to get a tire patched, we headed up to Caesars Head State Park.  With a stop in Travelers Rest in order to experience their art festival.  Their festival was very well put together and there were lots of different types of crafts and art objects for sale.  I really liked the glass bowl I bought and the ornament that mom bought me.

 

 

After finally making it to Caesars Head, we went to the overlook and also did a short, well an hour and a half short, hike.  The ranger told us there were two waterfalls on the trail.  Well, there were two areas of water, but waterfalls; not so much.  But it was fun to be in the woods and we  brought back lots of leaves :)

One of the waterfalls :)

 

 

To end our day, we stopped off in Greenville.  More walking through their awesome downtown and Reedy River Falls area.  It was even more fun because we got to meet up with my old running buddy for dinner. 

A real waterfall!!

 

 

So even though it took some planning, and our car didn't want us to get there at first, we made it!!  I love the mountains!!

Happy Birthday to my teenager!!

This week was Nathan's birthday and he turned 13!!  Wow!  A teenager!  He woke up Tuesday morning and before he ate breakfast, signed up for Facebook.

He received a Captain America shirt and socks which he can wear when he goes on his zipline trip this month!!  We are taking him on the new zip line at Riverbanks Zoo in a week or so.  Can't wait since I get to go also!  

After a day at school, he arrived home to find birthday cards!!!  With money!!  So between the birthday money and his saved money, he went to the store to buy his Beats.  Now he can have amazing sound from his iPod and not be able to hear anything else at the same time...what a great thing for a teenager.

To celebrate his birthday with his friends, he had a mystery party Friday night.  It was a rock/rap theme mystery.  I bought it online since I really didn't want to come up with a mystery on my own.  He had a mystery party several years ago and he and his friends have been asking to do another one.  I think this one was more confusing to follow than the first one we did, but the boys had fun.  One of them "died"; one was the "killer"; and they all walked around talking like gangster rappers!  I did draw the line on baggy pants and underwear hanging out though!  

Along with a mystery, the boys played lots of football; even in the rain!!  And we ended the evening with Duck Dynasty.  All in all a very fun evening :)  Maybe this teenage thing won't be too bad!