Navitat Canopy Adventure

Hello all, I'm sure you will be glad to see that this post isn't about cheerleading.  However, I did remember another cheer from my Rams Cheerleading days, and I'm sure I'll find a way to share it with you one of these days : ) 

Yesterday morning Sam and I went on an adventure!  Yes, an adventure about 30 minutes north of Asheville in Bernardsville, NC.  And that's about all we did yesterday, because when we got home we had a L-A-Z-Y Saturday afternoon!  We went on a Navitat Canopy Tour.  The tour included 10 zip lines, 2 rope bridges, and 2 repels.  It was awesome, we were 50 feet up in the air in a tree, and we zipped to another tree 50 feet up in the air.  At one point, we crossed the valley, and it had spectacular views!  I would definitely do this again in a heartbeat!  The entire tour took about 3 hours from getting our gear, taking the tour, and then hopping in our car.  I think the videos will do a better job of describing the adventure!

Here I am incoming from a zipline:

This was one of the longest zips and we were 200 feet high at one point along the zip line.  I go across the valley and had a spectacular view of the mountains!

Sam took the Flip with him on the zip line and caught those amazing views!

"Rams are like an Alligator...

...real, real sharp!"  Yes that was my favorite sideline cheer from when I was 5 years old (or maybe it's the only one I remember).  I cheered for the Coulwood Rams Recreational Football team, woop woop!

Currently there is a case underway in Connecticut determining if Cheerleading is a sport.  Rhea if you're reading this post, you should stop now.  Seriously, don't read anymore.

Here's the article.

I apologize for jumping around but this gets me so fired up, and I don't know where to start!

First, Cheerleading is a Sport:
I love what Quinnipiac University is doing (and I wish they didn't have to replace the volleyball team).  I love that they believe in their cheerleading team.  They are athletes, and it is a sport.  Is Cheerleading a Sport?  That is a stupid question.  Of course it's a sport.  Females and/or males form a team, have a coach, practice regularly, compete against other teams, and they use their athletic abilities.  If you disagree get over it!  So what it your high school cheerleaders could barely do thigh stands, those girls practiced every week and it was a sport.  They obviously were not at an elite level, but who cares, not everyone can excel at their chosen sport.  You have benchwarmers on all other sports teams - those benchwarmers are considered athletes even if they can only catch the ball 1 out 10 times.

This lady is an idiot:
Mary Jo Kane, director of the Tucker Center for Girls and Women in Sports at the University of Minnesota is quoted in the article: "No one wants to denigrate cheerleading, but should it be considered sport at the expense of legitimate women's competitive team sports? It's a question of equality," Kane said. "How would people react if the school cut a men's sport like baseball or lacrosse and used those funds for a male cheerleading squad?"

First of all, cheerleading and volleyball are both legitimate team sports (...I know she is saying cheerleading isn't a legitimate sport according to Title IX, college rules, etc), but still I disagree with her!  Second, I would jump up and down if a school cut a men's sport and used those funds for a male cheerleading squad.  In fact, all male cheerleading squads exist.  Once you get past their freakish flexibility, they are pretty cool to watch.  Here's a video for you.  They have a few bobbles and falls, but I thought I might as well promote CHEERSPORT while I'm writing.

While I have you watching cheerleading videos, watch this team as well (It's really cool, you'll have fun watching this routine!)  I love this routine!  This a team of high school girls.  So can you imagine what colleges and universities could do with cheerleading if they would just freakin' step up and acknowledge cheerleading as a sport!  Aarrrgh!  People this isn't 1975 when cheerleaders stood on the sidelines and shook their pompoms!

Okay, I realize I might have lost some readers at this point so I'm stopping now.  I can't believe it's 2010 and people are still debating about cheerleading being a sport....

left you wanting more

I know, I know, you want to see more of Ayla, right!  Well here you go!

She's learning how to crawl.  She's so dang cute, I wish I could pick her up and give her a big cuddly hug right now!

And everyone needs a picture of a baby in a herringbone chair : )  P.S. Nara, if you ever get tired of this chair, you know who to call!

Meet Ayla

I had the privilege of taking 6 month old Ayla Rheann's pictures yesterday.  She was such a cutie pie, happy baby!  You'll see more of this awesome family in a few weeks when I take the entire DeJesus/Skipper clan photos!

Where's Elmo?

Okay, so I had to post these pictures as soon as I saw them!  They might be my favorite of the bunch, and I'm only halfway through the pictures.  When you ask Ben where Elmo is, he points to his belly button....sooo cute!!

Little Man Ben

I had a fun evening!  I got to chase Ben around the park!  It was great!  There's a small park near work and my parents' house that we went to, and no one else was there while we were taking pictures.  It was nice to have the place to ourselves.  Ben is my friend's (and co-worker) 18 month old son.  I used to call him Baby Ben, but he's growing up fast, and he looked like a little man in his cute little polo shirt.  So here is little man Ben : )

I love his little shoes, and he was doing a good job climbing up and down the swingset/slide/playground toys.

We made sure to take little water breaks now and then, it was hot outside!  Emily I hope you enjoyed your sneak peak!

New York continued

I'm backtracking a little bit, I forgot to show you the lovely and fresh New York City Subway.  The only thing lovely and fresh in the next picture is Nichole and Ryn.  I can always count on these 2 for a funny picture.  In fact 9 times out 10 Nichole is doing anything but a regular smile in a picture.

After we hopped in the subway in the Washington Heights neighborhood, where Ryn lives because she is attending Columbia University's Physical Therapy Program (yay for smart friends), we headed to the Rockefeller Center.  One thing I loved about the Rockefeller Center is that the plaza is lined with American flags, it's so pretty!  I particularly liked this shot because of the trees in the background as well.

I thought I would share one more picture from the Top of the Rock.  From Left to Right, Nichole, me, and Rhea.  Happy Friday!

Top of the Rock

We got a few tourist hits in this weekend, not many, but this was one place I suggested we visit after watching the famous Daniels' Home Video which they made at the "Top of the Rock."  Sam's parents and grandmother visited New York City in September, and I remember being amazed at the view from the top of the Rockefeller Center Building.  I was even more amazed on the 67th floor!  It was a very hazy day, which made for a ton of highlights in the pictures, particularly the sky.  I had a hard time getting a good shot of the city buildings without the sky being completely blown out, but in the end, I think they turned out okay.

Before the sweeping city views, here's a picture of Rhea and Me.  With the group picture, you can't even tell we are on the top of the building, all you see is white skies, but this one wasn't too bad.  Still too much light, but you can see Central Park behind us!

Oh Anthropologie, how I love you!

Okay, so apparently I didn't see this super luxe Anthro store while in NYC, but I did see this one right beside the Rockefeller Center...

And it was wonderful!  I could have walked through the store for hours, but I was with my friends and we had places to go and other things to see besides these beautiful chandeliers...

They even make dish towels look pretty! 

I will continue our NYC journey later, but I thought I would share the loveliest part of the city first!