Pool Toyby Abbey Pettis, 3rd generation Pettis Pools & Patio family member in the business

As a Pettis family member, I grew up knowing I could always come home from the hottest, longest day of school and forget everything with a jump in my backyard pool!

My younger sister and I had it pretty good; we had a small in-ground pool that was always crystal clear (thanks to our parents) and an abundance of inflatable pool toys. We spent hours in the water playing pool tag, showing off our cannonballs, smacking each other with noodles and watching our fingers and toes get wrinkly. Also, having chlorinated hair by the end of the summer became a “natural” thing.

My favorite part, though, was working up an appetite after a few rounds of relay racing, then getting out and enjoying potato chips and Kool-aid. We never realized how lucky we were. There were days when we had our school friends over and bounced from the Softub on the deck down to the cool water of our pool and back and forth for hours. Life could not get any sweeter! The memories we made in our pool were both hilarious and unforgettable.

Now that I’m older, I can really appreciate how much time and effort our parents put into keeping us happy. A seven year old takes for granted the work it takes to keep up with a pool, you just expect it to be filled with more toys and less leaves. However, as I got older and I wanted to use the pool myself, I quickly learned that it took more than asking mommy and daddy to vacuum up the bugs. I had to learn how to take care of the pool on my own, turn on and off the filter, change the skimmer, and use the vacuum.

The fun and fantastic pool became a learning experience for a 14 year-old in terms of both responsibility and even chemistry. As you grow up you appreciate the little things you took for granted as a kid. Our pool also taught me how to be more independent and occupy myself during the summertime when I was dying from Rochester’s heat.

I will always be grateful my parents gave us the gift of growing up with a pool. It was truly life-changing. There were so many times I had to be dragged out of the water to go eat dinner or go to bed! I guess you can take the girl out of the swimming pool, but you can’t take the swimmer out of the girl.