redneck yacht club

Last weekend was 4th of July, as you've probably already heard. Most years, we spent this patriotic holiday out at Lake Texoma cooking out, swimming and spending time with  family. This year was no different.

Little Family History Lesson: My family's had a boat out at lake Texoma for 13 years or so. But before that, my Grandpa Billy Bunk had a boat while my parents were in high school. He would take all of their friends out to the same lake, plus the smartest yellow lab you've ever heard of named Mable, so we're told. You probably think all yellow labs are smart, and you're right, but this one was different. Grandpa tells us Mable  would fetch beer cans out of the water and drive the boat while he skied..hopefully not in that order.

Billy Bunk would take my parents and their friends out on the lake where he (and Mable) would spend hours teaching them to waterski. I guess it is one of those traditions that has been passed down to the following generation. Over the years my parents have become the teachers and us the learners. My sister and I have grown up on the same lake, our parents giving pointers to "lean back" and "keep your arms straight." My dad pulling our friends behind the boat for what seemed like a hundred times before they got up for an instant and fell back down. Then turn the boat around and do it all again. My parents are now the Billy Bunk of the lake...if you trade the yellow lab for a golden retriever in a life jacket and take away the beer cans.

Speaking of golden retrievers in life jackets, check this out...

This 4th of July we kept the tradition alive. We were adamant about going to the lake, despite the tropical storm threatening to send endless rainstorms our way. Tate was lucky to have Friday off and I of course had Sunday-Saturday off, so we drove up to Allen after work on Thursday. Friday morning, Tate and my dad went on a killer of a bike ride. I don't know which was more impressive- that they rode 40 miles or that they woke up at 6:30 AM on their day off to do it! Both are pretty crazy. After the long ride, we made our way to Denison to eat lunch with Grandpa Billy Bunk. It was so nice to see him and catch up.

After a trip to the grocery store to stock up on the usual lake necessities: sandwich meat, orange cinnamon rolls, hamburgers, grapes, cherries, and pecan sandies, we drove to the slip to unload the goods in the rain. It rained on and off all weekend. The thing is, it's never disappointing. Even when it does rain, it's refreshing. The pounding sound the rain makes as it hits the tin roof is soothing, so once you're there you actually don't mind it.

Grandma Flo and Grandpa Lyn came out that evening to cook out fajitas. We had a nice time visiting with them and eating dinner on the deck, watching the rain. The next morning my best buds Kels and Meg and her new hubby, Jordan, came out to join us. Since it rained most of the morning, the boys improvised by fishing. Luckily, Jordan brought enough fishing poles for all of Grayson county. Tate was excited to have a fishing buddy! I caught one! It was blue, but I didn't touch it. Gross. I'm not quite there yet...or ever.

Between rainstorms, we took the boat and jetski out. We had a blast tubing, swimming and just riding around. I am still so sore from tubing! It is such a workout! Later that evening we played games and cooked out hamburgers. When the game wound down, we jumped on the boat and caught the end of the fireworks show on the lake. The next day we went out for a swim to help Chloe get used to her PFD (personal floatation device)...slightly ridiculous, I know. We are becoming "those people." My dad spend most of the boat ride on the way there teaching Tate how to drive the boat.