finally...

...we made it to the lake this year. Excited about our new boat, we got out quite a bit last summer, but this year have not been able to get out until this past weekend. Todd gave into our pleas and broke his long-standing rule of not going to the lake on a crowded weekend day. All my sisters and their kiddos came along for the fun and we had a great time. The cousins cheered one another on and were like little fishies all over the lake (okay, our little cove).

We found a spot to plop ourselves on the shore and pitched our umbrellas. Because of our massive numbers, we took turns cruising on the boat and riding on the tube at a snails pace for the wee ones. We tolerated dining with ants and swam in brown water - tolerable until Gabriel kept swallowing it and kept his eyes open in a futile attempt to see what was lurking in the cloudy water. Gross!




Here is our stuntman Gabriel belly flopping off the tube:

Which is fine, until you realize he's diving into water that only comes up to his ankles. It literally scared the snot out of him - I'll spare you that visual. He was a bit stunned, but unhurt. Thank goodness for padded life jackets.

For us, while we do have a most enjoyable time, tensions run a smidgen high at the lake. When we first got the boat, we joked about naming our little water vessel. After a few times out on the lake, it was determined that it should be called AD - for Almost Divorced. I was new to driving the boat, and I just can't will the darn thing to go where I want it, when I want it. Forget about backing the trailer onto the ramp. I've tried. Believe me. So, I get annoyed that I can't do it, and Todd gets annoyed that I can't do it (and in a timely fashion). Then I'm annoyed that Todd's annoyed when I'm really really trying, and so it goes. I find now that it's better for our marriage if Todd just does it all. So the lake is pretty exhausting for him. We are making progress in our dealings with one another, though. Once we are done for the day, and I drive the boat up onto the trailer (albeit crookedly), we're all good, and we do look forward to our next lake outing.