"Communication Canoe Course" (aka canoeing with friends)

A few weekends ago our friends took us to a sweet little canoe spot off the highway in Florida.  The river is a few miles long and halfway through there is a spring where the water is crazy blue and freezing.  There is a rope swing attached to a tree that we all thought would be fun to play on.  I was basically pushed off because I had an intense fear that there were about a dozen alligators just waiting below the surface waiting to eat me.  Luckily Mal jumped first and after I saw she wasn't snapped in half I felt a little bit better about being pushed.  It was such a rush to think that you were falling to your death as native Floridans (Floridians? Floridites?) watched you scream in fear...it was a blast.

I bet that there is some place out there that use canoeing as a way to help couples work through their communication issues (if not they totally should).  It was almost humorous to see Mal and Chris glide along the water in synchronized motion and then there was Clay and I as we hit every single obstacle in the river.  There would literally be a 2 ft log with 6 ft of open water on either side and our canoe would hit it straight on.  Clay blamed me for not being able to think backwards and I blamed him for trying to explain it to me instead of just telling me how to stroke.  I think the Bradfords would say that it was awesomely awkward to watch us yell at each other in hushed tones (although we might as well have been yelling because it was so quiet).

All in all we finished the canoe run and Clay and I decided that we still loved each other and the Bradfords decided that we could still be friends.  And we didn't even die from alligators.  SUCCESS!!