Summer Adventures, Part 2

Grandpa Art's 80th birthday celebration

Ozzy and the kids made it to Pennsylvania without a hitch.  They bought plane tickets for this segment.  As I mentioned earlier, Ozzy would have been dead meat if he missed this celebration so everyone agreed that guaranteed seats would be the best bet. I arrived Friday evening after work.  On Saturday we all drove down to Annapolis,  Maryland to a beautiful house right on the Chesepeake Bay.  It was nice to be on the water again.

So there were 17 family members in all staying under one roof in this great house. Some of us were meeting each other for the first time, others hadn't seen each other for many many years.  What a great week Carol, aka Bee Bah, aka Ozzy's mom, aka Art's wife, had planned. 

The first day we took a sailboat ride to the Bay Bridge on the Woodland I.  The weather was beautiful and made for a fantastic day asea.  The kids were allowed to steer the boat which was fun.  Alex just happened to be at the helm when it was time to turn around to go back.  She did a great job turning us around,  good thing she is strong as an ox.

Alex steering the boat

The kids hoisting one of the sails

Trace sharing his time with the ladies, again

We ended a great day with dinner at the famous Mike's restaurant. and birthday cake at the house.

The birthday boy

 On Monday, Carol arranged for a private tour of the United States Naval Academy.  I found it to be an amazing institution.  Beautiful architecture, very manicured, tons of history.

A view of the Naval Academy from our sailboat ride

Alex as John Paul Jones

Bancroft Hall

Dahlgren Hall

Alex and Trace met more of their cousins and they hit it off so well even with the age differences.  Trace and Elias were best buds.  Trace was Elias's shadow.  We loved watching them do "boy stuff" together.  He LOVED his girl cousins in Houston, but he was ready for some rough and tough boy time.

Trace and Elias

Trace, Elias and Alex

Walking hand in hand at the Naval Academy.

Elias and Trace hanging tight on the sailboat

All the cousins.  Elias, Trace, Catherine, Alex and Esme

The whole week was awesome but the best was bringing the family together to celebrate Grandpa Art.

On the beautiful front porch

Trace with Elias's family

Bee Bah and Alex 

Ozzy and his mom

Our last evening together 

So another adventure comes to an end.  It was a wonderful week full of family, fun and food.  Thank you so much Bee Bah!

Next up South Carolina to visit my parents, and Ozzy is off to Park City to get the house ready to rent again.  So up and early to the Baltimore airport to sit standby and hopefully all get to where we need to be without hassle.