A lesson on being Brave

My dear friend, Courtney, and her daughter, Davery, joined Sierra, Papa Steve and me for a weekend at the cabin and some fishing.  This was our second summer to take the girls out for this adventure.  They both started off a little nervous of the movement on the boat but quickly settled in and were eager to hold their pink and purple princess rods.  We got a later start getting on the lake as getting the girls ready in the morning (after a late night to bed) was a slower process.  The first hour and a half or so we were completely skunked.... not even a nibble.  There was debate amongst us adults as to whether or not it was time to call it quits.  Between my prego belly and smaller bladders it was time to head to the dock for at least a potty break.  During this break I decided to trade out a couple poles for the lead lined pole and the beer can rig that were still in the truck.  Long story short we set back out for one last attempt.

AND it worked!  On our very next pass around the lake Courtney caught a fish.  Then... another... the "KING FISH" as Papa Steve calls them.  Court caught a large brown trout!  Yippee!  Well... then Papa Steve pulled out his portable scale to see just how big the fish was.  The fish wiggled... and ripped off the scales hook.  Then the fish began to bleed... a lot!  Davery moved back in the boat.  Sierra began to cry.  They were quite concerned about the poor fish, the blood, and whether or not it would be okay.  After the fish weighed in at 2 lbs. Papa quickly got the fish put back in the water off the stringer... out of site. 

Then the girls were sooo sweet.  They moved to the back bench of the boat and sat down together.  Davery took Sierra's hand as she sat a bit weepy and told her it would be okay... "We just have to be Brave!  Really Brave!"  Sierra started to wipe her tears and said, "okay... it's really really hard but I will try."  Then Davery proceeded to ask Papa Steve if we could eat the King Fish!  So funny their train of thought.  It was so sweet to see them comforting each other and helping each other through the circumstances.  (Last years trip they thought Papa was being the doctor and taking the hooks out of the fish... and we didn't let them see them cleaned... or dare feed them to them.) 

Papa did grill the fish that night and the girls tried some.  They also learned a  lesson in patience and perseverance.  We had some great discussions about not quitting.  All in all it was a nice time with some comical moments as well as each girl lost their hat at some point of time as they went flying off into the water!  Hopefully it will be a tradition we can carry on in the coming years making many more memories!

 Getting ready

 Out on the boat

 The girls looking on as the first fish is pulled into the boat

 Papa weighing the King Fish

A concerned look as she observes and ponders the fate of the King Fish