Wednesday morning we visited some very interesting friends. They have a wrestling mat on their living room floor, and Poppins gently tossed The Girl around in a few smooth moves.
We enjoyed lunch with them: venison with collards and green curry, rice, and fish filets. It was all delicious, and Mean Ol' Mama enjoyed discussing food, gardening, and other topics with the mother (she's originally from Cambodia).
Wednesday evening we joined Mean Ol' Mama's extended family for an exorbitant quantity of food and fun. ChubChub was so excited to receive a gift. What could it be?
Watch out, law-breakers! "Quick Draw" ChubChub is back in town!
Poppins helped set out gifts at our house early Christmas morning before the kids awakened. The Girl was thrilled to find a stroller that she had previously seen at a thrift store. Mean Ol' Mama was pretty sneaky to buy it while The Girl was with her, and she was none the wiser.
They were all happy with their little collection of gifts. We don't often give new items; the kids have such eclectic tastes that yard sales and thrift stores hold plenty of excitement for us.
Branch received a tiny pot with tomato seeds for sprouting, and Poppins was quick to help him get it started. Can't get that farmer blood out of his veins...
A joker's cap for a little jokester...quite appropriate...
After a week of visiting with family, we took off on our own to the beach. Stennes wanted to show a tiny fiddler crab that he picked up.
The Girl wasn't quite as brave, but she held onto a female crab by a little flower.
She and ChubChub dabbled in the sand for a bit while Mean Ol' Mama dabbled in being dazzled...by the sparkling sun, cool breeze, and peaceful quiet of it all.
Look! The kids captured a small puffer fish. He blew himself up in righteous indignation, but we weren't frightened a bit. Poor little guy; all that show for nothing. Kind of makes you think about those overwhelming problems and fears for the future, doesn't it? It may look mighty grim, but it may also be just a bit of hot air. God cares for us in His hands as tenderly as Stennes holds that poor, overwhelmed puffer.
What a picture! Anders quickly races back to his fishing pole while a sail boat passes by. It truly was a gorgeous day.
Branch was quite excited to find a perfect, tiny shell containing a perfect, tiny crab. Isn't his expression worth all of the sand and dirty towels waiting to be washed? These days pass so quickly...[sigh...].
Josiah netted diligently but with no success. Nevertheless, his patience and growing skill makes Mean Ol' Mama surer in her heart that he will be just as diligent in fishing for men.
What a curious little shell that Stennes found! We decided that it resembled a small fish, even down to the little eye-shaped growth.
Doesn't she grow sweeter every day? Mean Ol' Mama stood under the tree and serenaded her with the song about Zaccheus while she giggled.
After no fish were caught at the beach, we loaded everything in the van and head to St Marks Refuge to try our hand at catching large crabs and anything else that was willing to bite. We had the whole dock to ourselves and enjoyed just being together in the sunshine. It's hard to imagine that it's the week of Christmas with the weather so mild.
The Girl tried her hand at netting little fish for bait, but fishing doesn't really interest her enough to keep trying.
On the way home, the boys begged to stop and take a photo of a monster truck we spotted on the way. Wow!
Branch really seems tiny by such a huge machine. We're just thankful that we don't have to buy the gas...
We arrived home after a very fun, enjoyable, refreshing day together to find a Christmas package from Grandpa and Grandma! It was the perfect ending to a perfect day.
Branch and the other boys went next door to help Pop move some of his chickens and chicken pens. These little Silkies are pretty, aren't they?
Heave! Ho! Pick it up higher. It certainly is nice to have strong fellas to lend a hand with heavy projects.
Friday we traveled to St. George Island to spend the day. On the way, we stopped by Wright's Lake for an early breakfast and a field trip of sorts. It was so peaceful out by the water.
There's nothing better than homemade bran muffins and sausages on a cool morning. We really enjoyed this stop.
Branch found a little tree for a cozy picnic area. Notice the orange soda? For breakfast? Let's just say that there was a little oversight in planning the drinks for the day. It's hard to think of everything, ya know. 
Teresa led them out into the woods on a flora scouting expedition. We're planning on another trip of this sort in the Spring to observe different types of wild flowers. The Apalachicola National Forest is a big, beautiful place.
Each child was given a length of string to mark off a circular area. They were then instructed to count the number of species within their circle. It's quite amazing how much can be found in such a small area.
The Girl really enjoyed her little spot. Tiny plants were everywhere, and she ended up with 12 species.
A field guide was very useful in identifying and naming the varied flora.
Anders brought back a Foxtail Bog Clubmoss to show. He left it behind after everyone had a chance to look at it. "Take nothing away but memories. Leave nothing behind but footprints."
We then made a stop at Fort Gadsden, off the beaten trail. It was so quiet there by the river, and the history of the place was very moving. We enjoyed this time very much. The kids are all history buffs, so places like this are a real treat for us.
Teresa read aloud the sad account of the explosion in the munitions storage of the Fort and of the 270 deaths. The stillness of the place made the history even more poignant; we could almost hear the soldiers and noises of the Fort.
We were the only visitors that day and were quite pleased when a tour guide showed up to give us a full account of Fort Gadsden's history. We then walked a trail to the Renegade Cemetary where the Americans buried the remains from the munitions explosion. 
Most of the survivors of the attack were hung on this limb in the photo below. It's hard to imagine, but this tree has been here for some 300 years. It certainly has seen its share of seasons and sorrows...
We then headed out to St. George Island to spend the day at a friend's beach house. ChubChub was fascinated by the high stairs.
The boys quickly grabbed their fishing gear and headed out to the bay to set their lines. Meanwhile, the ladies ordered pizza and got ready for the appetites to head back in.
The Girl and ChubChub snuggled up in the sunshine with a snack. Aahhhh!! This is the life...
"Oh...oh...oooohhh...I really want to touch these shells, but Mama said No..."
After 5 large pizzas disappeared, so did the boys. Back down to the bay to check the lines...
We took the kids over to the beach for about an hour. The breeze was cool, but the sun was hot, and sunburn is always a possibility. ChubChub started right in on a sand castle.
The water was quite cold, especially with the cool breeze blowing. The boys were the only ones on the beach brave enough to get in the water. Gotta be a boy thing.
ChubChub really wanted to get in, too, but the sound of the waves was a bit too frightening. He would run back as soon as the waves met land.
Unfortunately, he ran a bit too quickly, tripped and fell into the cold water, and headed back to Mean Ol' Mama a little on the unhappy side.
He finally settled on building a sand castle with Branch. They made quite an elaborate little palace but were unaware that the water was climbing higher. Suddenly, swoosh...and the walls came a'tumbling down...It was a wonderful day for us all, especially because our beloved Poppins was able to be with us.
