Earlier this summer Marty's brother Mike gave us his boat.  Some people might call it "old", we like to think of it as "vintage" and Mike's wife Chris describes it as "hideous".  Knowing that it would need a check up and probably a few repairs before she was lakeworthy, we contacted my cousin John who is something of a Boat Whisperer, a mechanical genius.  He came by and picked up the boat, returning a few weeks later declaring her ready for the water.  We loaded her up with life jackets, a paddle, and all the essential items for a trip on the water - snacks, water, a trolling motor and a depth finder - the last two items only essential on Marty's list.

The kids waited patiently on the dock as we landed the boat, managing to ask us only every ten seconds if we were ready yet.


The boat is an old 1969 Lone Star, outfitted with a 75 hp Chrysler motor, which Marty tells me is "awesome".  He named her Jennifire, I think as a way of thanking me for letting him make another lifelong dream come true, even though all the lifelong dreams in our garage and driveway mean that I can't park anywhere near the front door.


The kids, as you can imagine, LOVE the new boat.  Martin was so excited about the maiden voyage that he posed for countless pictures.


Including this one where he imagined he was the Captain of our ship.


The kids took turns driving the boat, happily steering the boat from Marty's lap.


From my spot at the back of the boat, I could see the reflection of my whole family in the rear-view mirror.  Everyone content to spend a day on the water, me happiest to have everyone in one place.


The boat may not yet be a beauty, but she's not a total eyesore either.  I am hopeful that she will stay afloat on our adventures, and at some point I hope that I stop imagining the entire back end falling off while we're in the middle of the lake.  So for now, I'm happy that we can explore our area lakes from the water, spending time together as a family.