Smorgasbord of pictures

Helping us with a garden was our Christmas gift from my parents while they were here at Christmas. It is now the end of February and we are in full spring in the deep south so we have plenty growing already! I have looked forward to the day we could have a garden in our yard so I will share the progress of growth soon! 

Bailee and Tessa on Facetime

Receiving a letter from Charlotte

Bailee and Brynn 

I am so grateful Bailee has such good friends near and far and she really values those friendships. The Vest's came for Thanksgiving and the girls picked up right where they left off and then later they were very cute chatting on Facetime. She wrote a note to her friend Charlotte in Tennessee and was excited to get a reply in the mail! Bailee and her friend Brynn do tumbling together and Elise is in class with Brynn's younger sister Teegan and all four girls get along so well!   

Bailee and Tessa Thanksgiving 2016

Elise and her sweet friend Avery Bartholomew headed to their first day of primary.

Elise's first day of primary

I love that Bailee is learning to read and write and putting her skills to good use ;)

 For a week in January we were put in a different house so that maintenance could finish some extensive work that needed done in our attic. It was the same layout as our house and the girls thought it was fun to stay there because they said it was like being in a hotel. We are so grateful to be back in our house but it was so nice that we were able to be in a house while the work was being completed!

Fun at the trampoline park with friends!


Mardi Gras is in full swing around here! We didn't venture to any of the big night parades but participated in the children's parade at Lynn Meadows Children's Museum where we have a membership. The girls loved throwing beads out to the kids! They also went to a city children's parade where they received many beads, toys and candy. Before coming here I had a very vague understanding of what Mardi Gras is and I have since learned that it started because of French settlers who came to this part of the country and missed the Carnival events of France so they kept it going in this area. The schools close down for a couple of days and there have been multiple parades every weekend in cities all around us! We visited the Biloxi Mardi Gras museum with our homeschool group and the kids all got to try on different Mardi Gras costumes.  

Riding their bikes in the Lynn Meadows Children's parade

 

We finally visited the Biloxi Visitors Center and learned more about the history of this area. I learned that Biloxi is considered the Vegas of the south because of all of the casinos and at one point in time this was a big destination for people to vacation at the beaches. I think the issues with oil spills and off shore drilling changed that but it was really neat to see pictures from long ago with the beaches full of people. 

Bailee loves finding new trees to climb and Mississippi is full of them!

In addition to our home school group on Monday each week, we also attend a Nature Club with other families on base each Wednesday. Two moms put the group together for preschool aged children to explore this area and they have gone above and beyond to plan the activities. The following pictures are from two events in the last month. One was at the Gulf Island National Seashore where we saw an alligator, some turtles and had beautiful walks through the trees. 

The second activity was an animal rescue group that came and shared all about the local animals that they rescue in the area and they even got to touch some of them. I learned more about armadillos and what to do if we see one on the road, but I hope I never have to worry about taking care of one!