Easter weekend

Easter weekend was a series of events that I know this family will be talking about for a long time! It all started out innocently enough. Jamie will take his boat out, we'll take ours. We'll meet up and dock seaside for a nice pic-nic lunch. We'll have a great time in the warm sun, then head home following our afternoon of beachy, family filled bliss. Shouldn't take more than 3 hours or so.



annnd, ACTION!

Vicki picks up Brooke so she make the boat trip with Viv. *planning on switching out kids when we dock for lunch*. The in laws meet us at the house to load the boat up. We put in at the overly crowded marina, but that goes well. Settle in for the short, but bumpy, trip past Shell Island...where we have planned to meet up with the rest of our motley crew. The water is the clearest of greens, the white sand is calling our name....so, while waiting on Jamie...the crew decides to go ahead and pull on shore for a quickie sand dip. We quickly realize that the water is a bit too deep for those of us who didn't bring an extra change of clothes *ie: all of us*, so decide to just pull off and wait instead. Unbeknownst to all aboard, the boat has become buddies with the waves crashing ashore and decides that she is content hanging out there for a while, forcing the captain and his wife *ie: ME and B*, to jump ship and push. PUSH us out to sea. This struggle between man and nature last's for about 20 minutes. muscle time. *which, as we all know, can be multiplied by 3 when you're in as bad a shape as I am*. The father in law makes a Gilligan worthy attmept at paddling us along, but his efforts are a bit late...as the captain and I have managed to finally break us free of the ever crashing waves.




But wait! The fun doesn't end here!

After some creative clothing alterations that will allow the mother in laws clothes to dry out *I am talking sheet wearing, folks*, our sister ship makes an appearance and we all agree to head further down the island to more sure water...and an open sandbar. We find a cozy, so the captain backs our trustworthy ship into a nice little spot and finds that we don't even need to anchor her off! Before settling on our final destination...the captain decides to show off his boatmanship and takes to briskly walking along the side of the boat, when all of a sudden, a rogue wave decides to knock him overboard. Yes, the captain is down! His wife is trying very hard not to laugh, while his mother is tense with worry that the captain has suffered some bodily injury! Alas! Nothing is harmed....except for maybe the captain's pride:) So we pull him aboard and he makes a successful docking.

Sounds like fun, you say? But oh, the journey doesn't end here! No, I tell you! The best is yet to come!

Jamie finds that he can't get his boat across the sandbar *darn those new finagled land lubber's!*, so he makes a call to head back to bay side. Meanwhile, I try to make my way across the sandbar to acquire my daughter from their boat. I decide that the waves are going to soak me *if a shark doesn't get me first*, so I turn back to shore while Brooke is calling my name and crying...along with Vicki, who is so seasick at this point that she can barely hold her head up to comfort my girl. Jamie turns the boat around....and we watch our sister crew fade away into the white surf.



Meanwhile, back on the island, we've decided to go ahead and eat lunch and collect a few shells. We've come this far, so why turn back now?! We have a lovely time frolicking in the waves and finding sand dollars to take home for my girl. Yet, all good things must come to an end, so we pack up the boat and leave.





Well, try to leave at any rate.

Sadly, our boat has become one with the ocean. Particularly....the sand. After much pushing...pulling...shoving....we come to the conclusion that we are, alas....stuck. With little hope of ever making our way off of this sandbar that our boat is now calling home. Lucky for us, we have Sea-Tow, who gladly comes to our rescue *for a mere fee of $400. yes, lucky us, right!?!?* With out tail between our legs, we allow the bright yellow boat to pull us through the Jetty's pass, where there are loads of other boater's looking on....surely shaking their heads at our plight. * I will never again shake my head at that dreaded yellow boat. I will merely click my tounge in sympathy*




But all's well that end's well. After an afternoon on the water turned into a day long affair...I believe the in-laws have been turned against the ocean and any idea of ever pic-nicking onshore with us. *maybe that was part of the captain's plan, no!? hmmmm* We made it safely home with only our ego's bruised up a bit.