Summer week on the Block

Well it's time forrrrrrr...my annual summer vacation Block Island post! I think I say the same thing every year for the most part: the people, the beach and the week really haven't changed haha! Although 2018 saw our largest house and largest group yet: Me, Jason, Ashton, Alex, GG, Grandpa, Grandma, Lizzie, Owen, Kari, Ben, Callie and Holden! Woo! Although I don't think we have one whole group shot waaaaaah. How did that happen.

Welp, let's begin at the beginning, which was when Sunday July 22 - Sunday July 29 started showing up in the 10 day weather forecast. It was not pretty guys. And it stayed not pretty, right up until when we left.

To add insult to injury, the day before we were supposed to leave, I got an email that the ferries had posted a service alert. It looked like this.

That's gale force winds, for the layperson. You're thinking to yourself, "Hmm, when was the last time I heard that term?" I'll tell you. It was in the movie The Perfect Storm. We all know what happened to that ship but I digress. 

So they cancelled the fast ferries and the slow car boats still ran, but we spent the entire 55 minute ride like this.

My smile masks the terror I felt. And there were many poor seasick souls with the whipping wind and driving rain. The boat was tipping and rolling like crazy (it was a "hold on tight" situation). NONETHELESS, we crawled off on Block Island, the rain stopped, and we went straight to the Oar for drinks.

Kari and Ben I think were in the parking lot for this one and GG hadn't arrived yet, but this is the B-side of our group :)

So here is how it went overall, at least for me. The weather, I will say, held. We never had a humidity-free, crystal-clear blue sky day - it was windy some days and it did rain some days, but we went to the beach regardless and were no worse for the wear. The boys got to spend time with all three of their cousins at once and it was a really special week. They jumped in the waves, built sandcastles, boogie-boarded, fished, ate ice cream, and played their hearts out. Alex and Callie even got on ponies at one point. As for me, I sat in my beach chair for 6 straight days and could not have been happier.

Without further ado, I present the week in about 8% of the photos that were taken overall. I did weed through them, I swear! But if you are still scrolling next Tuesday, I apologize.

First moments at the Oar. 

You know the kind of beer tastes the best? The "I survived" kind.

Fishing is the same as baseball, right?

Ashton is more interested in what is on Jason's line. But isn't this so cute, all their little heads gathered around to see the fish :)

SIL's!

Example of one of our the amazing dinners we had - steak frites (frites made by yours truly!)

The Braydens 

Nightly kids dinner

Another dinner example :D We ate a lot.

Grandma and Grandpa

MORE fishing

Jason and Ben - our in-house fish fryers

Another, um, dinner.

Staying busy with dinosaur puzzles

Our little equestrians Callie and Alex 

Grandma and boys

GG and boys 

Margaritas at Yellow Kittens

End-of-the-day ice cream

Rock and shell painting

New digs

Jason and I went to dinner at the Spring House...

Kari, GG and me

Time to say goodbye :(

For your viewing pleasure:
Ashton catching a fish --> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vhks7jex4gg
The boys riding a wave --> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eMHeOjtn24g
Alex trotting on Ariel --> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q20HD3Z4VM0

LUCKILY for all you readers, that was not the end of our summer fun. California is up next!