Friends and Family

For Labor day weekend, we enjoyed a visit from Jon's parents. They flew down on Friday and were able to stay through early Tuesday morning. We decided to pack as many things as we could into one weekend, and we had quite a few memorable experiences. On Saturday, we drove to Long Beach, MS to a beach that had been recommended to me by a friend. It was a beautiful beach along the gulf that had suffered extensive damage during Katrina, but was slowly coming back. The water was calm thanks to barrier islands, and the sand was perfectly white. The water was also shallow for a great distance, which made it a perfect spot to sit and play with the kids. We took a picnic lunch, and we spent the afternoon in the sun. We made it back in time to watch the game and grill some burgers. On Sunday, we went to church, came home for Cheesy Chicken Roll-ups and a nap (well, at least the kids napped). Grandma and Granddad also took the oppurtunity to take Will shopping for his birthday. They bought him all the necessary items to become a great T-ball player (he starts next Wed.) They also bought just a few (insert sarcasm) more things for the kids. Both Brighton and Will are sporting new shoes too!!! Thanks Grandma and Granddad!!!! On Monday, we drove around Mandeville and then took our visitors to our new favorite spot, Fontainebleu State Park. On previous visits, we have taken fantastic pictures on the beachfront and in the wetlands. We've also had a few chance encounters with wildlife including a Manitee sighting. However, this visit might just be the most memorable both for the insane amount of Lovebugs (if you're not from the gulf coast you will need to google these pests) and also for our brush with an alligator. While walking in the wetlands, we went out to the end of one of the walkways to where a couple's fishing was being interrupted by a curisous alligator. We watched our little visitor for a while, and Jon took video and pictures galore. I stayed back a bit since I was petrified and afraid that the slightest jump from our new friends would mean I would need new shorts! After everyone got their fill of the bugs, gators and heat, we headed back to the house. We ate an early dinner, and everyone was pretty exhausted by 8 PM. Grandma and Granddad caught a plane early Tuesday morning, and we started the rest of our week. We had an enjoyable visit, and we are already busy busy getting back to homeschooling, working and playing at the YMCA, and keeping up with housework.