On Salt Fork Lake...



(Picture stolen from my sister's blog)
 

My parents (isn't that the best photo of them...love...) rented a pontoon boat and, on Saturday, took our family and Lori and two of her boys out on Salt Fork Lake for a day of boating and tubing and fishing.  And, oh, what fun we had.  The weather was perfection with big fluffy clouds and the bluest sky, no humidity and lots of sun.  It was a scene straight from On Golden Pond (one of the best movies ever...EVER). 

 

The kids couldn't have had a better time.  Sam went tubing, pretty fast sometimes, all by himself.  Which made me so proud.  And a nervous wreck.  But mostly proud.  The nervous wreck part of my brain recalled an On Golden Pond image of Kathrine Hepburn's character, Ethel, gracefully diving off Charlie's boat into Purgatory Cove to rescue her Norman and Billy.  Only I wouldn't be as beautiful and graceful in real life.  And Sam was wearing a life vest.  And he wasn't as old.  But you get my drift.  I was ready to rescue.

 

Thankfully no rescuing was needed.  Sam was very brave and strong and you couldn't wipe the smile off that boys face. 

 

Lena went tubing twice with Rich.  But the last time she announced that she was going in "dat ting by myself".  What?  My three year old all alone in the giant orange tube in the middle of the lake??  Kathrine Hepburn rescue images came flooding back into my brain.  Oy.  But since Lena had worked up her courage to do it and was flexing her independent big girl muscles, we gave it a go.  A very, very slow and gentle go.  With Rich and I both poised to dive in to retrieve her.  But, again, no rescuing was needed and she was so happy and proud. 

 

Everyone was just so relaxed and happy, a little mood music in the background, beautiful nature all around, food, laughing, fishing, playing.  I've never seen so many purely genuine smiles in one boat.

 

Thanks, Mom and Dad, for one of the best days ever!  EVER.  :)