Friday, September 18, 2009

Annual TN visit and boating

Every year since 2003 (at least that's as far back as I have the pictures) - Bree goes to TN for a week with my folks and they do all sorts of things together - from crafts to shopping to site seeing

I go down to pick her up the following week and on the way home, we visit with my Brother and family and have our annual outing in his boat on Lake Egypt. It is a powerplant lake thus the water is in the 80's making it nearly feel as nice as bath water!

Here's the progression of the boat trip thru the years:

2003 - we had to convince her to go in the water by herself at first - then she was off like a fish:

Then in 2005 - she was jumping off the boat and you'd think she had done this everyday of her life! Picking on Uncle Richard was a favorite this year!

In 2007 - even more fun! And even got to drive by herself! And naturally, there was swimming!

2008 - more driving, more adventurous in the water and jumping off the boat! Definitely air time!

This year was more of the same!

It is so amazing viewing the progression of these pictures! We grew up in Antioch in Channel Lake and you would have been hard pressed to not find us in the water everyday during the summer - swimming with friends, boating, and basically just being a kid. Seeing these pics reminds me even more of my childhood! I wish she could do this more often with my Brother's family as both Bree and my neice, are only children and it would sure be nice for them to grow up more together and create memories that will carry them as family throughout their lives.

While in TN last year, Poppa (my Dad) graduated Bree to driving the four wheeler on her own - but she had to stay in the yard! (Previously, she would ride in the box attached on the back of the 4 wheeler seen in this pic) This year, he gave her more area to ride in, including the woods. So, when I arrived, she was so excited to be able to drive me around! Well, in the back woods there is a deep ravine, we stopped to admire the wildlife (deer, etc) and she walked to the edge of the ravine to see how deep it really was - and we both heard something - we could not for the life of us, figure out what it was. Then we heard it again - like a bleating noise. Now, there are NO sheep in the area - Shame - cause I'd love the fiber - Miss eagle eyes, Bree, spotted a baby goat down in the ravine. Again, we had NO idea how it got there - but it was early evening, getting dark - and there are lots of coyotes out in those woods. So, we hightailed it back to the house, she got Poppa and they headed out to see what they could do. Mom started calling the neighbors. Turns out a neighbor had gotten a baby goat and it had escaped and ended up in the woods - they had been looking for it all afternoon.

They came on their 4 wheeler and when they went back there - they couldn't find it - and it was dark. So, Bree was kind of sad as we were thinking it wouldn't make it thru the night. Imagine our surprise when we were pulling out the next day around lunchtime to see it tied up to the neighbor's porch again! She is the queen of the 4 wheeler!

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