Kayaking adventures...

Jeff and I went kayaking yesterday with my aunt, her partner, my uncle, my two cousins and my mom. This was my mom's first time out. Since we planned the trip out my mom has been so concerned about tipping or getting really wet and I was very adamant that we weren't going white water kayaking and that unless she gets some spray from her kayak paddle or falls in, she won't get wet. I told her that all the times I've been out I've never gotten more than a sprinkle on me and other than my feet when getting in and out of my kayak, none of the rest of my body has gotten wet. (can you see where this is going?)

Well we went to a big lake and the lake had a creek running into it so we decided to paddle up the creek. To get to the creek we had to go into a shallow area and we all got stuck. Vicki had to get out of her kayak to pull us all to deeper water just over the shallow area.

(The picture above is her pulling my mom into deeper water. Too funny!)

There was a downed tree and some of us went under the tree to the other side to ride a few SMALL rapids (really, I don't know if my kayak moved any faster than the current was moving outside of the rapids when I went over them). My mom stayed behind with my aunt to wait and float and just relax and enjoy. We came back through and I got stuck in the tree.

I was able to break one of the branches to get out of being stuck. Then it was Jeff's turn and this is what happened to him:

In he went! (This was after, when he moved to shallower water and my cousin and aunt came to help him pump out a minute later).

So they finally get him pumped out and back in and not 30 seconds later does the current take me and I couldn't paddle out. I went into a HUGE sticker bush along the shore and... you guessed it! I rolled in too!

That picture is everyone trying to help get me pumped out. They eventually just lifted my kayak up and dumped it because there was so much water in it, haha. Then I had to try to get back in, but the water was higher here and I'm shorter than DH so it was hard. They were afraid I would fall back in! But I made it! Jeff didn't get hurt but I got a NASTY cut on my right hand and a very mean bruise on my right knee and cuts up and down my right leg (which was the way I rolled, so it makes sense). I'll spare you those pictures!

I think it is hilarious that I was adamant that my mom wouldn't get wet. She didn't, but WE did! HAHA!

Then we had to race a storm back to shore that started to come. I am SO thankful I left my BlackBerry in my car and that my camera was in a plastic bag that floated. Unfortunately, my waterbottle is resting with the fishies. :(

Seriously this was the most eventful kayaking trip I've EVER been on!