We set out from the dock on our annual family pontoon party boat trip.  Grandpa is driving the boat.

Soon after, Emma takes over driving the boat.  She doesn't yet have a boating license so we all have to watch out for the boating cops.

It is possible that we might have brought too many floaties.  What do you think?

Kiara has to hold on to the big colorful star floatie so it doesn't fly off the boat.

Tessa isn't so sure about boating.

Braden, right before he had to jump into the water to retrieve Grandpa's hat.  (Grandpa's hat blows off every year and we have to go into the water to get it.)

(Video of Braden retrieving Grandpa's hat… the hat is the white thing in the water.)

Rogene plays the guitar to entertain everyone.

Tessa and Emma got into the raft with me.

Pam and Kiara go swimming.

(Video of Pam and Kiara right after they jumped in the lake.  I think they may have had some regrets about jumping in.  What do you think?)

Emma LOVES the water.

(Emma and me swimming circles in the water.)

Tessa decides to see if she can fit in Emma's floatie.  (Pretty brave considering she told me at least 100 times that she was NOT going in the water).

(Video of Darryl, Kiara and Pam chasing Tessa and I through the water.)

Tangled up in the floaties.

Braden entertains Emma while she floats in the raft.

Rogene relaxing on the boat.

Grandpa staying out of the sun.

All this fun is exhausting!

Creepiest part of the day… when the tree stumps crawled out of the water up onto the beach.  Yikes!

Highlights of the day…

Rogene, Tessa, Emma and I taking a little ride in the raft.

Pam and Kiara jumping into the water and then scrambling to get back out of the water because it was so cold.

The look of pure joy and discovery on Tessa's face when she finally got into the water and realized how much fun it was to swim.

Swimming under the pontoon boat with Kiara, who kept telling me she saw a fish because she knows that gives me the creeps.

Swimming Emma around in her floatie boat and listening to her laugh.

Watching Braden dive into the water to retrieve Grandpa's hat.

Trying to trick Grandpa into thinking we forgot the sandwiches. (Inside family joke.)

Waving to the other pontoon boats on the lake and making it look like we are REALLY partying on our boat.  Why this cracks me up every year I do not know.  But it does.