Kindergarten Graduation and Trips to the Beach

Tyler is moving on up to Big School!

On Thursday, May 14, 2009, our grandson, Tyler graduated from Kindergarten. The program was great. The graduates sang many Christian songs they learned in school and played the bells. We were very impressed with how much Tyler has learned and were touched by the level of love and concern that the teachers and administrators expressed for the kids.

Brianne "enjoying" the kids playing the bells

Tyler receiving his diploma


Bebe and Granddaddy with Tyler and Brianne

After graduation, we all headed to the beach. When I say "we all", I mean WE ALL headed to the beach. For the first time, we were able to get all of the kids and grandkids together at the beach at one time! We had so much fun!

We started out by doing a Country Boil Down, which is potatoes, corn, Conecuh sausage, and shrimp all cooked together in a big pot with crab boil. It is delicious and seems to have become a tradition of sorts for us. After dinner, the kids got in the boat, which was in the yard, by the way, and played until 10:00pm. They had so much fun. They laughed and squealed for hours. Nicholas was the official driver of the boat, while Tyler was the pumper of the gas when they needed a refill and the one to do the count down as they blasted off to their next imaginary destination. Even some of us "kids at heart" got in the boat for a couple of the trips. Oh to be young again.......

Merrill wondering why she can't play in the boat

Pilot, Nicholas, and co-pilot, Tyler

Hey, Tyler, it's time for a refill!

Hang on, Brianne. Here we go!

I'm going to sit here and be the backseat driver.

On Saturday, we headed out on the boat, in the water this time, to the island to do some hermit crab hunting. Brianne and Tyler are now pro's at this. They found LOTS of hermit crabs. So many they kept escaping from the buckets! Last year Tyler wouldn't touch the hermit crab. This year it was not a problem. The weather was great, and the water was crystal clear. Thank goodness there were no jellyfish. Last year we couldn't even get in the water there were so many jellyfish. We took a picnic lunch with us, and the ice cream boat (Yes, I said ice cream boat) came by just in time for dessert. What a way to finish out a day on the water.

The hermit crab hunters

Only part of the hermit crabs that were captured

Found another one!

Is there a sand crab in here?

Playing in the sand

Come on in. The water is fine!

Lunch time!

Say cheese!

Saturday night, Michael, Jessica, and Merrill came back to the beach to eat dinner with us. We grilled hamburgers and hung out and played with the kids again. What a way to spend a weekend. With family.... at the beach.......

Merrill and Pawpaw hanging out

Next year I'm going to be driving that boat!

Our Visit with Merrill, Jessica, and Michael

Before going to Nicholas's party on Saturday, we went to visit Merril, Jessica, and Michael. If you remember, we helped them move into their new house a few weeks ago. We wanted to check out the house, now that they are all settled in, and spend a little time with Merrill.

Merrill is growing up so quickly and is the cutest thing. We got to watch Michael give her a bath, and then I gave her a bottle, after which she promptly fell asleep and took a nap on my shoulder while we visited with Jessica and Michael. Before we left, Merrill gave me the sweetest Mother's Day gift, a silver elephant that is a music box. With it, she gave me a precious card that has a picture of me holding Merrill along with a sweet note. I will always cherish this gift.

Our visit was short, as we all had a birthday party to attend, but we really enjoyed it. The house is beautiful, and it seems that everyone is settling in nicely.

Sleeping Beauty

My Mother's Day gift from Merrill

Happy Birthday, Nicholas!

Our grandson, Nicholas, turned 4 years old on Tuesday, May 6. On Saturday, he had a pirate birthday party for friends and family. The birthday attraction was a huge pirate blow up. The kids had a great time jumping. After cake and ice cream, Nicholas opened his gifts after which a golf game broke out. Nicholas had been wanting a set of golf clubs, and he received two sets for his birthday! We hope that he is the next Tiger Woods. :)

Nicholas, Bebe and Pawpaw Bo had a great time at your party. We love you!

Ahhhhh, Jamaica......

Bo and I just returned from a week long trip to Montego Bay, Jamaica. It was the first time we have ever visited the island, and we certainly intend to go back. We went on a couple of excursions while in Jamaica. One day we took a tubing trip down the Great River in Montego Bay, which runs through the mountains, and on another day, we took a trip to Ocho Rios where we shopped and climbed Dunn's River Falls. This is a limestone waterfall that tumbles into the ocean. It was a tough climb, but it was beautiful and a lot of fun. One thing we did not do, that we regret, is not taking the zip line through the canopy of the rain forest. We saw others doing it, and it looked like so much fun. We have put this on the list of things to do when we go back to Jamaica, and I'm sure we will add others.

This is the view from the beach at the resort where we stayed. Can you believe how beautiful the water is? It rained every day, but only in short showers, so we were able to still get plenty of sun and relax at length on the beach or by the pool. Who wouldn't want to spend as much time as possible by this beautiful ocean?

The next few pictures are of the resort where we stayed, the Riu Montego Bay. It opened last Fall and is spectacular. The staff is great and the food delicious. If you go hungry here, it is your own fault because food was readily available almost all of the time.



There are 4 restaurants here, 3 of which lie along this corridor. Three require reservations, an Asian, an Italian, and a steakhouse, and one is a buffet. We tried the steakhouse and Italian place, and they were both delicious. All of our other dinners and breakfasts were eaten at the buffet. The food in the buffet restaurant was very good.


The grounds were beautiful.





And the views spectacular.

A couple of nights during the week, these gentleman came and seranaded everyone during dinner. They were very talented, and we loved listening to them.

A couple of photos of Bo and me after dinner a couple of nights.

Our week flew by, but we had so much fun. We can't wait to go back. If you've never been to Jamaica, we highly recommend it!