It always seems like it’s one thing after another around here.
One project finishes, and another one begins.
That’s just kind of how life has been for us.
We finally finished the bus… and now we’re onto the boat.
Last year, we got a boat for free off of Craigslist.
I’m not someone who regularly scrolls Craigslist, but for whatever reason, I was on there that day. I don’t even remember what I was looking for. But I came across a listing for a free boat.
And somehow… I was the first person to message.
I sent my husband to go pick it up early the next morning, and when he brought it home, the kids immediately climbed in.
They were sitting in the retro green seats, taking turns in the captain’s chair, pretending to drive it.
And I just kept saying,
“I can’t believe we got this for free.”
It definitely needed some work.
The previous owner said something was wrong with the motor, but my husband is good with that kind of thing and wanted to give it a shot.
This week, he got it running.
So now, we’re onto the next part—fixing a soft spot in the floor. We’ll have to pull up the old green carpet and see what’s underneath.
But as far as we know, it’s water-worthy.
And that’s enough to get us excited.
I grew up in Maryland, and my dad always had a boat.
Some of my favorite memories are from being out on the Chesapeake Bay.
We would spend the whole day out there—fishing, swimming, tubing.
Tubing was always my favorite. Being pulled behind the boat, hitting the waves, bouncing around, and eventually getting thrown off—that was part of the fun.
We’d pack a cooler with lunch and just stay out there for hours.
And now I find myself picturing the same thing for our family.
Packing lunches.
Spending long days on the water.
Letting the kids jump in and out.
Just being together.
What makes it even more meaningful is that this boat came to us for free.
Realistically, we never would have gone out and bought one. There would always be something else that made more sense to spend money on.
So it feels like a gift.
One we didn’t plan for, but one we’re really grateful for.
It’s still a project.
There’s still work to do.
But it already feels like something more than that.
It feels like the beginning of a lot of really good memories.
LEAVE A COMMENT
Comments