As you already know I went home to Texas last the week before last for my papa's funeral. I was torn on weather to go or not because I hated to go home just for 2-3 days and not get to visit with all my family, see friends of even go to our River House and go out on the boat. I miss being on the water so much and it kills me not being able to spend the summers water skiing like I did for many years. Gotta love the army wife life right!!!! Thankfully my brother only has school till 1pm and has the afternoon's off so we were able to squeeze in one day down at the Brazos before I left. My brother and I grew up here, before we were even born actually our parents would spend the weekends at the river. Finally we both came along and there's plenty of pictures to prove we were beach babies from the start. My dad has us riding on the knee board before we could walk. We would spend our entire weekend at the River. Eventually my dad bought a house down there in a community called Fisherman's Paradise. Its a little two bed one bath rancher and it over looks the canyon. Right now my brother is in the process of remodeling it and fixing it up. There was a flood in the house a while ago and the work is over do. He's always sending my pictures and up dating me on what is going on but to be able to go and see the work he's done in person was so nice. It looks great, not only did it need it because of the flood but it was pretty dated as well. My dad always said once we grew up and moved out he was going to move down to the river house and retire. Ya well Justin (my brother) seems to be a step ahead of him because he pretty much lives there now. Below is a picture looking off the back deck over the canyon and a picture of our boat that my dad purchased from Miss. Hawaiian Tropic many years back. She's a beauty (the boat) and I have so many wonderful memories experienced on her!!!!! We set the boat up and got everything ready to hit the water. Being during the week we knew we'd have the water to ourselves and that we did. We maybe saw two other boats but that was it.
We decided since our little cousin Shae officially passed 8th grade and was moving on to High School that we should take her to do something to celebrate. So down to the river it was. This was only her 2nd time ever coming out and she of course still loved it.
I started young knee boarding, then went to two ski's. Both of which I ABSOLUTELY HATE NOW. They are so boring and you really don't have any fun doing it. I learned how to barefoot on the boom and that's fun but very intense and hard. Wake Boarding was not for me, I can get up but that's about it. I can't turn from side to side or get any air jumping the wake. I so desperately wanted to learn how to Slalom and that I did. I was probably 13-14 and it took me forever to learn how to get up, it was so hard. I started on the boom, then went behind the boat with a double split handle and then finally I got it. I was able to get up with a regular handle after a couple weekends of trying and have never looked back. My mom Slalomed so maybe that's were I get my love for it from. It's my most favorite thing to do. Even more than running and you all know I love to run. Give me a pair of water ski gloves and I'd stay out there for hours. This past April I went home and we went out on the boat. I hadn't Slalomed in almost 4 years and so I was super nervous about getting up and I got up on my FIRST try. I was so stoked with myself. This time of course it had only been a few months but still I was nervous. GOT UP ON MY FIRST TRY. Neither time did I even crash, but I did on the knee board. How awful is that. I decided to give the knee board a try and show Shae our cousin a few tricks and in doing so I totally wiped out. I got back on for another try and after about two minutes I was done and water my ski back. Its so boring I don't know what people enjoy about it.
Is she not the cutest thing ever!!!! She two got up on her first try and it was only her second time ever knee boarding. It did take her a few minutes to figure out how to get back and forth across the wake. Which she kept calling a hill, but once she figured it out she was set. She only crashed twice once when Justin turned around and she had to cross her own wakes and the second time neither of us were paying attention oops bad cousins. She had so much fun, you could hear her screaming, yelling and laughing the whole time she was out there.
Justin is the Barefoot Pro of the family. He's been barefooting since he was probably 6-7 years old. He's competed in so many competitions, doing toe-holes, back-to-fronts, backwards runs, long and short runs and even Damn-to-Damn Competitions. He Wake Boards and also does the Wake Skate but his heart will always be Barefooting. He's so good at it. He got it from our dad, our dad is a die-hard barefooter and has also competed in many competitions.
We had the water to ourselves and it was such a beautiful day. I'm so glad we were able to make it down and have a day on the water. I remember growing up as kids going to the River House it seemed like it took forever to get there. Now that we are old a 45 minute drive doesn't seem bad at all. I'd do it every day if that mint I was coming here!!!!
Shae and Bubby
Me & Shae Shae
Siblings!!! I love this kid so much, I hated him growing up. Ok maybe not hated but we fought ALL the time but now I love every minute with him. It breaks my heart when I have to say goodbye. I know it's not for long but if you knew what we've been through together you'd know we lost a lot of time together. And I'm only trying to make that up now. I can't wait to go back home again and get out on the water!!! My heart will alway's be in Texas no matter were we go.
We finished out the day with dinner at one of my favorite places before heading back home!!!! You just can't go wrong with Chicken Express, people in the South have NO idea what they are missing out on.
