The Allsups: Sky Diving

For Father's Day I took Derek to do something that he has been wanting to do for a long time...sky diving! I managed to keep it a secret until last night, but I decided I better tell him just in case he wanted to chicken out. I think that I gave his mother a heart attack when I told her what I was planning to do, but that's what she gets for letting him ride 3 wheelers when he was two :-). Derek is definitely an adrenaline junky!

We left this morning at 7:45 and my parents came over to watch Haley. This was the longest that I have been away from her since she was born (and it was only 4 hours). I have to say that I did pretty well. I didn't even call to check in on her.

We got there at about 8:45. We had to go into a "classroom" where they ran a Sky Diving Liability Waiver Video that repeated over and over that sky diving is dangerous and that there is a possibility that you could die. Very reassuring. Then at the end of the video they showed all these happy clips of people sky diving for the first time. After filling out 6 pages of waivers, Derek was ready to go. His instructor gave him some instructions and then it was time to go.

His group got on a trailer that drove them out to the airplane. Then they were off! As I sat on the ground I think I was more nervous than Derek. He said that his instructor asked if he wanted to do some spins in the air and of course Derek told him yes. So while he was free falling the instructor spun them around. I am sure that the instructor loved Derek because he was up for anything (shocking, I know). The free fall lasted about 50 seconds and then the parachute ride was about 4 minutes. Derek loved every second of it.

After he landed, I was waiting to see his expression. Derek is so even tempered so I had trouble telling if he enjoyed it. Then he gave a huge smile. He said that there is no feeling like it. I think he is already excited to go again. So I have promised that next time he goes I will go with him. After watching people's expressions as they landed I think I am up for it!

Derek and his instructor