My little cousin Callie got married! Wow does that make me feel old. And just saying that it makes me feel old makes me feel even older.

One of the great things about Callie's wedding was that it was outside of San Antonio, so we go to spend the weekend in SA eating Mexican food!!!!!! Saturday morning we left the babies with the family (man why don't we live near family???) and went on a double date to the river walk and the Alamo. My great great great great great grandfather Isaac Millsaps was an Alamo defender, so it's always cool to go in and find his name. The Alamo grounds are so beautiful and the weather was gorgeous. I can't put into words how invigorating it was to spend time walking around with family on a warm Texas day, tummies full with wonderful food and cold beer.

Know what else makes me feel old? That Birkenstocks are back in style. But guess what, I found ^^these babies^^ packed away from HIGH SCHOOL. So yep we are old and also I'm a hoarder.

 ^^This Canarian needs to eat here someday^^

Elodie got to spend time with her cousin Caden who is only 8 weeks older than her. Their personalities are very distinct; watching them interact is so entertaining.

Hang out time was the best, but of course the main event was the wedding! Have you ever seen such a picturesque setting for a wedding ceremony? From start to finish this wedding was stunning, just like the bride :) It was also probably the most "Texas" wedding I've been to... and that's saying something. There were cowboy boots, horses, wagons, hay, barns, antlers, a country band, taxidermy, and a huge spread that included chicken fried quail and venison chili rellenos. What a party!

Cousins everywhere! So many cousins. Elodie joined right into the group of girls and partied all night long. I said, Elodie these are your cousins, and she said, Mama I'm down to party!

Even though Elodie danced (and danced and danced) late into the evening, she was up early on Mother's day ready for more action. We spent the morning having a big family breakfast at Aunt Jane's. Mother's day with my mom and my girl and a lot of the women in the my family was so meaningful. I love them all and miss them so much and then to be able to be all in the same room drinking coffee and eating pound cake just made the day feel so very special.

Before heading to the airport, cousin Michael took us for a jeep ride to look at the Thomson's Gazelles and the Kudus. It was Elodie's first time riding out of a carseat and she was a little scared at first - until she saw an animal. Then she would throw herself out the window and yell MOOOOOOOOO. Hahahaha, those aren't cows baby girl!

Elodie and I joined Eric for a long weekend on the Northern Neck.  He's been getting lots of great data on the Potomac dolphins this month, and we wanted to get in on the fun.

Eric was out on the water every day, so I got lots of great baby time all to myself.  We played games, went to the beach, had hours of lazy snuggles in the sea breeze, and learned about wildlife.  On this trip Elodie saw rabbits, herons, osprey, pelicans, dogs, spiders, dolphins, and jellyfish.

Saturday was a perfect lazy back and forth from the house to the beach.  It was cool enough to have all the windows open, but warm enough to live in a swimsuit and carry iced tea around.  Beach living will always be my favorite.

Elodie loved the beach.  She just sat there peacefully enjoying the waves and played in the sand a little (didn't even try to eat it!).  When I would pick her up she'd cry, which is the opposite of any other time.  It seemed like she was loving it.  Must be in her blood.

Sunday, Elodie and I went on an adventure to Tangier Island.  Her first boat ride - so exciting!  It was an hour and a half ride each way and she loved it.

Pulling up to the island, you immediately see evidence of two main industries: tourism and crabbing. Crab pots and processing shanties line the coast of the main waterway.  When you step off the boat, locals are there to greet you with with golf carts, food and drinks, bike rentals, and maps. 

Tangier is incredibly interesting as a unique cultural pocket in the middle of the East coast. Because the only way to access the town is by commercial boats or plane, it's remained very isolated over the last couple of centuries.  You can see that so much has remained unchanged in their way of life.  The most obvious difference is in their accent, which is hard to describe.  It maybe sounds very country with a little bit of Irish on top?  Fun to listen to, anyway.

There are very few cars. Most residents get around on golf carts or bikes. I think they told me there are only about 500 people living on the island, so there probably isn't much traffic. 

The Tangier people are also very religious.  When we arrived everyone was just about to get out of church. It seemed like the entire population was coming out and the town came alive.  I noticed everyone we talked to referencing God or their faith.  It's evident that faith is a major part of the communities' daily life.

Another thing that stuck around from centuries past is burying your family in your own yard.  Many yards we'd pass had a family lot in the front like this one.

 Overall, I found the island and the people to be so lovely.  They are open about their lives and shared so much with Elodie and me on our short trip.  We learned all about the changes happening in their crabbing industry - fishing regulations over the years have been hard on their businesses.  Soft shell crabbing has been passed down generation after generation. It's sounds like it's the main way to support your family on the island. We also learned about the significant erosion problems, as in they are losing 30 feet of shoreline per year!  It's so bad that people are being forced off of the island as land space diminishes. 

The Tangier residents were hands down some of the friendliest, nicest people I've ever met.  And the place is so small you know everyone by the time you leave.  As we left for the boat at the end of the day, people were yelling, "Bye, Elodie!"

Evenings at the beach house always have wine with a home cooked meal. It's the perfect place to wind down after a long day on the boat.  The house is pretty remote, so we can usually see lots of stars.  I tried to take a picture of the milky way, but between the half moon being out, trees blocking much of the milky way, and my lack of astrophotography skills, it didn't come out great. I'll consider it a good first try.

Of course the main reason we travel down there is to collect data.  Elodie and I went down to the dock to wish Anni and Eric a good day.

NMFS GA LOC No. 19403, Eric M. Patterson, 25-July-2015

There were tons of dolphins this trip and Eric saw this cute little guy above.  I love the babies! And the photo is captioned with their permit number to make sure people know you do in fact need a permit to approach wild dolphins this close.  :)


We stopped for coffee in the quaint, artsy town of Montross on the way home.  If you're driving around the Northern Neck I recommend it as a rest stop!