Deep Sea Fishing

My favorite part of our trip was the deep sea fishing.  I loved every minute of it.  I loved being on the boat.  I loved being with Bryan and the boys.  I loved baiting the hook and watching my line travel into the deep blue ocean....waiting just waiting for that big one.  And, I loved reeling in those big fish.  We caught Blue Fish and Sea Bass.

And know what?  I did catch that big one.  On the first cast.  Funny thing was, I didn't know I had caught anything and so he swam away with most of my line.  Bryan had to help me reel it in and it took us awhile to figure out we had a fish on the line.  Just the thought of it brings a smile to my face.  We had so much fun that day!

Here is the boys first thing in the morning. 

Our first fish that we caught.

CRABS!

If you ask my boys, "what was your favorite thing to do in Connecticut"?  Hands down, they would tell you their favorite thing was the crab fishing.  They LOVED it.

First thing in the morning (very early) the boys would go down to the causeway to catch their bait.  Baby blues.  Owen was very good at catching these little fish.  Then, in the afternoon, it was off to Woody's boat dock to catch some crab.

 

It was great fun to pull up their fish with a crab hanging from it.  Sometimes, they would even catch two at once.

Owen waiting for a bite

Owen was showing me where the crabs live

Daddy, pulling in the big one

Gabe and Owen love to tell the story about the biggest crab that they caught.  They tell me that it was really big and mean.  In fact, Amaya caught it and it was as big as her head!  And, you did have to be very careful of those big ones because they would try to pinch you.

But, my favorite part of the crab fishing was the crab feast!  Boy was it good!

Gabe's 7th Bday

Gabriel informed me that he wants to spend every birthday in Connecticut.  He had the best 7th birthday that any kid could have asked for.  First, he got to go fishing for baby blues.  Then, his dad took him crab fishing, which is the coolest thing ever!  And, we had a birthday party at the beach house complete with presents, cake, and most importantly family.  Like I said, this was his best birthday ever!!

 Uncle Woody presented Gabriel with a very special gift this year.  His very own Captain's hat.  He also taught Gabe how to salute.  So, now he is a real captain.  What a cool gift!!

 Uncle Woody, Britt, Ashton, and Awyn joined us for a Gabe's birthday and Barbeque.  It was a special afternoon brought together by a wedding and a birthday!

 Oh, I forgot to mention that Pickles was in attendance.  Who could forget Pickles?

 The Happy Couple

No party is complete without cake and icecream.

Mystic Seaport

An afternoon at Mystic Seaport.  Time to explore history and boating.

 I love this picture of Bryan and Eli....and the stoller.  Eli has gotten to the point that he doesn't want to be in the stroller.  Bryan let him out and he was very unsure of walking on the boards on this boardwalk.  Just a precious moment to capture.

Mystic Seaport had some great activities for the kids to do.  Unfortunately, all activities were 5.00 extra.  When Owen saw the boat building he begged to do it.  So, Bryan took Amaya, Gabe, and Owen over to the workshop.  The second unfortunate part was that it was packed!  There was little room to squeeze in and build a boat.  Bryan and I tried to explain that it was to crowded and cost extra money.   Gabe and Amaya were happy to comply and went to another activity.  Owen dug in his heals.   OWEN WAS GOING TO BUILD A BOAT NO MATTER WHAT!  I looked at Bryan and knew it was one of those moments to give in.  So, Bryan and Owen went in the chaos and built a really, really special boat and Owen just loved it!

 Everyone had a great time learning something new and exploring an old New England Seaport.

Uncle Woody's boat

One afternoon Uncle Woody took us all on his boat for a ride on the Connecticut river.  The scenery was beautiful and the boys and Amaya had a great time!

Unlce Woody's boat

Amaya, on the dock, ready for the boat ride.

Loading up

After we had been on the boat for a little while Uncle Woody asked Gabe if he wanted to drive.  He was so excited.  He couldn't believe that he was going to get to drive.  He absolutly loved being the captain of the ship.  Just look at this little boy's face and you can see the pure joy.

 Bryan and I also loved the boat ride.  The houses along the shoreline were amazing!

A walk along the beach

What a beautiful night!  It was really special to have everyone together and to be able to spend time exploring and being together.