So Tinkerbell's NOT flying us to the island?

When you tell a 4 year old we're riding on a ferry, they're bound to be disappointed when a giant boat shows up instead of a winged pixie named Tinkerbell. But we weren't...when we finally boarded the ferry on our way to the San Juan Islands for a Richards Family Reunion on July 7th.

I've known that I married into the right family for a long time now, but there are little things here and there that continue to confirm it for me. Like when some of us worried that we'd miss the last ferry to the island, so we all showed up at the docks (some having driven, others having flown) two hours early for the afternoon ferry that ended up being 1/2 an hour late. But if there's a family you want to be around when you have 2 1/2 hours to kill with little to no  means of entertainment, it's The Richards (the extended version).

We left our cars in line for the ferry and walked down to the beach, some of us (ahem) in pajamas because we had to leave the house at 5:00 in the morning to catch our flight. Grandma didn't last very long before becoming a kid magnet.

What a thing of beauty a 10 year old cousin can be! Teagan took to Emma immediately and, bless her heart, Emma made my life that week a whole lot easier from the get go. She took Teagan for a stroll further down the shore and made sure she didn't fall out of the van in an Oreo-induced stupor, among other things.

 

Of course, the out-of-towner babies made fast friends with Grandma, whom they don't get to see very often. Grandma knows how to sweeten the deal with a little Dora.

As much fun as we had, no one wanted to wait another 2 hours for the next ferry, so we were all grateful that nothing catastrophic happened to our ferry - the entire Charles Richards line would have been in jeopardy. It was smooth sailing, and I was really impressed with the ample seating.

The kids enjoyed the fresh ocean breeze for a few minutes and then realized they were freezing. Teagan burrowed her way through a stranger's legs to get a better view and the lady was very sweet about it when I admitted that I indeed knew Teagan. Some people's kids.

Brothers gotta spoon.

It seemed a propos to consume Goldfish crackers on the ferry...when you're under 2. Isn't the resemblance uncanny?

In my bag 'o' tricks from the flight, I'd packed 4 sheets of Sesame Street stickers. Best dollar I've ever spent...unless you ask my sister-in-law, Tiff. What a good sport, she let Teagan & Sam stick 'em on and rip 'em off nearly the entire ride, brushing up on where eyes, noses and mouths are with the help of Elmo, Big Bird and Aunt Tiffy. They were SO entertained. I'd say it was priceless, but it was $1. And probably the cost of a facial for Tiff.

After the better part of a day traveling, we arrived at our home, sweet home for the week. A beautiful, beachfront cabin that we were lucky enough to share with Mat, Manda & Cam. This is the life.

And this is the view. Pretty incredible, no? Just wait till you hear about the week!