When we arrived we had them put on their life jackets so we could walk up the dock. They asked if Barkley had a life jacket so I pulled out the one we bought him when we bought the boat. At the time, he stood in our living room without moving for half an hour until we took it off so I have never bothered to use it on him. He did great this time but he is afraid to go up the stairs with it on. It will still be good to use it when anything unusual is happening.
Our first evening was a potluck of appetizers which worked great for the kids. They had a lot to choose from and could pick what they wanted.
Both of them slept great on the boat. We told them to stay in bed until we told them it was okay to get up. We always wake up between 6:00 and 6:30 but we slept in until 7:15 and the kids were still waiting patiently! Breakfast was eggs in a bag and Cohen and Avery both had fun writing their names on the bags and then choosing what they wanted to put in their eggs. After the bags are filled they are put in a large pot of water for 15 minutes and when they are pulled out they are ready to eat. This is a very fun activity for adults and children.
After breakfast we had the opportunity to choose a stick horse to decorate for the "horse racing" tomorrow. Even though Cohen and Avery won't be here they chose a horse to decorate and I will be the "jockey" for the race. I promised to send them pictures so they can see how "Captain America" does in the race. I brought my own supplies with me and I must say that our horse was well decorated and looked great. It was our tribute to Memorial Day.
Robyn and Gavin arrived about 1:30 so we relaxed at the boat for a little while so Austin could get his nap. At 3:30 the club started the four boat christenings that were scheduled for today. Ours was one of them and we were excited to have Robyn and Gavin and the kids there to share the ceremony with us.
We gathered on the bow and Rob and Kelly Meldrum blew their conch shells in an ongoing rivalry to see who can blow it the longest. Commodore Ron announced that we were having our boat christened and asked Bob to explain the meaning of the name "Synnova" and how we chose the name. Bob explained that we wanted a name that no other boat had, that meant something, and that people could pronounce if they read it on the boat. Next, we asked former pastor and club member, Robert Porterfield, to pray and ask God's blessing on our boat, for the good times of sharing it with family and friends, and for safety while we are cruising. It was a nice touch that made our christening unique from the others. Then Rob read the traditional reading that was used to christen the Edmund Fitzgerald.
After the christening Robyn and her family headed back home. We were so happy to have the kids with us overnight. They had a great time and so did we.
The next day was Sunday and after lunch the traditional Memorial Day service was held by Alicia and Gary. Veterans that happened to be at the marina were I invited to join us. Alicia talked about Memorial Day and Gary shared some history about Arlington National Cemetery. It was very moving. Following the service we went outside and through a flower in the water in memory of someone who served or is serving our nation. My thoughts were with my dad and Mark. Rob played his guitar as Steve Goedde sang Tim McGraw's song "If You're Reading This". It was a moving song about a soldier who has died and it is his message to his family. It was a beautiful service to commemorate Memorial Day and the men and women who have died in service to our country.
The next event on the schedule was the horse racing. We had two heats and the plan was to take the winner of each heat and have a final race to determine the winner. The kids went first and then the three adults were in the second race. We quickly realized that there was no way the winner of ours was going to race one of the kids so we declared a winner for each race. We lined up at the start of the grid and Ingrid drew out a piece of paper telling which horse could move ahead, move back, or swap places with another horse. It was a lot of fun and everyone had a good time cheering the horses on. I came in second but Captain America looked great!
We had a great weekend even though the weather was windy and rainy. The warmth came from the friends and family that we share our boating experiences with. Thank you to everyone who made the christening of our boat so special!
