Tree!

So...apparently, UTVs and trees don't mix well. Who knew?  OK - I'm guessing most people did, but I had to test the theory!

We went out for Family Fun Day again yesterday. We loaded the UTVs and the dirt bikes for a fun outing. Unfortunately, Mother Nature was not in on our plans. It was colder than we wanted and never warmed up as it was supposed to.

As we were unloading the UTVs, The Boy and The Girl took off on their dirt bikes.

Neither went on trails; they simply rode around the prep area. They had a lot of fun with that.

Afterwards, we loaded up in the UTVs and headed up the trails. Typically, The Husband starts out with one child and I with the other. After lunch, we switch. Since The Husband took The Girl alone last weekend (The Boy had football), he took The Boy for the first round yesterday.

Generally speaking, I have NO CLUE what I'm doing in these UTVs. I just follow The Husband wherever he goes. We had been riding the trails for a while and he stopped to ask if I wanted to go where he and The Girl went last weekend. I said sure...I'd follow. As we were riding along, I managed to hit a tree. It was not a big deal...I heard it, but it did not stop us at all. The branch hit the roll-cage. All was well.

We continued along up through the trails. The Husband, who was driving the Rzr, went between two trees. It seemed to be a narrow trail. I, driving the Ranger, turned to The Girl and said, "This seems to be a silly thing to do!"  Of course, no sooner did those words come out of my mouth than we were stopped.

WHAP!

We did not fit through the trees! I managed to back out (after cracking some plastic and bending some metal). It was a long trip back to the truck. I managed to bend the tie rod (whatever that is), so the two front wheels could not be facing the same direction at the same time.  Despite it all, I managed to limp the Ranger back to the truck where we loaded it up for the day. To say The Husband was upset would be the understatement of the century!

Apparently, this part it not supposed to be bent...it is supposed to look like this...

 Another angle...Again, this part is not SUPPOSED to be "U" shaped, but rather straight...

I maintain it is a testament to my AMAZING driving skills that I was able to get through the trails and back to the truck with a bent tie rod. It took MAD skills to maneuver the Ranger and I did it because I'M THAT GOOD!

After we loaded the Ranger, we sat down for lunch. Everyone calmed down (and yes, everyone is OK - no injuries). The day turned out to be great because since we only had the Rzr (which seats 2), the kids had to ride their bikes more. The Boy decided to venture off up a trail with The Husband following. When they returned, The Girl wanted to give it a try. Both kids rode their dirt bikes and The Husband and I followed in the Rzr. We were so impressed by how well both kids rode the trail (which was, for the most part, a simple ride...almost like a dirt road). There was only one big hill and The Girl did an awesome job on it, despite her fear.