[thinkxingu]

My wife and I picked up our Crest pontoon at Trexler's this day last year--we had never owned a boat and hadn't been on one other than cruise ships in the last two decades. We chose a pontoon because we felt it would be safer for our young children and give them some freedom to sit/stand different places--they have come to love standing at the front gate DiCaprio-style.

We weren't in the best position financially, but my mother, who was struggling with liver cancer, really wanted to see the land from the lake and enjoy an opportunity that she had worked toward her whole life--they had purchased a camp in Arcadia, what they could afford, just a few months prior to being diagnosed in August, 2013. Shortly after they bought, my wife and I closed on our own place with the vision of a long future with my parents and children at the lake.

Mom never made it onto our boat. It was a bit surreal signing papers and getting onboard a vessel purchased for a reason that no longer existed, but my wife, kids, and my dad vowed to appreciate every moment aboard "Boatie" (my 5-year-old's choice of monikers).

That Friday night, we set sail from Trexler's and headed to Center Harbor, where I docked for the first time and where we had our first ice cream by boat--it was a magical moment that I posted to Facebook for my siblings to show Mom in her hospice bed.

I like to think she lived her dream vicariously through our adventures.

Mom left us ten days later, but not before I could share with her some great moments of what I knew she was most proud of: her son's success. Because of her dedication and industry, we had the great fortune of experiencing what many aren't fortunate enough to.

It is for this reason that each day on the lake is a gift.

In that time, we have met great people--people we raft with, talk shop with, or just kind people who have lent helping hands at the marina, public docks, or, most often, who have walked us in to swimming areas and helped me anchor.

The lake has also brought many growing experiences: my 5-year-old l'il buddy tubed by himself in Moultonborough Bay and is jumping off the storage area of our boat (the swim platform is no longer challenging enough!), and the confidence he has gained has propelled him to shed his training wheels on land.

My 3-year-old l'il sweetie? Well, she's not quite as brave as her big bro, but she loves sitting on the tube in open water, and I know she'll catch up.

It's been a great ride so far, and we've only just begun.

Cheers,

Shawn

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