The sun was out and beautiful before we were even stirring today. It didn't surprise us that the day we would be departing would of course be the most beautiful of those we've seen so far this weekend, but it is what it is, and at least it made the offloading process a prettier experience than doing it in the rain.
even the ducks were out and about!
We rallied together to clean up the boat, collect trash and personal items, and sailed away from our cove back to the marina. It was nearly a 2-hour trip on the houseboat, but a great opportunity to dry off towels and other miscellaneous things that had managed to become waterlogged from yesterday's storms.
sunny day for a slow ride out :)
We hit the marina and began offloading everything.
we actually had more than this when we showed up.. haha
There had been talks of possibly taking the guys' boats for a final cruise around the lake once we got the houseboat back to the marina, but by the time that happened and we started counting the drive times that lay ahead, we all agreed to take a rain check on it, and promised to get back together for round 2 as soon as possible.
kenny loading up
It is rare that our leg of the trip is the shortest, but we lucked out this time with a trip home just shy of 3 hours, compared to the 7/8ish hour trip for the Illinois folks, and the 12+ hour jaunt for Mike and Esther back to Florida. We prayed for safe travels (done & done, amen!!) and hopped on the road for Ohio.
We drove... and drove.
And drove.
And arrived at home!
And then I went to WORK. For 2 hours.
uh huh... *sigh.
It's scary how adult-ish I've become, going in to work on a Sunday evening so that I'm not insanely overwhelmed tomorrow when I hit the floor after missing two full days last week. Haha.
At least tomorrow is the Colombia v. USA USWNT match-up. LET'S GO, USWNT!
So it stormed last night like I haven't heard it storm for a long time, and this morning we awoke to the leftovers of the storm. Tables, chairs, plastic bins and grill trays were all brimming with freshly poured water, and the mist hung around for a better part of the morning. Despite the early hours, there was already plenty of activity onboard:
that time the boat ran out of WATER... [in the tank]
And this...
old hot dog fishing..
It was barely drizzling when we collectively decided to go ahead move the boat to another cove, closer to 76 Falls. Rob and Kenny took off in their boats, while the rest of us enjoyed the view from the patio as Ryan captained us to the new destination.
boys running circles around us
From there, it was a late breakfast and then off again towards 76 Falls where we tied off to a couple of other Bajas and took in the experience of a full-blown boat party.
here we come!
My Way, the catamaran that took the LOTO shootout title, came coasting through at one point too, which was a sight for all of us!
my way
boat party! :)
The clouds started to gather again, so we decided to make it an early afternoon and head back to the houseboat for lunch and determining our next moves. With no hiccups in direction today, we all made it back at the same time, fixed up lunch and then spent the afternoon lounging and fishing. The guys and Esther took off on a mini fishing excursion around the cove, which ended just as they ushered in the sunset.
**Fishing pix - others **
I caught an IG capture of it that the Lake Cumberland page regrammed! Small things, I know, but I thought it was pretty cool ;)
thank you, lc!! ♥
The evening hours rolled in, and I found myself parked on top of the houseboat with my book in one chair, and Taryn in the adjacent seat. The gang was preparing to head out to a club for the night, but Taryn and I opted to hang back, a decision I still don't regret.
The stars were out in full force, with a perfectly clear viewing of the Venus & Jupiter Conjunction! It was GORGEOUS!
Taryn and I covered a lot of ground getting to know each other a little better tonight; I've always liked her and while we've spent a good amount of time together in casual outings, we've never really had the chance to dig in and get to know the other. It was refreshing, and I'm really thankful for that time. Thanks, Taryn! :)
The gang eventually came cruising back in, with some fun stories of other bar-goers and lake regulars from the stops they made. We all convened downstairs for a couple more hours of fun, including several hilarious rounds of Heads Up. My apologies in advanced for the video quality. Our double-wide-on-pontoons looks extra classy here too, I know ;).
With that being said, I think we've had enough action for one day.
Good night, beautiful Cumberland!
It's been a while since we woke up super early and were actually excited to be awake before the sun. We had a very important destination to reach today, so it was not only totally warranted, but highly anticipated!
We loaded up, climbed in, and took off..... TO CUMBERLAND! :D
loaded up and car ride crazy! yeeeeshhh haha
We rolled into the parking lot at the bottom of the switchback hill, where it wasn't long before Mike and Esther pulled up next to us. The four of us got a head start on dropping in and drifting over to the main office to get introduced to the houseboat on which we'll be spending the next three and a half days!
hello houseboat!
What a fun little hideaway! I mean, it's basically a double wide on pontoons, but there's a hot tub and a waterslide on the top deck, so... yeah..
seven year old cori is extremely excited about this...
We just started getting settled in when Kenny and Taryn appeared up on the bank, and before long, they'd loaded their boat and weekend gear into the houseboat as well.
snack corner assembly.. haha
on board with this guy! ♥
We each staked claim to cubbies for sleeping, setting one aside for Tawny and Ryan. The Cumberland staff eventually came to escort us out of the cove into the open waters.
our escort with mike & "captain kenny"
We cruised for about 20 minutes before we found a spot to anchor up to a shore and took advantage of the time to unwind and settle in..
here we go, cumberland! :)
mike atop the houseboat rob's boat on the left, kenny's on the right
We've all been driving all day, so as the sun starts setting, we'll be unwinding and probably calling it an early night. Tawny and Ryan will be here somewhere around midnight-1am tonight, but with any luck, some of us will be asleep by then ;).
For now, we're here in Cumberland, and ready to go!
I can't tell you how thankful I am to have woken up to these two today. Rob was not here this morning when I left mid-morning for work, but after the night we all endured last night and the overspill to this morning, they were the perfect little faces to see.
Speaking of the overspill, the better part of the morning today was spent cleaning up from the mess of yesterday and making plans to rectify the damage that has been done. Thankfully, nothing irreversibly permanent or serious has come out of this, but even this morning some of my other concerns were validated through the communication exchanged before I even got to work. It's exhausting. If you're reading this and have no idea what I'm talking about, I would only ask that you just pray... for me, for my family, for my daughter & for some peace and endurance to focus on the blessings that come from every situation, joyous or challenging as they may be.
I was beyond grateful that today passed without much conflict at all. I finally got into that groove of functioning, halfway through the day, just in time to make reservations as something of an I-Owe-You to Rob for everything, but also because he'd never been.....
.... to...
THE BOATHOUSE!
out to dinner with my best friend ♥
We both needed a night to just be there, in each other's presence and with or without words remind the other that neither of us are going anywhere. We are in this together, and now that certain words made have been proven weightless, we have successfully navigated our way through another battle, together. I am especially grateful for this man tonight. For my daughter. For our Christian and moral values and determination not to quit when the first stones are tossed at us. For the realization that I finally have someone in my life who is there for me, not for his own selfish gain and recognition. I may feel a little battered after yesterday and today, but I am also feeling hopeful. Exceptionally so, at this point.
And with that being said, dinner was about as much excitement as either of us could handle tonight, so we declined a very tempting offer to meet up with Kalyn & Keifer, and rather to just sit this one out.
I'm thankful, but exhausted.
See ya'll tomorrow, blogbots.
