Reclaiming our Youth on Big Marine Lake

There was a time years and years past before kids and adult responsibilities that my husband and I used to waterski frequently as well as other adrenaline inspired outdoor endeavors.  It was a good portion of our life and how we defined much of our beings.  Up until Labor Day weekend 2012, it was a distant memory from yesteryear.  That all changed when one of my older, insanely fit brothers (seen in the last image below) told me I would be going waterskiing with the family at my folk’s cabin on Big Marine Lake.  That’s how he typically asks me things, he tells or makes statements.  Gotta love brothers.  anywho…  I thought what the hey!  I’ll give it a go.  I don’t recall the last time I waterskied up until then, and I was scared out of my gourd when I slipped that ski on.  That’s excitement at it’s best!   As I sit here spilling this out onto the computer screen, I still feel my lactic acid build up in my muscles.  I love it.  I did something that used to be “me” without crashing… though I nearly did but was way too frightened of the consequences, which I blame on my brother, but that’s another story…  I reclaimed a piece of my youth.  -a core part of me that has been dormant for a very long time.

My husband, Chris, was a river rat as a kid.  He grew up in St. Croix Falls, WI and was on the river most every chance he got during the summer months.  He became a pretty stellar recreational water skier over the years too.  I was impressed to see he still had the skills to make sound waterskiing look effortless.  …I was even more impressed and relieved when he didn’t wreck.  As you can see in the images below, our kiddos seem to be little thrill seekers too.

Thank you to Chris for capturing most of these images (all but the shots of him and my brother).  He’s a fine photographer in his own right and the perfect right hand second shooter/assistant on a fast-paced wedding day.

-A candid portrait of Chris to put a face to the name.

and the older brother…