Out of Africa

Our jaunt to the Kalahari was a total success. After a quick two-hour drive, (Oh, wait. I just remembered it was a laborious three-hour drive due to accidents and stalled semis on the freeway - three in a 5-mile stretch!) we arrived in the thriving tourist trap of Sandusky, Ohio, and our African oasis. For those of you who thought the Kalahari was a desert in Africa, you are sadly mistaken. It is a semi-arid zone, or the largest indoor waterpark in America, . Ha ha!

We left on my birthday. (Thanks to all those who sent emails, cards, presents, and the like! It was nice to be remembered.) I've decided to quit traveling on my birthday, because it makes it hard for people to do nice things for you, especially your family. My friends had a few tricks up their sleeves, though. Anna made me a great dinner of Cafe Rio pork salads, which are not only delish, but one of my favorites. That was a nice surprise! Four of my closest Michigan friends surprised me with homemade gifts, which I treasure. I picked out my own cake at the nearest Super Wal-Mart. That was surreal, asking the woman to write "Happy Birthday Amy" on a store-bought, purple airbrushed cake. I had to laugh! BTW, in case you were wondering, my favorite birthday cake memories are the Baskin-Robbins mint chocolate chip ice cream cakes I had as a child, and the chocolate raspberry cake Kyle made me from scratch for my 27th birthday.

The park was tons of fun. I enjoyed looking outside at the snow, but being inside in a very warm, sunny park in my swimsuit. Well, I never love being in my swimsuit, but you get the idea. Everyone relaxed in our "village suites," each had 3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, and a kitchen bigger than the one I have at home. The kids were great. I did wake up several times a night to the sounds of Asparagus scratching the sides of the portacrib, which sounds remarkably like rodents trying to get in, but other than that I have no complaints. Here are some pictures with captions so you can get a better idea of things. I'm tired and have a cold, and I think my witticisms have run out.

Kara chills on the couch with the "big girls." She was eating this up!

Kyle and Greg jimmied the TV so we could all enjoy the Wii. Shh, don't tell!

Kyle boogie boards on the Flowrider.

H is all ready for the wave pool.

Bean and a friend loved riding the waves. They both did a lot of the big slides too.

Some hot chicks and cute kids enjoying the kiddie pool.

Kara warms up to the idea of swimming -- this was her first time in a pool!

Just to prove I was here. I'm the one who usually takes all the pics!

And one final treat: A short video of Hayden boogie boarding. This crazy kid got scared of the slides the second day, but thought nothing of going on this totally fast ride. Weird. And, again, I apologize for my annoying voice in the background. Sheesh! You'd think I'd learn to keep my mouth shut. I really was proud of him, though, and he informed me his wipeout didn't hurt at all.