Tour de South
Last week, we joined Mama Susie and Papa Joe at the beach for some fun. Aunt Deana and Neffy-poo got to come, too. Neffy-poo has taken to calling me Aunt Anniebelle. I love it!

Here all of the boys were revved up with excitement. This was their first time at the beach in the summertime because usually we go at Christmas. You can see Papa Joe’s feet there in the picture. He had plans to drink a beer and read the paper. Smart man.

The beach was very pretty and we enjoyed excellent weather.

There was a sandbar and that made the waves extra fun.

One afternoon, my 2nd oldest son and I made our way out to the sandbar and were pummeled by the waves for an hour. And when I say pummeled I mean really, really thrown around. I was frightened that my bathing suit might part company with my body and we all know how embarrassing that would be. Incidentally, after the wave washes over the sandbar, you are only left with about a foot and a half of water — not enough for major bathing suit adjustments. I don’t know what would be worse, losing your bathing suit or having to ask your 10-year-old to retrieve it for you.

Good thing I didn’t have to find that one out.

A good time was had by all…..

as this smile will attest. I just love this little face.

Mama Susie’s oldest grandson is as big as she is. The buster will have caught me, next.

Aren’t my guys cute. We were all happy because we were on our way to eat some yummy fried food.

The last day, we went to Alligator Alley. I highly recommend it to you — should y’all ever be in the vicinity.

Here we are, awaiting our gator talk and feeding.

The gator keeper was very knowledgeable and a little bit wary — as was right, I’m sure.

And, those gators seemed really hungry.

Seeing gators eat was kind of thrilling.

But the Suz and I decided that we wouldn’t be having chicken for lunch, all the same.

There was baby gator holding, as well.

After the baby gator holding, you walk down a boardwalk into a cypress swamp.

It was beautiful, big time.

We were on our way to see this guy.

He was something. A whopper with a taste for labrador retrievers — according to our guide. Yikes.

Do we like alligators?

These faces tell the whole story. We are gator-lovers.