Summer Adventuring | Part Three

This has been a pretty awesome summer in terms of adventures.

After our fun times  camping with my brother & family & friends + and our Seattle experience we stopped at home for one night before heading out to a local favorite: Fern Ridge Reservoir. 

Friends with boats tend to be very fun friends. 

We're lucky to have a couple friends from college who have boats and one of them has a membership out at a boating club at Fern Ridge which enabled this big group to head out there and bring all the kids and set up tents and enjoy each other. These are college friends that Chris and I share - they are all doing pretty darn good adapting to our new relationship. 

Photos included in this post are a mix of iPhone and DSLR. Digital brushes featured on photos include: Summer Activities, Because I Love You Labels, and We Do Love.

Aaron and his kids came out which meant Anna and his daughter were attached at the hip. They are mischief makers. 

Simon had lots of room to explore and check things out on the docks. 

Say hello to Heather - my friend of twenty years now. 

As I mentioned above, going out in the boats is a special treat for my kids. 

Both were super excited for the experience. 

Anna might just be the kid standing on the tube. Might. 

Don't worry, we were going really slow at this point. 

But yes, that's her. 

I have fond memories of spending time with family friends when I was a kid and getting to go out on their boat. We had a boat but it was a drift boat which is absolutely not the same thing. Great for salmon and crab. Not great for going fast and water skiing or tubing. 

Needless to say, they had fun. 

And so did I. 

That's me and my friend Jonathan doing a double-cannonball off the back of one of the boats. 

Ah, yeah. 

I love the water. 

Always have and probably always will. 

I think that love of water has been passed on genetically to my kids. Especially to Simon. 

I posted a version of this image on Instagram and wrote, "This kid. I can guarantee you right now he's out there talking through The Hobbit or The Wizard Of Oz. Love that he loves the water and wanted to go out again on his own."

He'd been really repeating both movies during our time out at the lake so I know he was out there enjoying uninterrupted time running through his favorite pieces of dialogue and seeing the images in his mind. 

It was one of those moments I just sat on the grass and watched him and marveled at life and the light and his awesome spirit.  

Another story that's missing a photo from this weekend was Simon having his first experience on waterskis.  

He was so excited after watching the other kids his age (and younger) and had his heart set on trying and there was no way I was going to dash that enthusiasm. He got in the water. My friend Heather who has been waterskiing since she was a kid and is awesomely patient and an excellent teacher, got in with him. They got the skis on and talked him through the steps, reminding him to make sure to let go of the rope if he falls. Number one thing is to let go of the rope. 

Have you ever tried to waterski? 

It's HARD. It's hard for people who are physically fit. It's hard for people who are coordinated. It takes practice and persistence and more practice.

It didn't go so well. 

He let go of the rope a little too late. 

To say he was pretty upset would be an understatement. He was past the point of listening to us talk about how many times we each had to practice and try and fall before we were able to get up on those skis. That part was really hard for him to understand. 

But HE TRIED. 

And man I was so proud of him for being excited and for simply trying. That was a pretty big step for him.

The crew. I've known these guys for over 20 years. I attended each of their weddings and they were all at mine. I'm thankful that we all continue to care for each other and our growing families. 

Good guys. Hilarious. Smart. Fun. 

For some reason we didn't do a picture of the ladies. Next year. 

Of course, camping would not be the same without S'mores. 

Super thankful for these adventures. Super thankful for these friends. Super thankful for this life.