We arrived in FL on Wednesday afternoon and spent 2 days with Jay's family. We had a great time reconnecting with them, and EB played so well with his cousins. They never missed a beat - it was like they see each other every day. We didn't have anything planned except to just hang out and enjoy each other's company. We left Friday around lunchtime and split the trip up on the way home - stayed at the same hotel, ate at the same Cracker Barrel, and played in the same pool! Hey, it worked the 1st time so well we thought "why not"?
However, the morning we were leaving, something unbelievable happened. Jay's mom turned 60 on EB's birthday and she had been saying for a long time that she wanted to do something that she would never in a million years do - just for the sake of saying she did it on her 60th birthday. The "thing" that she chose was skydiving - yes, you read that correctly. So, that morning before we left, the whole family loaded up and drove to a small hanger in the middle of an open field with lots of very small planes. The funny thing was this was a total surprise to her. We had planned for her to do this while the whole family was together, so we made up a story about how we were going to tour the "Florida's Natural" plant that morning and visit the orange groves. When we drove up to the hanger, she said, "ummmm, this is not an orange grove"! Even though she had been saying she wanted to do it, once she actually got there, I think she began questioning what in the world she was thinking. To say you want to skydive and to actually jump 14,000 feet out of a plane are two entirely different things! However, since we we were all there, she decided she was actually going to do it.
Yep, my mother in-law went skydiving for her 60th birthday! She literally got in a tiny plane, flew to 14,000 feet, was attached to some man she didn't know who was wearing a parachute, and jumped out of a plane all the way to the ground - and lived to tell about it!! I have a video to prove it too :)
This was her biggest fear and I am so proud of her for overcoming it. She hates roller coasters, speed, heights, and honestly gets motion sick in a rocking chair. So this was more than just "skydiving" to her. This was overcoming a fear and proving to herself that she could do it. Way to go Gammy!!
Unfortunately, the trip ended with our sweet boy getting pretty sick. However, tonight as I write this he has turned a corner and is doing much better.
A different kind of Thanksgiving for the Joye's, I think so. Many new memories made, definitely.
My husband snuck out of the window to go to the hotel lobby for freshly baked cookies. He didn't want to wake up Elijah Brooks, so he literally took the screen off of the hotel window and snuck out! Who does that??
He says these were worth it
Celebrating the potty - which EB is doing super fantastic with these days! So excited!
Being silly with cousin Parker
Sweet cousins - Parker, EB, and MaKenzie
Watching the video that you are required to watch before jumping!
I am pretty sure this is just a look of pure shock - laughing because she was crying, and crying because she was laughing!
I am pretty sure this was the part on the video that said, "in case of death....."
Singing the waiver - no turning back. And she's smiling about it.
In front of the plane
1 comment:
Jay's Mom rocks!! I so want to do that, but I think the only way to ever get me to do it would be exactly what you did with her. Drive to the place and say, "We're doing it." That is awesome!
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