When I was growing up it was the last thing on my mother's mind to teach me how to swim.  She had been raised in a different culture, swimming was just not something she thought was important.

Because of that I never really learned how to swim until I got older; much older.  On a side note, I remember making a list of important things an American child needed to know how to do:  Ride a bike, Swim, Skate (roller blading or ice skating - skiing is included in this category), Read, and Drive (notice the levels of importance).  The way I saw it, most people took all these skills for granted but they were very important.  I vowed to teach my children those things when I had them.

So, while I don't have any memorable stories about water activities from when I was a kid, I do have them from when we didn't have kids - from our pre-kid phase.

Way back when both Hubby and I both had jobs we both hated, we had money to spare (Now we both love our jobs and we're broke - such is life).  So, what do you do when you have extra money?  You buy stuff you don't need. 

We bought a boat.  It was a speed-boat.  A sweet, sleek boat with yellow trim and a fast motor.  As soon as it got warm enough to de-winterize the boat, Hubby and I would go out on it almost every weekend until it got too cold again.  Just us or with friends; it didn't matter.  Those were wonderful times!  Hubby really loved being out on the water.  He loved everything about it and so did I.  We bought water skis at a yard sale and we had various water tubes.  We'd pull people on the tubes behind the boat.  You stayed in the tube until you let go or until you got thrown off.  That was the rule.  Hubby always stopped for me though, what a softy (awwww).  We'd pack food and beverages (beer, Gatorade, soda, and water) and spend an entire day out.  Then, in the evening we'd pull into one of the local restaurants by the water and eat dinner there before going home.  The next day (Sunday), we'd go out again, right after church.

It was exhausting, but it was also exhilarating.  Boating wasn't just about being out on the water.  It was an entire community and about the gadgets.  Everyone waved at each other on the water.  There were boating rules, no-wake zones, safety rules, boat police, you name it.  We learned things like red right returning and how to read navigation charts.  We learned how to cross someone's wake and where to keep the boat when the water was choppy.  We had a cool GPS system and all kinds of boating equipment.  I'd forgotten how much fun those times were.

I remember often sitting on the boat in the peace and quiet of the river, knowing to soak it all in because it wasn't going to last forever.  I do miss having a boat.  But I don't.  The happiest day of a boater's life is the day they buy their boat... and the second happiest day is the day they get rid of it.  Owning a boat is NOT easy - it is a HUGE money pit.  But in those days, at that time of our lives, it was completely worth it, every penny!

This post was inspired by Parent Bloggers Summer Water Fun Blog Blast, sponsored by Little Swimmers.  I'm so glad I got to relive this memory!

"Write a post about your family summer adventures. Post anytime this weekend - Friday, May 23 through Monday, May 26 for a chance to win A “Summer Fun Essentials Package” - a beach bag filled with summertime must-haves such as beach towels, pool toys, a sand castle building kit, and a cooler. Plus, products from the Huggies® Little Swimmers® line, of course."