Lake Happenings

We were invited to the lake this Labor Day by my brother Rich and his lovely wife Erin. Her family has all the fun things to do at the lake, like

jet ski.

My children, or at least the two eldest, love to be taken out on the jet skis. They love to go really fast and jump over wakes. I don't watch as it makes my stomach churn. But the professor and my brothers oblige and take turns taking the chitlins out. I like when they ride the red jet ski, as it's bigger and more stable and less fast. The children like to ride the blue jet ski because it's the fastest thing in the water. It makes me cringe thinking about it.

Did I mention that Cannon hates the jet skis? The prof tried to take him out and we could hear the screams all over the lake. No kidding, he was screaming. He was going maybe 10mph, but the screaming continued. He's not afraid of being in the lake, because he'll get out there and swim. He's just too cautious to handle being hurtled 50mph over the water with nothing holding him down. I understand completely. And I thank him for it, as it causes me far less stress.

Did I mention that they like to swim in the lake? We take the pontoon boat out to the middle where it's super deep and the kids take turns jumping off the top into the water below. Again, stomach churning. Thank goodness for life vests, because I know they'll always bob back up. How do they do it? I have a hard time just being in the water waiting for my turn to wake board. I like being in the boat so much better. Did I mention that I can wake board? Because I can. I just learned. And my body is hating me for it. Do you know how bad it hurts when you fall down while trying to wake board? Not as worse as it hurts the next day. Believe me.
Here's me and the littlest munchkin. She wore that life vest all day. It was completely uncomfortable for me to try to hold her in it, as she tripled in girth. And she struggled to get out of it a few times. Then she would just give up and fall asleep to the rocking of the boat. Thank goodness.
This is Chance's friend Gavin. Gavin is amazing. He can do everything. On his sixth turn trying to waterski, he got up and stayed up. For a long time. Did I mention that he's 9? And that he's never tried waterskiing before? We pulled him around the lake forever. Chance tried too, and he even got up but he had a hard time staying up. Next year he'll get it, I know.
See this little person? That's Emme. She got up too. She's amazing. That's my brother Rich in the water. He was helping the kids try to figure out waterskiing. He's a good guy, even if he insists on naming his son Maverick. Anyways, right after this shot, Emme feel face first. She didn't want any more turns after that. I understand Em, falling face first into the water hurts.

In fact, everytime we come home from the lake we hurt. Cuts and scrapes and arms pulled out of sockets and headaches and loss of grip in our hands and sunburned eyes and dehydration and sore neck muscles are just a few of the maladies we endure. But the Barros pizza and wings we eat afterwards is worth it. Even though we all know I don't need any excuse to eat Barros.