A Little Bit of Bartlett: Poppa Mike's Boat

Scott and I purchased the lake house in January of 2007. It is more than we could ever have dreamed of at the time. Our lives were so different just a few years ago. As I am looking through the computer at all of these pictures I am reminded again just how fragile life is...and yet how blessed we are in the midst of it all. I don't remember exactly when Poppa Mike bought his boat but it was around this time. The boat is EVERYTHING (in a boat) that he ever talked about...he was going to have this boat one day...and he got it.

This is my first memory of his boat...we all went to the lake house the first weekend we could. This was the first weekend in February 2007. Poppa Mike brought his boat...and it was COLD!!! You can see from the way the kids are dressed. We always wanted to have a place that our families would be happy to come and share. Poppa Mike was ALWAYS happy to come and share...because fishing was a HUGE part of who he was. I know Scott grew up with many memories of fishing trips, stories, and lies with Poppa Mike...and I am sure this blog would be completely different if he were the one writing it. (but we all know that's not gonna happen) So I share these photos with you...as I have sat here for A LONG time...scrolling through them.

When we bought this house we were at a point in our lives where we decided to just "let it go." We had been trying to get pregnant...and that was not happening...so we decided that probably wasn't what God wanted for us...so we went to plan B... Plan B was "play hard." We bought a lake house...and then we bought a bass boat to PLAY at the lake...and then we found out we were pregnant...and YES! we got pregnant AT the lake. (one snowy Easter weekend in 2007...ha ha ha...true story) It is amazing what happens when you LET GO...and Let God have control.

The slideshow shocks me in MANY ways...1) The kids look SO young....especially KiKi 2)Tyson gets in trouble for playing on the same staircase...just like KiKi 3)Putter was SO skinny...seriously she looks like she swallowed a football today 4)I am not in many pictures...ok that's not surprising either...I mean who would TAKE the pictures??? 6) I am also in shock that it has only been TWO years...seeing how we have TWO kids now...both of which were created AT THE LAKE HOUSE and 7)I am glad that I continue to ANNOY people by taking 1,000 pictures...you never know when it may be a great (or the last) set of someone you LOVE!

So at the end of March this year we went to the lake and Poppa Mike met us there so he and Scott could fish. That Friday night while we sitting around...Poppa Mike was making sure I noticed how EXTRA clean the lake house was after Doc B's 2nd Annual Mega Bass Tournament a few weekends before. Then he took Tyson's camo four wheeler apart so we could add the batteries...we of course did not have the right ones...and Poppa Mike looked at me and said "Baby Girl we will get that baby some batteries...don't you worry about it."

Later that night I remember Scott telling me...(mind you I was 7 months pregnant watching a 15 month old)...

Scott: "We are fishing ALL day...we MAY come in to take a quick nap...but then we are going out again til it is too dark to fish"

Me: "Whatever"

Scott: "I am serious....so don't get all pissy pants...because we ARE fishing ALL day."

Me: "OK"

(I am so easy going...I mean seriously...OK...maybe those weren't my ONLY words...ha ha ha)

SO off they went WAY before the sun came up...THE WEATHER WAS PERFECT...and those of you who fish around here...know that was RARE this year because the wind was CRAZY...and they came in for a break then came back for dinner...I cooked (YES>>>I cooked...not Scott) I made spaghetti (shocker) and then after Poppa Mike ate he left late that night so he could be back in Liberty for church...so he could sing that Sunday.

So little did I know that would be the last time we spent time with Poppa Mike at the lake. As a matter of fact until a few weeks ago it was the last time we would go to the lake. When we went to the lake a few weeks ago...I brought enough batteries to run Tyson's four wheeler for a few months NON stop...Scott put them in as soon as we got there. It was hard to go the first time...just as anything is hard to do the first time after losing someone you love...but we KNOW that Poppa Mike would want us to keep going...and keep sharing it with those we love...that 'is why we got it in the first place.

So why was it so hard to choose to keep our boat or Poppa Mike's...I don't think it was...I think Scott always knew he was keeping Poppa Mike's boat...it was just a matter of taking care of it all. You see our boat is just a boat...now we have Poppa Mike's boat...and it is EVERYTHING he ever wanted in a boat...and that is more than enough for my boys.