A Day On The Water *part 2

The many faces of Shae Shae and her goofy self. I have so many photo's of her on my camera and phone from her high-jacking it while I was home. I don't know if I'll ever get through them all and clear it out. Before skiing we decided to stop for a bit and take a dip in the water. Some people are weird and wont swim in the river because they can't see what is under them. Me, I've grown up here and Love it so it doesn't phase me a bit. Frankly I'd rather not know. 

The water was nice and warm, almost hot in some places. Still so nice and refreshing to enjoy. 

Shae had so much fun knee-boarding that she couldn't get enough of it. She was cracking up the whole time, having a blast. We passed a few deer on the beach getting water at one point and she started waving and telling them hello. 

We had a such great time spending the day on the water. We were all exhausted be time we got home. 

I totally forgot that Shae got some pictures of me knee-boarding while when I went. I haven't done this in YEARS and after this two short runs I remembered why. Just not my thing, still had fun but love my ski. I jumped in the water with the board completely forgetting I had my sun glasses on. Thankfully I didn't loose them, even when I crashed. As you can see in the bottom right picture, I was done. 

I can't wait to go back home and go out on the boat again. The hubbs has been down to our River house several times but he hasn't been out on our boat. He's only seem pictures and video of me Slaloming, I can't wait for him to see me in person. Hopefully the Army will be nice and station us a little closer to home soon. Less than a year left in the South so we will see. 

Here are two video's of me Slaloming. 

JT- Bubby Barefooting 

A Day On The Water

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. 

12th Annual SparkleBerry Swamp Poker Run

When Kelly first mentioned something to me about doing the Swamp Poker Run with her & the fam, my first though was "its a run / race"?? What is it, I don't understand..... she told me to google it and look up pictures. After doing so I was in and knew it would be a blast. I've never been on a fishing boat before so it was going to be a new experience for me. A day out on the water with some great friends I couldn't wait. 

I'm sure your still wondering what the Sparkleberry Poker Run is......let me explain. Everyone gathers at Lake Marion and puts there boats in the water. There's any were from 2-10+ people in each boat and there was about 350 boats. It's along the same lines as playing poker. You can purchase as many poker cards as you'd like. We got two for the seven people that were in our boat (they are $25.00 a piece). There are 5 stops along the lake were you pull off to and pick a card from the dealers at the boat stations. You give them your poker card (a piece of paper) and they mark what card you got in the box that goes along with their station. As you go along the lake there tons of boats playing music, jammin out, enjoy lots of adult beverages and good food. It's great because you can get out and swim and hang out as long as you want. There's no time line to it, your not trying to see who get's to the end first. Your really just out there to cruise along the lake and have a good time. We spent 6 hours out on the boat and I had a nice little sun burn going on, thankfully my face didn't get burned at all thanks to my hat Kelly had got me for my birthday. Working on my summer tan!!! At the end of the day once we got back to the dock everyone met up and they were through all the poker cards and who ever had the best hands were able to pick a prize from the tables they had set up. They had prizes for just about any and every hand you could of had. Of course they started with the highest and best first. We ended up getting Harry, Kelly's husband two duck calls. He liked them so that's all that matters, they definietly got their money's worth back. 

I had such a great time, it was honestly by far one of my favorite day's here in the South so far. The only thing that could have made it even better would have been if the hubbs could have can. But I guess someone's got to train America's future Soldiers.