Florida

December 15, 2008

Today is Alesa's 60th and we are in Naples, Florida.  We left home at 4AM on the 9th and arrived in Brunswick, GA at 4PM that same day.  We spent the night there and then visited Pruners in Jacksonville in the morning and with Betsey Fales in Ormond Beach in the afternoon and then spent the next two nights with my cousin Paul, his wife Carol and their dog Pickles in New Smyrna Beach.  Friday we drove to Naples and are staying with Alesa's brother Craig and his wife Janet until we leave for Tampa on Friday for their son Zachary's wedding.  Their two daughters were here over the weekend with their kids.  We have had great fun visiting and catching up and are certainly grateful to everyone and their hospitality.  Craig and Janet hosted Alesa's birthday party on Saturday night complete with a Craig-made Rice Krispies treat cake.  On Saturday afternoon we walked around the neighborhood and Craig had Jacob, his oldest grandchild, picking up coconuts and bringing them home in the wagon.  Craig and Alesa were planning on starting "coco-nut enterprises".  They were planning on shucking the coconuts, drilling a hole, draining the milk and then mixing the milk with Captain Morgan, refilling the coconut, adding a straw and selling it on the beach.  Great idea, except after the cost of labor and supplies (especially after the supply of free neighborhood coconuts runs out) they would have to sell then for about $85 apiece.  Now they are just making chocolate macaroons to eat at home.  Alesa is enjoying her birthday so far as we are doing all of her favorite Florida things plus a manicure.  She got a call from Jeff and Bailey this morning.  He's home sick from school with pink-eye and his dad is baby-sitting.  She is now outside talking to Mike and the girls who are now all in Disney World. 

Florida 016Florida 003Florida 004Florida 005Florida 006Florida 008Florida 009Florida 010Florida 011Florida 012Florida 013Florida 014Florida 015Florida 019Florida 021Disney