Go Jump In A Lake!

The title is not at all meant to be insulting to anyone...it's just what Brenden decided to do when we headed out to the lake last weekend. Mike and Connie had seen several different innertubes when they were camping over the 4th of July and asked Tim and me to give our opinions. We ended up agreeing on a HUGE one that could carry 3 people, 2 on each side and one who sits in the middle.

I knew, immediately, that the first ride was going to be scary. It was just Tim and I and Mike was driving. I swear he was dying to throw me off! :) Somehow, I held on the entire time, even when he kicked the boat up to 45 mph. Tim, unfortunately, did not. I think he was thrown off at least 3 times. OUCH!

We met up with our friend Scott and his lovely fiance Leslie and Scott decided to join us on the crazy raft. I sat in the middle and, although it was easier, I swear I shot up at least 3 feet in the air on some of those bumps. Tim and I are STILL sore...and that was 5 days ago.

Tim and Scott wanted to wakeboard so we hopped on Scott's boat and set off. Somehow they convinced me to try to wakeboard as well. Tim and Scott...they've been doing this for years. Scott can even do flips. Me...I think I knee boarded back in middle school. I didn't get up, not once, but my arms took a beating. Maybe someday...

Eventually we headed back to Mike and Connie, who were nice enough to watch Brenden for us while I drank half the lake in my failed wakeboarding attempts. We decided to relax on the raft and Brenden wanted to join us. I thought he'd just sit in the middle section and splash in the little water that was there. NOT SO! Our crazy child stood up, stepped to the edge, and jumped at Tim. (He had a life jacket on and has been swimming in it every time we go to the lake. He knows he absolutely HAS to have it on. He was safe...it was just scary!) When we finally got over our shock I asked Connie to take a video of him. He was so excited to keep doing it! And once, when he was jumping to Mike, he went under water. I thought for sure he was done and wouldn't do it again. I guess those swimming classes are paying off, though, because he stepped back up to the edge and jumped right back in. No fear!

He also had a fabulous time at swimming today. He was the guinea pig for jumping into the pool to the instructor and he did very well. He even went under and came up asking to jump again. CRAZY KID.



I have had the worst time trying to load this video. I hope it works now...even if it's HUGE across your screen.

Other interesting things that have happened since I tried to post this yesterday:

- Our realtor called to let us know our appraisal came back just fine (YAY!) but that the underwriting was taking longer than expected so we won't close on the 31st. (BOO!) I'm not concerned. They have already moved in and are totally okay with paying us rent. I doubt they are going to back out of buying it after going through so much trouble, moving in, paying us rent, switching the utilities. Someday I'll be able to post that it's sold. Until then...still doing my subdued happy wiggle.

- Our mail has been a mess for months. I know of at least 2 things that should have been in our mailbox, one of which was a bill and another was a card with money. We haven't seen either and it's been since February. I've called USPS 3 times now and everyone keeps shunting me off to someone else. You can only hear, "I can't help you so I'll get you in contact with someone who can," so many times before you stop believing them. And also, if you send someone a piece of mail with money make sure it's in check form. If it's cash they only hold it for 2 weeks and then they deposit it and it's THEIRS. Finders keepers I guess. I said that 2 weeks was way too short and got a long, snippy reply about how they can't hold things indefinitely and how I should see the mail they have come through and yadda, yadda, yadda...blah, blah, blah. Yeah, dude. Just meant a month would be more appropriate.

- Some dude at the gas station decided to wedge his big truck AND his huge boat next to our car. I knew it was a bad idea but if he hit us that's his problem. I wasn't going to stop putting gas in my car and move just because he couldn't wait 3 minutes. In the process of watching him wedge I heard a terrible noise. I thought for sure he had hit us, but then I realized that our car hadn't moved. He had run into the concrete pillar next to his gas pump. I did tell him I was sorry and that I would move as soon as my gas was done. He didn't look like he blamed me, which would have been dumb anyway, but he was upset. I hope the rest of his weekend is better.