Joey-Natalie-Slade-Naomi

BOATING! Joey and I are both water babies. We love to be on and in the water and we just couldn't stand the heat here in Raleigh anymore. So we got a used boat. We love our first little boat! It is a 1990 Marlin Skier, and we have a nickname for the boat but we only share it on occasion :)

We took the boat and trailer to a nearby parking lot at nights to practice backing it up. Ha ha it was fun and we are pretty good! I even had someone ask me the other day at the dock to help them back their trailor up. Joey is an excellent captain and a great coach (teaching people how to wakeboard or surf). We love it. we are having a blast.

6 comments:

Unknown said...: Hello!

Very nice pictures, nice music!
It transmit a lot of energy, happyness!

Congratulations!; July 15, 2008 at 11:21 AM
Big Joe said...: Yahoo! I am so excited you guys have a boat. that is the greatest news I have heard in a long time. I cant wait to come out now. I thought if you werent playing then I would wait to come out, but now this is a new ballgame.; July 15, 2008 at 12:06 PM
Asay Family said...: I love your new addition to your family! I sure hope that the weather is nice enough that we can go when we get there. That would be freakin' awesome!
From all the pictures it sounds like your summer couldn't get any better.
We love you guys so much and Nat you rock! Thanks for loving my brother so much.; July 15, 2008 at 12:47 PM
Pepper Lovin! said...: How fun. I am so jealous. I wish we had a boat.; July 15, 2008 at 11:53 PM
Tiffany said...: Nice boat!! We just got back from Powell, and oh what a time that was!!; July 25, 2008 at 6:41 AM
Steve Curtis said...: I had an uncle who hit his head in a boating accident. They had to put a metal plate in his skull. Now whenever someone starts the microwave he wets his pants and forgets his name. So use good judgment out there.

Love you guys!; August 21, 2008 at 1:52 AM

"Beautiful Like the Darkness Between Fireflies"

Every evening on Richmond's boulevard, our front yard, between the hours of 7:oopm & 8:30pm, the sidewalks are filled with the magical glow of fireflies. There are so many that it is almost as if walking in a fairy-tale. Joey and I try to go on a walk every night at this time and we just watch and enjoy the glow. It is fascinating. I feel like a child again. Last night we were sitting on the couch and Joey caught my eyes following a flying bug. Joey assured me it was just a moth, when suddenly it lit up and glowed! It was a firefly in our house! It must be good luck.

WHALES!

I love whales. Why? Christmas 2006 we woke up to sunshine and glassy water on the west side of Maui. I don't even remember opening presents that morning. We were out on the boat as a family and ready for a Christmas packed with tropical adventure. I was wakeboarding when I noticed that everyone on the boat had become disinterested in me and were anxiously looking to my left. They signaled that they were going to drop me. I thought I was left for the sharks and was less than calm until finally they turned to pick me up. It was a family of whales they had spotted. We watched as they sun bathed on the surface, a mother, a calf, and an escort. I think it was my dad who jumped in the water first. Then several of my siblings followed with their snorkles and soon the adrenaline was pumping as we were swimming with the whales! We were screaming and scared and so excited. I have never experienced anything more thrilling. The calf kept trying to swim closer to us, and he was easily bigger than a car! At one point the escort was about 30 feet under us and we starred him in the eye. You could see every detail. Breathless is the only word to describe it.