Rhode Island

In mid-July, we went to Rhode Island to visit with the Fortunes and fulfill EZ's grandmother's final wishes to have her ashes spread. Tommy took his fourth airline trip, visited the great state of RI, met some of his relatives on his mama's maternal side for the first time, and took his first dip in the ocean. Nanny's spirit was among us as her great-grandchildren, grandchildren, children and in-laws enjoyed each others' company, shared memories, and basked in the glow of her home state. The lobster rolls, chowdah and clamcakes weren't half-bad either...



Tommy reviews the airline regiment outside Reagan National Airport before we board our flight to Providence.




The troop heads out at Point Judith. We navigated the somewhat treacherous, rocky terrain to reach the ocean and spread Nanny's ashes in the sea. No injuries to report.

T dips his toes in the ocean water for the first time ever. This kid was born to be a beach bum.

Mama and son in front of the Point Judith lighthouse.

The next stop was at the cemetery to bury ashes at the Fortune gravestone.

Back at Uncle Bill and Aunt Pauline's house, Tommy meets his cousins Liam, Pauline and Thomas from Chicago. Cousin Melissa brought them there for their traditional summer visit to RI. Hopefully we'll get to see more of them and more of RI in the years to come. The kids were so sweet to Tommy, playing ball with him, holding him, calling him cute. So fun to see them together.

Hangin near Chair 13. Later that day, we headed out to Scarborough State Beach. Tommy must have ocean water running through his veins, the way he took to the surf. He stood in the shallow water, ready to dive in. He ate sand, handfuls at a time. He caught a nice tan. We loved to see him out on the beach.

The following day, we took the ferry over to Block Island with all the Zwickers. We enjoyed food and drink, lobster rolls, ice cream, and then hit the beach again.

The Petersons took the early ferry over, and we found them in this picturesque location on the beach.

After lunch, we grabbed some ice cream at a little shop EZ and I had visited on our last trip to the island.

Then it was off to Rebecca's for lobster rolls. They didn't disappoint.

Then the three of us took to the beach again to soak up the sun and the scene.

And finally, the ferry ride back to the mainland.

Tommy gets into some raspberries, freshly picked from the backyard. It was a mess, but he seemed to like them a lot.

After much suspicious consideration, the little guy warmed up to Uncle Bill by the end of the trip.

After visiting Nanny's old stomping grounds at Pier Village. First we had a look at the memorial bricks for her and her husband and for Cousin Greg. Then we got ice cream at Nana's and walked around the condo village past Nanny's old condo. The trip gave us many nostalgic moments as we thought about the family history and memories of happy times in and around Narragansett. And we look forward to future visits and making more memories in the years to come.