The Houghs: Return to Gray Island, Pt. III

(contd.)

As folks slowly got up and around for Day Three, it fell to the Sheahans to kick off breakfast.

Danielle and Kris on the Struggle Bus with the coffee maker.

Tom's idea for breakfast were McMuffins and hash browns, so Erik once again offered up his trusty Blackstone for use.

His wife Susan slept in and contributed nothing to this huge undertaking.

The Houghs are early risers, but I could have easily slept in another couple hours - I had slept like crap throughout the night.

After awhile, more folks started getting up and shuffling about our beloved shanty town.

A little while after breakfast wrapped up, folks began to hit the showers and settle into the mid-morning routine of playing cards and continue waking up. Around this time, Mitch and Kelli (at bottom left) rolled in for a day visit (they hate camping), and Mitch immediately cracked a beer. Despite it being, you know, like 10am.

He brought this reliable Bos snack with him - so good, but definitely not good for you.

Growing bored with sitting around trying to hear ourselves talk over the ever-present clucking of our spouses, some of us dads decided to take another walkabout through the campground. This is peak Bloody Mary time, folks.

We stopped off at the Ranger Station on our walk, and I spotted this pretty bad-ass pinball machine.

As we rolled back into Gray Island territory, we spotted the camp's 'hay ride' pass by (and, because it's technically 'Pirate Weekend,' it was done up like a pirate ship.)

After the kids got off the pirate ship, we figured it'd be a good idea to try and tackle our annual group picture before they ran off and became scattered to the four winds. I didn't bring my SLR up this year - didn't want to mess with it - so I asked Ryan to bring up his phone tripod so we could use that instead. We had him arrange the kids around the giant-ass Yogi statue (seeing how he's a professional wedding photographer and has an eye for that sorta thing) so we could get a kids only pic first.

The Offspring.

And one with the entire Gray Island crew. The moms decided to do white/grey tie-dye this year instead of grey shirts, and whatever mommas want, mommas get.

The Wives

The Dads

After we got the big group pic out of the way, most of the kids scattered. Some of the families stuck around for a family pic in front of the statue, though - like the Butterfields, here.

The Bardens

The Johnsons

And The Houghs

Shortly thereafter, with the weather in the low 80s and not a cloud in the sky, Gray Island once again descended on the campground's pool. . .

Some 'Walk the Plank' game they had going on at the pool. Think 'Rock, Paper, Scissors,' and when a person loses they advance one 'dot' closer to the edge of the pool.

(Not sure what Mees is doing with her top, here. . .)

Mitch and Erik

I've discovered that I'm way too short for this game.

Ella goes down (I'm on my tip-toes here - it was almost impossible keeping my head above water while they fought one another.)

Morgan and his Larson crew.

Pool crew, sans all the Goddamn kids.

Some clouds rolled in and one point but fortunately they passed by without issue.

Trying in vain to get some moms into the water.

After a couple hours, the campground put on some sorta 'pirate ship race,' where kids got to try and race boats of cardboard and duct tape across the pool.

We assembled at the deep end (er, Finish Line, I guess) to behold the spectacle. . .

The Shitshow begins. Ryan (Tom's son) entered a boat in the race, but it sunk almost immediately.

You can definitely tell which ones were 99% constructed by dads.

The captivated audience.

Back at Gray Island, afterwards, Abby somehow got ahold of Kris' phone. . .

Abby and Ella take lots of pics like this. Must be a cool teenage thing or some shit.

Some couples cornhole, featuring the Colliers and the Larsons.

Erik tries out some Cider wine the Griffins brought up with them this year.

Stephanie has substance abuse problems.

Erik, Mitch, and Lonnie Big Balls

Ryan's gotten in RC Cars with his kids lately, and, like anything he gets into, he's 100% obsessed with it. He brought up a few of the units for the kids to race around the Gray Island, and here he is showing Tom some of their speces.

Kelli and Mitch playing some Euchre. Clearly Kelli is having a better time at this than her grump-ass husband.

Abby and Ella

We and the Johnsons teamed up for yet another meal this year (not sure how we got stuck with two, but whatever.)

Dogs and burgers are pretty easy, so it wasn't too big of a deal.

More threatening clouds pass over the campground, but fortunately we were spared yet again.

Kris and Courtney, who basically just help by taking meat from the grill into the food tent.

Stephanie, Collier, Lonnie, and Courtney

Feeding the littles.

More post-meal cards

Elise, Audrey, some friend of the Colliers', and Teagan.

The Cannonball and Lexi

Somehow after dinner I got sucked into a game of Heads Up (or whatever that phone app game is called) with a few moms and a bunch of kids. I tend to be pretty awesome at these games.

Now, cornhole? Not so much. Sometimes I have a pretty good game, but I'm horribly inconsistent.

Form is on point, though.

Courtney and Kris nab a selfie during a shootout with Danielle and Mees.

Spectating. Heroically.

These little f***ers were everywhere. Constantly running around, not even afraid of humans. I wish I had packed one of my BB guns. . .

Consequently, this wasn't a very fitting beer.

Kelli takes a selfie with Kris' phone. Can't leave those phones sitting around.

To the victors go the spoils.

Kelli, Amy, Danielle, and Kris

Erik took this pic of Collier and I while we were out on another walkabout around the campground. Keepin' it classy, folks.

Every Saturday night, Jellystone throws a huge glow dance up by the Ranger Station for kids, and every year the wives purchase and assemble a bunch of glow sticks/accessories for all our kids.