As we left Lewisville to head back to Michigan on the morning of the 27th, we met our college buddy Jayson Rawley for breakfast at Cracker Barrel. We hadn't seen him in five years (except briefly at his wedding in June 2004)...since Peyton, Amy, and he came to visit us when we were vacationing on Emerald Isle. Here are a couple photos from 2006:
Here are some photos from the Emerald Isle visit (2001):
Here is a photo from Thanksgiving 1992:
On Sunday the 24th we left Tybee Island to drive to Lewisville, NC. Finn had been developing a nasty cough for several days, and it really started getting worse...coughing uncontrollably for long periods of time. We ended up stopping in Mocksville to go to the emergency room on the 24th, and then going again in Winston-Salem the night of the 25th. All of this stress helped make it one of our worst Christmases ever (surpassing the year Lisa got chicken pox). By the time we headed back to Michigan on the 27th, Finn was doing much better. Despite his illness, we still had a great time seeing our friends and family. Here are some photos:
Fort Pulaski National Monument is located between Savannah and Tybee Island, Georgia. It preserves Fort Pulaski, notable as the place where, during the American Civil War, in 1862, the Union Army successfully tested a rifled cannon. The success of the test rendered brick fortifications obsolete. The fort was also used as a prisoner-of-war camp. The National Monument includes most of Cockspur Island (containing the fort) and all of adjacent McQueens Island.
One of the highlights was the canon demonstration. Also, there were a few guys playing baseball with old-timey gear. From the National Park Service's web site for Fort Pulaski:
Members of the 48th New York Volunteers occupying Fort Pulaski played baseball to pass the time. One of the first photographs taken of the game of baseball was captured at Fort Pulaski in 1863.
We arrived at the Birdwell's place on Tybee Island the evening of the 22nd. The next morning we went out on the beach. It was comfortable in short sleeves, but of course the water was cold. Regardless, the boys stripped down to their skivvies and waded in. Here are some photos and videos:
On the afternoon of Saturday Dec 23rd, we toured 
Here are some photos: 
