Jun 22ndOBX ’15, Family Reunion

We get together with most of my Mom’s side of the family pretty often.  They all live fairly close together, so its never been an issue.  My Dad’s side is a lot more spread out.  This year, we all got together at the Outer Banks.  We loaded Lil Butt in the car (along with just about everything she owns), and started for the beach.

We stopped at Pierces for lunch (which just made Garden and Gun’s top 50 BBQ joints in the south).  EF had her first taste of bbq sauce.

Then we stopped at the Alma Mater.  Shes changed a lot, but I reckon I have as well.

To break up the trip down, we stayed the night in Peanut City.  While there, we enjoyed some really nice sushi.

The next morning, our first stop was Mosberth’s to get the best fried chicken in VA (perhaps the world?).

We got to OBX a little early, so we had some lunch at Blue Point, and saw the light house before we checked in.  The soft shell crab sandwich we had for lunch was about the best I’ve ever had.

Mom and CK picked out a great house.  It was awesome and had an amazing view.  The chunkster enjoyed her first beach experience, but didn’t care much for the cold water and was about pictured out by the end of our photo shoot.

We had a potluck style dinner and it was quite a spread.

Lil Butt liked Nana’s cucumber and onion recipe.

It was really great to see the family.  I was meeting a lot of the younger generation for the first time, and it was the first time I’d seen some of my cousins since I was about 4 or 5.  We didn’t really know what to expect.  Jonathan said he thought Ford would be like Clark Griswald when his redneck relatives roll in.  I was worried they’d think we were citified yuppies.  Turns out we’re all a lot more alike than we are different.  We got along great.

We didn’t go full Corolla with the khakis and white polos pic, but we did get this one:

And when Nick arrived, we took another.

We had great beach weather all week.

The quintessential summer photo:

Even at the beach all the kids want to do is play on their dang phones.

EF is already after the hipsters.

Somebody remind me to upload Nick’s trick shot videos…

Ryan was playing along to Jonathan’s iphone music.  It was pretty crazy.  The next morning FJ made breakfast margaritas.

I hope EF grows up to be like Kathryn.  She would swim out farther than me despite the sharknado warnings, is about the most considerate and mannerly child I’ve ever met, and when we flew the kite, she asked if we could fly it up to the end of the spool.

HB had a close call, but managed to successfully fly her first kite.

Ryan and Kathryn checked to make sure the line was attached to the spool, and then fed the line all the way out.

Notice the kite way up in the background.

EF was fearless in the water.  She let the waves crash on her and splashed around with a big smile on her face.

That better just be a smell of margarita…

Straight chillin’.

Candy got EF to dance.

Kathryn made a turtle with Nick’s mustache.

EF flew her first kite.

Otto guarded Lil Butt and the beer during our game.

EF felt left out so we let her play too.

I think somebody wants a bird dog for her first bday…

We went out for Mexican to celebrate some birthdays.

We all had a lot of fun playing Balderdash with Susie.

The Lil Butt was too excited to nap so Candy kept her company.

Ryan, Nick, and I had several cigars on the porch, but I think this was from our last night.

The next morning my girls finished their bottles, we packed up, and headed home.

Lil Biscuit wanted a lil biscuit for lunch.

We all had a really great time.  I could tell it meant a lot of FJ and the family too.  I can’t wait for next year, but I hope I get to see everyone sooner.