Proffitteer Road Trips

Every year, our preteen ministry takes the 6th graders on a road trip as part of the closing of their time in the ministry. Daniel and I got to go this year, so we loaded up in vans and took 45 6th graders to Dallas/Fort Worth

We arrived at the church at 6:15 Friday morning (yes, morning) wearing our swimsuits so we could head straight to Hurricane Harbor and not skip a beat in hitting the afternoon sun. I have never worn my swimsuit for so long as an adult. And now I remember why. It is miserable being in a swimsuit that long! In a van, for that matter!

I'd never been to Hurricane Harbor--my days were Wet N'Wild--so I couldn't remember what to expect. But it was so much fun!
Note to HH: please, on days when it is 102 degrees, do something to make your concrete not so hot that it burns our feet. Don't you know people don't be swimmin' in their shoes?

I do not particularly enjoy being in a swimsuit, nor do I particularly enjoy being wet. But for this trip, I sucked it up, smeared on my spf 90 (yes, 90) and had a great time!

At the end of the day the rides were closed early due to an approaching storm. Then the downpour hit--and everyone was freaking out because "we're getting wet!" Wait. You're at a WATER PARK. Water. Park. Get it? So we huddled underneath a picnic area for about 20 minutes, until one of the employees asked us to move to a building

Wait, asking is an understatement. She came running by our picnic area screaming "everyone get to a building! Now! Hurry!" So now you have 45 kids thinking there is a tornado or something fast-approaching, and chaos ensues. We corral our kids (finally), decide we've had enough and run to the vans in the pouring rain. A fun day at Hurricane Harbor!

Next day: Six Flags. We got there at 10. We left at 10. 12 hours at Six Flags, high again of 102, and about a million people. The thing that really floored me was that there were families there with tiny babies--a few who couldn't hold up their heads yet. In the 102 degree heat. Pushing strollers.
Some of the families with babes I saw didn't even appear to have kids of the ride-riding age. That did not sound like fun to me at all. And put some sunscreen on those babies! Somebody!

Daniel and I and a few other leaders ended up with 12 kids we hung out with most of the day. 5 of those kids were terrified of roller coasters. Enter Daniel, my fab hubs.

Terrified kid: I'm not gonna ride this one. I'll just sit it out and wait for you guys.
Fab hubs: I'll make you a deal. If you ride this ride, I won't try to get you to ride one more ride the whole time we're here.

Every kid took his offer. Every kid LOVED the roller coasters and was then sprinting to the next one. These kids were overcomers, and I was so proud!

So we shut down Six Flags, and it was pretty awesome. I'm an avid roller coaster rider. One time Daniel and I took a marriage vision retreat....to Magic Mountain in LA. Too much fun. And pretty romantic as well!

The next day? Grapevine Mills Mall. Took it by storm. And it took all our cash in return. Afterwards we loaded up, headed home, arrived about midnight, and slept like wee babies in 102 degree heat at Six Flags.

6th Grade Road Trip, 2010. Whoop!