Interview with Our Children about Lake Life

Episode 16:  In this episode, Molley and Chad talk with their children, Tristin and Alayna about time on the lake.  Tristin made a guest appearance on the episode about The Types of Boat Food to Bring or Avoid.  Today is Alayna’s first time behind the microphone with us.  If you’re a boater, you already know how time out on the water can be special for you and your family.  Let’s get the kids’ perspectives on those experiences.

What’s the First Thing that Comes to Mind?

Tristin shares his thoughts about time on the lake.  First, he describes his memory of jumping into the water and landing on a rock.  The first-aid kit came in handy that day.  Remember to always back one on your boat, just in case.  Second, he talks about a getting some great air while tubing behind his grandfather’s boat, which we heard about in Episode 14. 

Alayna talks about the first time she got up while wake-boarding.  She’d tried a million times, but this time she figured it out. 

First Lake Memories

Tristin thinks his first memory was when he was about 4 and completely wrapped up in a towel and feeling perfectly comfortable and happy.  Alayna comments about the after-lunch naps.  It’s still her favorite thing about the lake.

What Did They Dread about Coming to the Lake?

While time on the lake is awesome, sometimes kiddos can see it differently, at least until they get down there.  Alayna mentions having to miss some random birthday parties, but other than that, lake life has been a lot of fun. 

What Have They Learned about the Adults during a Day on the Lake?          

Tristin laughs about some of the dance moves he’s seen.  Alayna jokes about Molley’s 40^th birthday houseboat trip.  Molley explains there were at least 10-12 couples between the 2 boats. In Episode 13, they explained how Travis put a hole in Molley’s new mat (“Don’t worry dude…”).

What Is One of Their Favorite Memories?

Tristin describes how it’s always been the water sports for him.  For Alayna, it was more swimming when she was younger.  Now that she’s grown up, it’s really the overall experience (including the naps).

Who’s the Better Driver for Tubing?

Tristin says it really depends on the mood of each parent.  If Chad’s being quiet in the morning, he wants Chad.  You have to listen to the episode for the rationale on this one.

Which Job Would Each of Them Pick, if They Had to Do One?

Molley and Chad have always recommended picking a specific job to make the launch and trailering go smoothly.  Chad always drives the truck and Molley is in charge of launching or trailering the boat.  This system works for them.  However, if the kids had to pick a job, which would it be? 

Alayna says it depends on the boat.  She says for a normal boat, not a pontoon or wake boat, she’d choose launching the boat.  Tristin is fine with trailering the boat. 

Do They Think They’ll Own Their Own Boat?

Tristin says yes.  He would really like a 2-seater Sea-Doo to start.  He’d move up to a wake boat.  Alayna also wants a wake boat.  Neither want the pontoon boat their parents have.

What’s Their Favorite Summer Weekend on the Lake?

Alayna says it definitely girls weekend.  For Tristin, it’s all about the poker run.  When they were younger, both agreed it was any weekend on the houseboat.

Is There a Favorite Story about Lake Life?

Tristin describes a houseboat weekend with an eclectic mix of guests, including a horse head mask.  They found a nice beach cove for a beach fire.

Chad describes a great time he had fishing with Alayna off the dock.  Then, there was a tubing day with Tristin resulting in a great photo.

Alayna describes a tubing adventure with a friend, behind on of their friend’s boat.  The boat definitely had some power to whip them around.  She also shares some memories about crowded time at the lake house.  The kiddos always ended up sleeping in the closets, because there were so many people.

Speaking of adventures, the group talks about some trouble a boater ran into on the lake during a poker run.  The pictures received national coverage.  They may be available on Don’s Lake Cumberland Lake Assist website.

Alayna joke about memories of when Molley was loading the boat, in the early years.  Concentration was everything!

Safety First

Chad comments about the importance of always having a sober driver.  Boating comes with a lot of responsibility, but if safe-boating rules are followed, everyone can have a great time of on the lake. 

What’s the Right Number of Guest at the Lake House?

Tristen explains that it depends on the weekend.  For him, if it’s poker run weekend, bring everyone.  However, if it’s Memorial Day weekend, having some family time is nice.  Chad admits that it’s a lot of work, but he really enjoys the time on the water with family and friends.

Will Molley and Chad ever Say Good-Bye to the Lake Life?

Molley opens up the conversation to let the kids ask questions.  This is Tristen’s first question.  Neither Molley or Chad ever see it going away.  This is a special part of their life together.  The boats may change, but not their love of being on the lake. 

What Are some of Molley and Chad’s Favorite Memories on the Lake?

Chad comments that there was more partying, before the kids came along.  But, they were never that rowdy to begin with.  For Molley, one of her favorite memories is when each of the kids jumped into the water by themselves for the first time. 

Molley describes the first time Tristin tubed alone and got some air.  She knew they’d never get him out of the water.  For Alayna, it was the first time she actually wanted to join in the water sports. 

It really got fun when the children began bringing their friends to the lake.  It gave Molley and Chad the opportunity to really get to know their friends and to watch everyone interact together.

Chad’s favorite memory is every time the kids get super competitive on the wake boards.  He loves just relaxing and having fun, especially when they achieve something for the first time.

If They Won the Lottery, What Kind of Boat Would each of the Kids Buy?

Alayna would buy a super, decked-out Pavati wake boat. Tristin would land somewhere in between a yacht and a houseboat.  Basically, he’d pick a big cruiser.  Both would expect to keep their boats on Lake Cumberland.

We’d like to thank Tristin and Alayna joining us for this episode.  It was a great, family episode.  Creating those lake life memories are what it’s all about for each of them.

That’s a wrap for this episode.  We hope you found it helpful, insightful and maybe a little entertaining. 

Thanks for Listening!

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