Lagoon

Grandma Stokes came to visit for a week at the end of June.  She thought it would be fun to go to Lagoon with us and my brother's family.  Ryan had a really busy month between High Adventure Camp and Camp Helamen.  Plus we ran the Yellowstone Half Marathon and there may have been more, I can't remember.  Anyway, he was feeling tired and behind on work and wasn't thrilled about taking a day off for Lagoon.  So he agreed to keep Kaden while the rest of us went.  That worked out great.  We didn't have to worry about someone staying behind with Kaden the whole time.  Or him wandering off, which is a very likely scenario.  We split up a little, Sadie can't / refuses to go on any bigger rides.  But she LOVES the littler ones.  So Grandma would hang out with her while I took the older kids on the bigger rides.

 These two act like they can't stand each other, but they sure have a lot of fun when we do family things together.  Which is why I really like to do family things and don't like them to invite friends along.

 I took these two on Rocket last time, and it really got Dylan's heart pumping (he screamed pretty loud too, he he).  So he wanted to go again first thing.  I love this ride.  I've never had reservations, never gotten anxiety.  Pure thrilling fun for me.  Until this day...

 This was just two days after Kaden fell from the playground.  I was still having post-traumatic memories flash through my mind when I tried to sleep.  I had lost faith in the universe and now saw every possible danger that could happen.  Of course I didn't realize how bad it was until we hit the top of the Rocket.  Suddenly the thought of the seat malfunctioning and my children falling to their deaths nearly had me hyperventilating at the top.  I told the kids to hold on SO TIGHT!  Then they wanted to go again so I convinced them to do the one that shoots you up instead of drops you, and that was a little better but still scary.  Awhile after we were home and this day was behind us, I did a quick Google search to see if there are people who die on amusement park rides.  Yes, yes there are.  I don't recommend Googling that.  One kid died at Lagoon on the little dragon roller coaster because he fell out and then stood up as the coaster came around again.  Okay, that's all I will say.  We are all safe and well.  Moving on.

We met up with my brother's family.  And they aren't huge ride people either.  It's hard to blame them after their accident in Hawaii where the parasail line broke and they were dragged by the wind through the water, Amanda nearly died, Kennedy slipped out of the harness and her life jacket and would've died if she didn't know how to swim.  Heights are not so fun for them anymore.  But they like Rattlesnake Rapids!

So fun.  We laughed and laughed.  Marcus cracks me up.

We did convince Kennedy to go on Wicked with us.  And surprisingly my mom didn't like that one because it brought back flashbacks of her car accident a few months ago when they rolled their truck a few times.  I guess we are all just a mess...  

I just had a slight panic looking at this picture thinking "Where was Sadie?!"  Dur, obviously she was fine.  She hung out with Amanda and did the haunted house.  But seriously, four kids is a lot to keep track of!

We went to Lagoona Beach and had a fun time, though the line for the tube slide was WAY too long that Dylan and I stood in.  The older kids had fun going on the fast slides.  Sadie had a blast alternating between Grandma and me and the lazy river or the little kids slide area.

There are a few spinny rides that I just can't do.  I don't like my stomach feeling icky for hours so I just avoid them.  My kids don't have that same problem...  And neither does Grandma I guess!

I can't remember why I bribed Dylan, but he had his heart set on Dippin' Dots.  He was obsessed!  After we had eaten dinner and gone on a few more rides, we made our way back to find some.  It got a little windy so they stopped the sky-rider (the little ski-lift type ride that takes you across the park) and the ferris wheel.  Bummer, but I do get anxiety with those heights so I wasn't too upset.  Kylee and Dylan went on the Samurai!  Twice!  That one is crazy.  They are crazy.  Anyway, we made our way to a map that told me there should be a dippin dots booth right by the carousel.  And it was!

We sat and watched the show, which was fun because they were singing 80's music, but not so fun because they were really quite bad.  We couldn't skip the carousel.

It was a long, fun day.  And even though it was a long drive, it was nice having my mom to chat with the whole time.  Ryan and Kaden got some bonding time together.  Great day!