OUR NEW BOAT
Let me introduce you to the new member of the Hadley/Nield family. This is Doug (or at least that's what they're calling it for now). Quinn has no less than begged and pleaded for a fishing boat almost every moment for the past 8 months. Before that he kept talking about one but it seems his persistence hit an all time bombardment of my every breathing moment since Spring started and he actually manged (although I still don't know how) to convince me we should make a fishing boat "investment." Quinn and Nick's LARGE obsession has resulted in this sparkly stratus sitting in the driveway.
Pictured above is the first official day with
Doug and Q couldn't wait to show me. I'm surprised he made it through church before we headed over to Matt's house where it was parked. I tried to hide my enthusiasm for a bit as I was still quite chagrined over having shown such weakness by condoning the purchase (Dave Ramsey would throw us out of the country right about now), but I had to admit that it was a great buy. Q and Nick are 50/50 partners which probably is for the best since, if one of them had bought it outright, the other would have used it half the time anyway.
We waited a couple weeks before we broke the news to my parents:
Quinn couldn't look prouder if it was his first born!
...And my prediction of a money-pit comes to a not so subtle fruition. Here Q is putting on the registration. In an act of great generosity Nick let him have the honors and I think it made Q's year! His hands were practically shaking he was so excited.
The MAIDEN VOYAGE:
(Below) Have you ever seen a look of such complete joy?
I don't think I saw this twinkle in his eyes on our wedding day! :)
(Above) Very willing deck hands.
(Above) Q and Nick gleefully demonstrate how easy it is to jump in the lake from the boat.
(Above) Any boat of Q and Nick's must have a peanut gallery.
See what it feels like to be a boat owner:
Watch "The Boat Ceremony"
You might enjoy this.
Here is a sampling of the reasons Q gave me
detailing why I should let him buy a fishing boat:
1. It's pointless to have a boat club without a boat.
2. The guy who's selling it is so nice.
3. The wife of the guy who's selling it gave up a boob job for this boat.
4. The guy who's selling it to us put us on hold for his home teachers.
5. It's in perfect condition.
6. You would love it.
7. I will use it everyday after work.
8. This could be a great way for us to spend time together.
9. I don't catch fish because I don't have a fishing boat.
10. This is a man boat and I am a man.
11. The insurance would be cheap, we can't pass up a deal like that.
12. I could take the kids out and give you a break.
13. ...I know we don't have kids, but if we did- they would really like this boat.
14. It would look cool when I towed it behind a truck.
15. We wouldn't have to use your parents' boat at Lake Powell.
16. Think of how cool it would look parked next to your parents' houseboat.
17. Nick's wife is letting him buy it.
18. If we don't buy it, someone else will.
19. We can't pay off our mortgage so we might as well buy a boat.
20. You buy a lot of clothes so we'll call it even.
21. I will give you a massage every night if I can buy this boat.
22. We are old enough to buy a fishing boat.
23. This boat is better than the last one you wouldn't let me buy.
24. We will only get poorer so we might as well buy it now before we have kids.
25. Honey, think of it as FOOD STORAGE!
26. Think of it as an investment.
27. It would bring us closer together.
28. If I had this boat, my lines wouldn't get tangled.
29. I could take a nap when the fish aren't biting.
30. I could jump off the boat and do cool tricks.
31. My friends would think it was cool if I had a boat.
32. THIS just isn't working anymore (watch clips):
