We got out on the lake, and Doug wanted to waterski. He tried out his new ski's, and realized something must change. We are going to have to do something about the fact that feet won't come out of the ski's when you crash. He ended up pulling a muscle down the back of his thigh, and had to buy a cane to walk the rest of the trip. Can you say OUCH? The next toy that came out was Big Bertha. We have had her for several years, and had many adventures with her. Poor Taylor and Brian found out the hard way what it is like to blow her up. I was beginning to worry that Brian would be pushed over the side of the boat, or else be smothered entirely. As it was, he was hanging on for dear life.
Luckily, he survived to have many wild rides over the weekend. Thankfully, we came up with a better plan for inflating Bertha so that no one else would suffer the same threat. Brave, fun-loving Brian. He only screamed like a girl a few times.
We saw a few ducks that Miriam was so excited to swim with. At one point, she wanted to chase them down. I had to remind her that she can't swim as fast as a duck. YET.
Doug and Ron anchored the boat between some rocks that the kids (and Aunt Sandy) had a great time jumping from. They went on a nice hike on one, and dove off of the other. Every time I wanted a picture of them jumping, they jumped before my camera could be ready. This was the best shot I got:
I am sure that you can tell this is Miriam, right? Don't you recognize that splash? Hint: Never say: "Don't GO until my camera is ready!" The word "GO" is too hard to resist.
Brian and Miriam and I hung out on the boat while Doug, Ron, Sandy, and Taylor went diving. They seemed to have a great time. We just got sunburned. Well, I didn't. That's why I like the shade. Thank you, whoever invented bimini tops for boats. On Monday, Doug was leaning over to grab something out of the storage space in the bottom of the boat, and was pushed into the seat by a wave. He cracked a rib. Boy, this trip was really turning out to be memorable for him. Just to make it more eventful, it was his birthday. Not a great way to bring on old age, sweetie.
This is Doug dropping down into the water. He was attempting to bury the anchor in the mud at the bottom. I could have taken some more exciting shots of them diving, but I didn't have an underwater camera with me. This is the best shot you get. Personally, I am rather fond of Taylor's leg sticking into the top left of the picture. Nice leg, Tay.
I love this picture because it shows us all having fun and lounging around. We took stuff for lunches so we never had to leave the boat. What a fabulous time to relax. Oh, and please...No peeing in the water. Thanks. 
Need further proof of the effects of the sun? Taylor got a fair bit, but he tanned within a day or two. Not fair. Poor Miriam had quite the time recovering from her over-exposure. She was a bit over-done. Next time, I am sticking a turkey timer in her suit. Hopefully, that will convince her that she has had enough.
This was my favorite picture taken that weekend. I love that Brian and Tay are just starting to catch some air. Let's talk about how difficult it is to take a decent picture of someone on a boat while you are cruising around a choppy lake. Just to make it a bit more adventurous, try taking a picture of someone dragging behind said boat, that is always bouncing the opposite direction than you. Just to show you what I'm talking about, here's what most pictures look like:
Wow. What a fabulous picture, right? Should anyone want to learn this most envied skill, feel free to come boating with us this summer, and I will teach you the finer points of taking a picture, and missing the shot entirely.
This picture is not from our weekend at Sand Hollow. It is from Hebgen Lake near Yellowstone, many years ago, and it's one of my favorites. Big Bertha popped on Memorial Day. What an appropriate day to say goodbye to her. Miriam had so much fun with her, and was sad to see her go. We mourn her passing, but look forward to the next toy. Here it is:
That's right, folks! We have officially become Airheads! Say "Hello" to our Airhead Viper. What an odd combination. Could someone please explain to me how an airhead becomes a vicious viper? How does that work? It has the power to really scare you, but forgets what it's doing, and looks at the pretty clouds instead. I guess it's really not all that threatening, is it? Miriam sure loves it.
