Hang 10 Hunter

 He is double digits.  I am not doing well with it.  Since when do we have a ten year old?  Didn't I just have him?  I realize I am getting ready to start a new phase of parenting in the next couple of years.  This year Hunter really wanted to go to Sunsplash water park for his birthday with his friends and Deke and I.  He wanted to have a surfboard theme of Hang 10 so we went with it.  So we told him to pick two friends and we got someone to watch the three little ones for the day so that we could go with him.  It was a BLAST.

First of all the two friends he brought with him are awesome boys.  Really fun, respectful and polite but still busy and crazy like boys are.  They would pick a slide and then carry their own tubes up the stairs and talk to each other while waiting and talk with Deke and I.  It was so fun and yet crazy to sit and just visit all day with them and realize how much older Hunter is getting.    

 Him and I found a cake we liked online that was made of rice krispy treats with marshmellow fondant over top of it.  I did my best to copy it and think it turned out pretty good for it being my first time ever working with fondant.  

 We got to Sunsplash right when it opened and it was the perfect day.  Since it was a Tuesday there was hardly anyone there and we practically ran on all the slides all day long.  With no little ones to tow around we were able to slide together, with Hunter and even go down the slides with the tubes for four people.  It was neat for Deke and I to get that time with him without any siblings.  The weather was great and I hadn't been down waterslides in a couple of years.  I forgot how much fun water parks are especially when there aren't any crowds or lines to wait in.

 The boys were up and down every slide in the park over and over again for about three hours until they took a break in the lazy river and decided they needed some food.  I wish I could've gotten pictures of them on the big slides but I didn't want to risk getting my camera all wet so I kept it in the locker majority of the day.

 I love this picture of them chowing down their hot dogs...

 It was hilarious when they were splashing each other with the hoses and suddenly...

 They got drenched from a giant bucket over their heads.  Deke and I couldn't stop laughing and they thought it was awesome.

 They ran so hard and had so much fun.  I couldn't help but smile at the fact that they all stayed where we could see them but definitely wanted to walk ahead on their own or would ask to go up a slide on their own and Deke and I would go down the one next to them and agree to meet them at the bottom.  At that age where they are ready to "spread their wings" a little.  

 We headed home about four o' clock and did cake and presents....

 Then we took his friends home, grabbed up Ave, Em and Hudson and went back to the park as a family and closed it down.  There was even less people for the rest of the day which was perfect.  Deke and I just traded off Hudson and took turns sliding with all the kids.  I could not believe that Emma went down the same big slides as the other kids and loved it! She kept asking to go again and again.  We got home, had pizza and watched a movie before bed.  It was a great birthday.  Somewhere during the day Hunter turned to us grinning and said, "Dad and Mom, this is the best birthday ever!"  Deke and I laughed because he literally says that every year.  Every year.  Happy Birthday Hunter, you are an amazing kid. You are smart and tender and funny.  I know I always say it but you truly make parenting so fun and rewarding.  I love you, Mom.  P.S. How about you "hang 10" for quite awhile, let's not get in too much of a hurry to grow up :) :)