Schliterbaun

Okay, I have given up on the idea of getting the water cameras developed anytime soon... did you know that WalMart does not even have the ability to develop film in their store anymore?!?  (At least, the WalMart that I went to doesn't.  You have to send it out to be processed!)  So, here are a few photos that I took with my "real" camera at Schliterbaun while we were on our mini-vacation.  Obviously, the waterpark is not the best place to walk around with a camera, so I just took a few pictures before and after we swam.

We went to Schliterbaun on Tuesday and Thursday of last week.  It was so wonderful!  Corey & I had only been there one time before when we took Allie when she was 2 years old.  That was a fun trip because we spent it with his family, but this time the kids were older (obviously), and we had a blast!  I definately think it will become a traditional spot for us to escape to in the almost-unbearably-hot Texas summers.

If you have not been there, let me explain --- Schliterbaun is a waterpark on the banks of the Comal River (Some people think that it is the Guadalupe, but it is the Comal.) in New Braunfels, Texas.  It is a beautiful area in the Hill Country!  The waterpark is made up of 3 sections.  The newer sections are like a typical waterpark, but the older/ original section is our favorite.  It is almost entirely supplied by the river's (very cold) water, it has tons of trees and is very shady, and its rides are mostly family-friendly.  We all 5 rode almost all of the rides together.  Several of the rides are river-like, tube rides that last 30 - 45 minutes.  The water is kinda shockingly chilly when you first get into it, but after about 3 seconds (literally), you forget about the over-100 degree temperatures that you have been enduring and just float, relax, and enjoy the beautiful view.  Seriously - it is that good!   The minute we got on the first ride, Corey & I looked at each other and said, "Why don't we come here every year?!?"  We all loved it!

~ Allie, Jack, & Cooper ready to get wet ~

~ Jack & me taking a mid-day break ~

~ the view ~

We spent a lot of time in this area where Coop could swim without his lifejacket.

~ the end of a fun day ~

I have said before how my mind is always "blogging".  :)  Almost every time that my kids say something funny, I think, "I have got to blog about that."  When I am experiencing something new or different I think the same thing.  When I am contemplating something, sometimes I write a whole post in my head... I edit it and everything...  So while I was at Schliterbaun I was coming up with my thoughts about the place that I wanted to record. Here are a few of those thoughts (in no particular order)... for what it's worth:

~ You can learn a lot about a person from their tattoos.

~ Almost everyone on earth has a tattoo except me.  (Maybe I am exaggerating a bit.)

~ Proclaiming your love of Jesus with an almost life-sized tattoo of a lion's head on your body is  interesting.

~ Bee stings sting! (Yep, I got my first ever bee sting.)

~ Babies sleeping in a floating intertubes are just about the sweetest thing ever!

~ Adults sleeping in a lounge chair are not so cute... but are sometimes hilarious.

~ Water-shoes are hideously ugly but absolutely necessary at the waterpark.

~ You should always wear cheap sunglasses to the waterpark.  You might just lose them on a ride.  (Yep, I lost my sunglasses and a contact on a water slide.)  

~ You should always bring a back-up pair of cheap sunglasses... or two... because you might go through 3 pair of sunglasses in 2 days.  (Uh-huh, I did!)

~ Hearing your 4-year-old yell, "See ya, sucka!" as you float away from him on a ride is hilarious!

~ Spending time having fun with your little family is vitally important.

~ SPF 70 sunscreen every 2 hours is necessary for very fair skinned people.  (That would be me.)

~ Watching someone pick at their girlfriend's "blemishes" on her back for 45 solid minutes while you are stuck with them in line is disgusting.

~ Hearing a grown man cuss his children out is even more disgusting!

~ Good customer service is one of my favorite things on earth.

~ Teenagers that hate their job and have absolutely no information about any question asked of them is not one of my favorite things on earth.

~ Enjoying a stress-free time with your husband is necessary.  An absolute must!

~ Sometimes beef jerky & Pringles make the perfect lunch.

~ Watching grandparents play with their grandkids in the pool is magical.

~ Having kids that are old enough to go ride a ride on their own is amazing.

~ Riding rides with your kids is even more amazing!

~ Floating in cold water is heavenly.

~ Scenery matters!

~ Big girls and little swimsuits should not mix.  (That was Corey's contribution.)

~ Beauty.  It's all relative.