Vacation Post #2: The Characters

Our primary destination for this vacation was Tybee Island, Georgia, which is right next to Savannah (known by many due to the book/movie, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil). Many members of Ashley's family were joining us at Tybee. To prevent confusion, I will introduce all parties. Think of this post as a dramatis personae (Latin for "The Masks of the Drama").

First, we have Frank "Papatank" Rankin, shown here with Ashley and Bode. Frank is Ashley's father and spent many hours watching Bode while relaxing on the porch. Bode really loves his Papatank.Next, we have three of the six Watsons. In the middle is Penny "The Good Planner" Watson, who is Ashley's first cousin. She is married to Milton "Big Oil" Watson, named because he works for one of those evil oil companies. Penny and Milton have four children. Their second oldest, Chelsea "The Running (Wo)man" Watson, is on the far left holding Bode. Chelsea is going to be a senior in high school and has been made captain of her cross country team.
Continuing around the porch, we again have Chelsea holding Bode (evidently Bode had a bit too much to drink). To Chelsea's left, we have Penny and Milton's oldest child, Josh "The Couch" Watson, called The Couch because this picture was the only time he wasn't on it. To Josh's left is JoAnne "Nana" Rankin, Ashley's mother. Finally, we have Patty "The Godmother" Barnhardt, Ashley's Aunt and de Facto boss of the family.
Next, we have Dwight "Boss" Barnhardt, who is Ashley's Uncle, married to Patty and thinks he's in charge. Dwight is a big fan of the Houston Cougars. Obviously in this picture, he's talking about his favorite team, while Ashley and Bode "listen" attentively.Here we have pictures of Callie "Wii Apprentice" Watson and Cricket "Wii Master" Watson (with a name like Cricket, do you really need another nickname?) Callie and Cricket are Penny and Milton's youngest children, starting the third and fifth grades this fall respectively.
Up next is Ashley's brother, Dave "Maverick" Rankin (he works for an aircraft company) and his son, Teddy "Every Day's a Party" Rankin. Don't ever mention birthday party around Teddy. If you do, it is your responsibility to ensure he gets some type of birthday cake or ice cream.Teddy's Mommy aka Dave's wife, Kathy "Plus One" Rankin, is shown below hanging out with Bode. Bode loves his Aunt Kathy. On the couch is Ashley's other brother, Jason "Light Sleeper" Rankin, who for some reason got mad because we kept putting the dishes away at 0700.
Ok, that does it for the introductions. Bode loved meeting everyone, but he was a bit overwhelmed by it all and needed a nap before exploring our new surroundings.To Be Continued...