Here are a few more summer pics! Sarah got a drum kit in the basement!

We started to get some dahlia blooms from the Costco bulbs we planted.

A hike to Cranberry Lake to check out the restored section of boardwalk that was recently finished.

The Merchants’ second visit, end of the summer before they returned to Abu Dhabi. We made it to Playland!

Sarah was tall enough to drive the bumper cars!

We all got matching air brush dragon tattoos!

We also took the kids to their first ever trivia night, where Blaine’s random knowledge was very helpful. 🙂

At the end of the summer we happened upon the celebration for Walter’s 105th anniversary.

And we said goodbye to Manor Beach for the summer! And also goodbye to these old locks on the bathhouses, since we were told next summer they will be replaced by combination locks! 🙁 There goes the kids’ dreams of one day getting a job in the key room. Goodbye, Summer 2024!

We capped off a fun summer with a week in Martha’s Vineyard in August. Our ferry over was in the afternoon so we stopped for lunch at the Lobster Trap.

Then we had a little extra time so we tried out these bumper boats!

We arrived early evening and settled into our VRBO, then drove into Edgartown so we could pick up some fudge at Murdick’s! Typically one might buy fudge as a way to remember vacation, but Sarah had been so eagerly awaiting fudge this summer that we decided to go on our first night so we could enjoy it all week.

Our VRBO was on the far side of the Sengetonkacket Pond, better known as the Jaws pond (There’s a shark in the pond!)

On Sunday we drove around the pond and spent the day at State Beach. It was a cloudy day so the beach was not crowded!

That night we drove back into Edgartown for some dinner at the Seafood Shanty. Then we picked up some ice cream!

And we spotted a bunch of skunks on the walk back to the car!

On the 19th we woke up to a beautiful morning, here’s a view from the upstairs bedroom.

But I think rain rolled in and we went out to breakfast, followed by bowling!

The next day I think we went to South Beach. That evening we went back into Edgartown and somehow, miraculously, found a stuffed seagull! Sarah had been growing fond of the seagulls we kept seeing on all the beaches this year and decided her preferred souvenir was a stuffed seagull. We’d already checked out a bunch of stores in Oak Bluffs with no luck, but then we managed to find a place which had one in Edgartown! She was so happy she even smiled for this picture. She named him Japeckathan.

Next we went to our first ever escape room experience, this one with a Jaws theme.

We managed to escape the room within the time limit and only needing one hint!

Then we had dinner at Lucky Hank’s, yum!

On 8/21 we had reservations at the Long Point Wildlife Refuge beach for a beautiful day.

Back at the house, we observed seagulls from our deck overlooking the pond and Sarah worked on drawing seagulls.

Here’s a closeup view of the Jaws bridge across the water (this is how Jaws gained entry into the pond in the movie!).

On 8/22 we decided to spend the morning kayaking from our house. Unfortunately Blaine got pretty upset about the life vest selection so we ended up going out in two shifts. Here’s Andrew and Blaine on their kayak trip.

Then we went mini golfing at the one course on MV, over by Vineyard Haven. I believe shortly after this photo was taken Sarah’s water bottle took a dive into that water feature! Don’t worry, we managed to retrieve it.

In the afternoon we drove over to Aquinnah to check out the cliffs and lighthouse again.

We were also able to climb the lighthouse this time, which we hadn’t done on our previous visit. Sadly there was some mishap I can’t really recall (Sarah bumped her leg perhaps?) and Sarah did not want to ascend! So here are Blaine and Andrew at the top.

And then Blaine very kindly went back up with me!

We had dinner at Mad Martha’s brewery near our VRBO, which serves pizza at an outdoor beer garden right next to a garden center.

Here’s another pic from that night of the whole family playing Cards Against Humanity, Family Edition. The kids loved it so much we played it most nights.

On our last day we went back to South Beach and managed to briefly meet up with Sarah’s friend, Saoirse, at the beach to say hello. That night we had one last meal out at Rockfish in Edgartown, which was also conveniently located close by Murdick’s fudge so we could get another box to take home with us. A delicious and sunny week in MV!