Matthew's big trip...and a luau party!

On Saturday of our trip to NC, my hubby got to fulfill one of his dreams, and chase some rapids!
No, not in the floodwaters of Cedar Rapids, but on a river in the forest! Awesome! He had a blast, and although he couldn't tell, I was SO HAPPY that he got to go (he just had to promise he'd come back alive to take care of us!) Click the link for pictures-he's the close cut haircut dude on the mid-left.

http://picasaweb.google.com/matthew.shoemaker/RaftingInNorthCarolina

Meanwhile we visited a farmers market and then the grocery store (didn't find any fruit fresh enough/good enough for the price to buy), and took a trip to Andrews, NC (my maiden name). My folks and I had pizza at a little shop there and then headed back. We also took a pontoon boat ride on Lake Chatuge earlier that afternoon where my aunt's 'kids' and their kids got out and swam in the lake. Pretty fun to see them having fun. The deeper they were, though, the colder the lake water was. Just warm on the top! Of course that night was the luau.

The luau included smoked ham, chicken nubbins of some sort (they were from Sam's and heated up), lasagna, jasmine rice, and fruit. Decorations were all there, and they had a dj going. I got up and danced during 'we are family' and jiggled my belly too hard, so I sat the rest out, but really enjoyed everyone else having a good time. It felt kind of like college again, really. Everyone just hanging out and having fun and not worrying about tomorrow. We 'won' a prize for coming from the furthest away (16 hours). It was a little toy hummer that flashes when you roll it. Matthew likes it (of course, a toy!)