Boating at Jordanelle

(Yay! Thanks to my brilliant cousins, I learned how to upload more than 5 pics! Thanks Geana & Lynsie!!)

So we joined the ranks of those with "toys" this past weekend when we headed up camping at Jordanelle State Park and rented a boat for 4 hours. (Brief background note: Jeff and I were at a neighbor's party last year when a couple asked us what "toys" we owned... meaning RV's, boats, 4-wheelers, etc. We felt like those kids who compare Christmas gifts to see who's cooler, and we were the uncool ones with fewer gifts... clearly indicating we weren't as loved as the cool kids. But we have decided that though we may be the uncool ones with no "toys", we are also the debt-free ones with no monthly payments. So it all evens out in our minds...) Nevertheless, we thought boating would be a fun adventure to take the boys on for their last weekend before it's back to school... Thank goodness for companies who rent "toys" so that we don't have to take on the monthly payment!


We stayed overnight in our tent (not my favorite thing, but yet again, something I endure for the sake of fun memories for my boys). Then bright and early the next morning (we're talking BEFORE the sun rose), we headed over to pick up our rented speed boat & tube (we got a discount for renting during the 7-11 a.m. block).

It was still a little chilly for the rest of us but Drew insisted he was ready to be the first to ride the tube.


Jeff drove the boat like a mad-man trying to make waves for Drew to jump over. Drew was a really good sport about it until Jeff caught some major wakes and Drew went flying off the tube head first into the water! Thank goodness he's an awesome swimmer, but the impact of the water on his face really freaked him out... from then on he made us promise never to go above 20 mph with him on back.

Eventually we convinced Will to ride the tube with Jeff. He wore his pajama shirt on top and his swim trunks on bottom. He made me promise not to drive more than 4 mph, but after about 30 seconds he was signaling for me to go faster!

Then we couldn't get him off the tube! He just kept wanting to ride it again and again with each of us.

We even brought Max along (which being a new dog owner seemed weird to me at first, but it turns out lots of folks bring their dogs on their boats...) and they supplied us with this adorable doggy life vest. Who knew they made such things?!?

He was such a trooper about wearing the vest too. He couldn't sit with it on though so he had to lie on his side if he needed a rest. It was really quite cute! Notice his leash is still attached... we attempted to take it off him but Will was so freaked out that Max may jump overboard that he cried and cried until we hooked him back to the leash. It was cute to me because it shows that the boys are really growing a bond with Max... making the thought of getting rid of him fade slowly away (I don't presume to speak for Jeff, of course... he'd get rid of Max in a heartbeat!).

Finally it warmed up enough for me to give it a go on the tube, and I decided to bring Max with us. He loved it, but he kept trying to jump out, so we had to put him back on the boat.

I actually really liked riding on the tube... except when Jeff decided to drive like a mad-mad trying to flip us off the tube... that part was not so much fun.

This is what I was looking forward to doing on the boat... just relaxing and soaking up the sun! Ahhh!

We all took a gazillion turns on the tube and then took turns driving the boat around the lake. We would just stop the boat sometimes and hang out too... 4 hours proved to be the perfect amount of time to enjoy the boat.

And of course, we had the do a family pic before we returned the boat... gotta love the self-timer!

Three cheers to an amazing and fun day on the lake! It was a great day... and worth every penny!!!