56 spanks

Papa's birthday was this past Thursday, but we celebrated today. The girls gave him 56 spanks! (notice the Packer's game in the background! We had to watch during the celebration!) I fixed Al his favorite meal - roast and mashed potatoes and the works.
We like to have birthday "pies". Al LOVES tollhouse pies (as well as pecan and apple).
Al loves outer space and science stuff so this was a wonderful gift from the kids! Written by a Christian astronaut who has gone around the globe more than any other astronaut in the States. He took fabulous pictures of the earth.
My mom comes up with the funniest gag gifts!She thought Al needed a cane. Look at the foot of this cane!

The last gift was a little heavy for me to take in the house to wrap so he had to open the trunk to get it.
Happy 56 years, Al! I can't wait to grow old(er) with you!!!

Good-bye, Dauphin Island!

Before we left the island, we had to take family photos, of course!

The day we left, we stopped at the Dauphin Island Sea Lab Estuarium .

This lady told us about electric rays.

Feeding time.

We drove to Birmingham for another night before heading back to Kansas. Last snuggle time with Aunt Mindy.

Leaving the beautiful mountains in Alabama. We decided to make a stop in Memphis to visit Life Choices, where Adam and Jill hope to get a baby from some day.

They are a pregnancy crisis center, counseling women and providing baby things for these young moms. And adoption services for those moms who decide to give their babies a different home.

What a wonderful time we had as a family at Dauphin Island! I would love to go back some day!

Activities on the island

One afternoon, several of us rented bikes and biked the island.

While the younger kids had rest time, we took Hannah with us to visit Fort Gaines, a prominent fort during the Civil War era. Fort Gaines is a massive brick fort that stood guard over the entrance to Mobile Bay, Alabama. It is located on the eastern tip of Dauphin Island. The term "Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead" comes from the union admiral trying to break through to the bay.

Not your everyday outhouse! It was a 10-seater that connected by way of a culvert to the Bay. The tide would come in and out and flush the toilets. This was necessary being that over 400 men would use that latrine daily. (wouldn't want to swim in that Bay!)

This blacksmith made me a leaf Christmas ornament and then made Hannah a horse head key-chain. Hannah was so intrigued by him and we watched him for 45 minutes!

After kids were put to bed, we tried to get on the computers. There was access, but it was slow. And I couldn't send out any of my e-mails. Adam and Mindy both had school work to do.

We also played games. One game we found at the house was called "Would you rather". Very silly. Questions like: would you rather have arms that reach to the ground or be 7' tall but your legs only 2' in height.

There were challenges too. Like keeping a spoon in your mouth for 2 rounds...

...or drinking from a bowl like a kitty.

We had a birthday party for Josh while there. 33 years old!

Staci got those candles that keep re-lighting.

Staci made a Reeces Pie for Josh. I came up with this recipe several years ago by combining a recipe from a missionary friend and seeing a similar type pie at a restaurant. We all LOVE this pie! Here is the recipe:

Reece's Pie - makes 2 pies

Mix 3.9 oz. chocolate pudding recipe using the pie filling instructions.
Spread on the bottoms of 2 graham cracker pie shells (or you can use the chocolate graham shells too)
Put in fridge while you make the next layer -
1 pkg (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
1 c. creamy peanut butter (I prefer chunky actually)
1 c. sugar
1 T butter, soft
1 t. vanilla

Mix all together. Fold in 1 container Cool Whip or 1 c. heavy cream that has been whipped.

Divide and layer on top of the chocolate layers of the 2 pies.
Top with more Cool Whip. Top with broken up Reece's peanut butter cups and drizzle with melted chocolate chips.

And Adam and Jill celebrated their 9th anniversary.

Burying Papa and Moon Jellies

One thing that Hannah was determined to do when we got to the beach was to bury Papa in the sand!



On the 2nd day we were there, jelly fish began to wash up on shore. Lots of them!
We found out that they were moon jellies and that for the most part they do not sting. We could even touch them and they wouldn't sting. I don't think Sophia was buying that.

There was this one kind though that did wash up that would give quite a jolt. It wasn't supposed to be jelly fish season but guess the jelly fish didn't know that.

Luckily, no one did get stung. Hannah took it upon herself to be the jelly fish scooper-upper.

They were taken to the jelly fish graveyard.

There were other critters around too.

Don't think Sophia liked it much.