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The concert was awesome. Taylor Swift opened and put on a very rockin' show, but it still paled in comparison to the groovin' sound of Rascal Flatts. Aside from their awesome sound, they had three huge video screens on stage, combining video and special effects with pyrotechnics to create a truly amazing audiovisual performance. All I can say is that it was very impressive. At one point, there was a thunderous "boom" with the sudden appearance of thousands of pieces of confetti showering the crowd as strobe lights flashed through the darkness, lighting up the endless sea of balloons pouring down from above. .JPG)
After arriving home, we crashed for the night and woke up early Saturday morning to prepare for our annual trip to Cedar Point, currently ranked number five on the Travel Channel's list of world's top-rated thrill parks. Each year, the Cleveland Clinic offers its employees a free pair of tickets for the park, which lies just over an hour away from Cleveland, in Sandusky, Ohio. After packing the car with strollers, coolers, snacks, water, and child-care products for the day, we hit the road. We had driven no more than 20 minutes, when I saw the flashing red and blue lights in my rear view, indicating that I would soon be receiving a speeding ticket. I suddenly felt one step below the mold that grows on stale bread after it's been sitting in the dark pantry for a week. As the officer explained that he had clocked me going at least 15 mph over the legal limit, I expected the worst. Then, inexplicably, he told me to watch my speed a little more carefully next time and then he even volunteered to lead us to the correct exit to take us toward Cedar Point. He actually let me off with a warning. I was amazed.
About an hour later, we arrived at Cedar Point, and despite the blistering heat and long lines, we had a blast watching the kids ride the kiddo rides. Between me, Summer, and my sister, we were able to alternate turns riding the huge coasters and watching the kids. The best of all was watching Andrew squeal with excitement as he rode some of the larger coasters, something he had never been able to do in previous years because he didn't meet the height requirement. Logan also got a kick out of riding the kiddo rides with his cousin, Paiton.
We began snapping pictures to post on the blog, but we didn't get many before our nearly $400 camera suddenly stopped working, despite having a nearly full battery. Fortunately, it was only 6 months old, and still under warranty, so now we just need to fill out several forms to get it fixed. They just don't make things like they used to.
We had a great time at Cedar Point and spent the entire day playing with the kids and riding rides. We didn't end up leaving until the park closed at 11pm, and because of the sea of cars, we didn't leave the parking lot until almost midnight. It was past 1:00 in the morning before we actually left Sandusky due to a horrible car vs. motorcycle accident just off the freeway. We had made it about 5 or 10 miles down the freeway when our car started sputtering and finally died. We coasted to the side of the road and tried for several minutes to get the car to start, but it was all to no avail. It was 1:30 in the morning, the car was dead, all three kids were asleep in the back, and we were more than an hour away from home. Since it was so early in the morning, we decided the best course of action would be to stay in the car and let the kids sleep and wait 'till early morning to phone some friends to come pick us up. We tilted back the seats and tried to sleep, but only rested about half an hour before, once again, the flashing red and blue lights appeared behind us. Because the rear windows were foggy from the moisture within the car, the officer approached cautiously, hand poised on his holster and ready to draw his gun if needed. After answering a few questions and explaining the whole story, he relaxed a little and essentially told us we were crazy to try to sleep in the car with three kids 'till morning before calling for help. In the end, we only lasted until about 3:30 before the kids all started waking up and crying for food, water, a bathroom, and being unable to stretch their legs.Under the pressure of the kids (and realizing we only had enough water for one more bottle for Hannah), we caved in and called our friends, the Shupes (yes, this was at 3:30 in the morning). We felt SOOOO..... bad waking them up, but they were VERY kind about it. Rather than being angry about having to answer the phone at 3:30, he asked if we were all okay, and left immediately to make the hour-long drive through the middle of nowhere to rescue us. They are some seriously cool friends, and we are truly blessed to have them.
We made it home around 6:30 am and were actually able to get the kids back in bed and get a little bit of sleep before going to church. Afterward, we took the van and again made the drive back to Sandusky to tow the car back home. It was actually pretty tough traveling 45-50 mph while trying to keep the car on the road without power brakes or power steering (the battery had died because the flashers were left on through the night, and it wouldn't hold a charge since the engine wouldn't start) and trying to maintain an appropriate distance without dragging or jerking the tow rope. Eventually, we did finally get the car back home, and we all made it safe and sound.
After a weekend like that, going back to work will almost seem relaxing... ALMOST.
