Summer goes out with a BaNg!!

What a way to end the summer!!

**Warning**

This post may be incredibly long... but there are some great pics (see slideshow from above) to look at for your viewing pleasure!

This past weekend, Mike and his best buddy, Andy, planned the best get away that we've had in a long time!! A trip to Flaming Gorge!

I've never been there, so just going at all seemed exciting... and I couldn't have asked for a weekend that was more fun!!

It started on Friday morning. We met up around 6:00-ish... and about 11 of us caravaned up to the Gorge. We got there around 12:00 p.m. We had to boat all of our gear to our campsite... there were no roads to get there, which meant is was that much more exciting!! We went up with 3 boats. Andy's wakeboarding boat, Eva's tubing boat, and a pontoon boat that Daniel got from his work.

As soon as we got there, we hopped on the boats and started making our way to the camp site. it was a weekend filled with fun... wakeboarding, tubing, wakesurfing... and relaxing on the pontoon boat!!

That first day was great, after setting up camp, we boarded 2 of the 3 boats and headed out on the lake. The weather was awesome and the water was like glass... not a ripple!! The boys, Mike, Andy, Alex, and Joey immediately got our the wakeboards trying to show eachother up!

That night (after picking up about 10 other people) we roasted hot dogs, made s'mores, and chilled out by the nice warm fire... it was great.

The next morning... you guessed it... more boating!! I was so excited to try wakeboarding, again. I've tried it about a thousand times and have never been able to get up on a board. Andy promised me that by the end of the weekend, I'd do it. So, it was finally my turn... the weather had gotten a little windy and rainy, but I was determined.

Mike sat me down at the edge of the boat and helped me get strapped in. As I was getting ready to hop off the edge of the boat, Mike warned "Don't hit your head on the swim deck". Well, I'm proud to say that I listened to his warning and did not hit my head... my bum, on the other hand, is a completely different story. I (literally) slipped off the deck with the wakeboard strapped to me and landed right on my tail bone on... the swim deck... the hard, wooden swim deck!!

Poor Mike... the look on his face was utter disbelief... as all the other people in the boat were gasping and trying not to laugh, I looked at my poor hubby and said (with a big smile) "Well, I didn't hit my head!!". He just shrugged and giggled saying "No, you sure didn't".

What can I say? I'm a total clutz... and if you know me, then this shouldn't come as a surprise!!

Here's the happy ending... my first 2 tries were pretty much a lost cause. Everytime I tried to stand up, I ended up on my tummy being dragged by the boat until my arms gave out. Luckily, Mike's buddy, Andy, is the best wakeboarding coach who's ever existed. After seeing my pathetic attempts to get up on the board, he came to the back of the boat and gave me a little private lesson. My next attempt??? SuCcEsS!!!! Andy explained it perfectly and I did it!! He was able to get everyone up who'd never been... Thank you, ANDY!!!

That night, we ended up with about 30 people at the campsite. It was so much fun!! Although not many people knew eachother when we first got there, everyone had become great friends!! The boys had a big Cornhole tournament (if you haven't heard of it, it's a game like horshoes, only with bean bags... and it's totally addicting).

Sunday was the day we packed up to head home. We finished the day with tubing, cliff jumping, and an awesome rope swing... which I promptly embarrassed myself on!! It was sad to leave, but I can't wait to get back there next year!!