G-R-E-E-N (and We're Home!)

**this may be lengthy, I'm going to cram all of vacation into one entry**

We got home last night and, as much as I love vacation, it is always good to be home!!

A common question about our vacation has been, was there any oil? On Thursday, there was an oil sheen with some tar balls, but we went to the beach again Saturday and it was fine. Not sure about all that?!?! The second half of the week they had big ditches dug out along the shore line. They were planning to fill it with straw when the oil hit to absorb the oil, rather than letting it get to the white sand. Unfortunately, you couldn't see the water (or kids playing) while sitting under an umbrella on the beach because of these trenches.

One word that could be used to describe our vacation: GREEN! (and I don't mean environmentally friendly) I have never seen the Gulf so disgusting. Here are pictures a friend posted of the same exact section of beach two months ago (at the end of her post it looks like pool water). Here are some examples of the beginning of our week:

We didn't go to the beach every day, but our days basically consisted of beach, pool, naps, eating!! I went to the beach most days and took whomever wanted to go with me. Jason and Capps are not lovers of the sand and Mac and Daegan hated the sunscreen process. It did help to be able to meet cousins (Philip's family) there.

We did get to take the kids kayaking. That was fun to go out to the sand bar and enjoy clear, cool water. I went with Capps and my brother, Philip. Then Philip took Tavis and his son, Thomas and then came back for Mollee and his son, Jacob.

The last day, Saturday, the water was the clearest and I had convinced everyone to go the beach for one last time!! (and, of course, I needed a family picture on the beach)

Of course, everybody loved the pool!!!

Jason forgot to tan! hehehe

One night I sent the kids outside to run around, burn some energy and use the sidewalk chalk. The sprinkler system had come on and this is how I found them instead:

We ate at Beef O'Brady's twice

and, of course, The BackPorch (a tradition)

One night we went to The Village and played on the playground, ate ice cream and visited the Marina.

And got our annual picture on 'the big chair'As Tavis would like to put it we "got too many family photos":