Spring Break in "The Armpit of America"

Being a military family, we're used to leaving behind family and friends. But that doesn't mean it gets any easier. I don't cry as much as I used to, simply because I'm so ugly after I've cried. (You know, the fat lip and the puffy, bloodshot eyes do nothing for my features!) But seriously, it is hard. I find myself thinking as I meet people, "I'm not gonna' push for a friendship with this really cool person because I'm just gonna' have to leave them in a few years anyway." Ok, so maybe that's a slight exaggeration, but I do find that I'm able to be happy while being more solitary than I used to be. I can thrive for most of the time with just my little family and me. I have my close friends that I talk to and enjoy spending time with, but it's more about the quality than the quantity. (Factor in the fact that I'm REALLY bad about staying in touch with people, and you can guess that it's often just me and mine.) I do love spending time with loved ones though, and look forward to every get-together.
We are blessed to have spent a lot of time with my family over the years. When my parents aren't off "gallivanting" around the world as missionaries, we are trying to figure out the next time we can get them to visit us, or we when we can make the 8-hour drive to Alabama to see them. (Although Alabama is not the most desirable vacation spot, it's the only place family lives that I can drive to in one day, so it's the easiest trip to make.) My brother and sister have even made the long drive to be with us at Christmas when Glenn's schedule wouldn't let him get away, and Mom and Dad were out-of-country. (They were both single at the time, so it was a little easier for them to pick up and go.) (BTW, my sister, Sarah, is no longer single, and will happily be Mrs. Scott Hose on June 7th of this year. Woo Hoo!)
We don't actually get to spend much time with Glenn's family, but those times we do are very fun and entertaining. Michigan/Chicago is a LONG ways from Texas, and now Louisiana, and those miles of separation have made that trip difficult for everyone. When we lived in Dayton, OH, Tim and Mary and the kids came for a visit after Kathryn was born. Since that time, and our subsequent move to Texas, none of the other five (Yes, he actually is the oldest of SIX boys!) brothers and sister-in-laws have been able to visit. (If you add to the actual drive time the burgeoning under-8-years-old population of the Donnelly clan, you can see the recipe for insanity.)
You can imagine our delight when one of Glenn's brothers, Ben, and his wife, Tiffany told us they were planning a Spring Break trip to visit us! (Since they're still newlyweds without kids yet, it's easier for them to get here with sanity intact...hehe) Now remember, we live in Louisiana, the vacation capital of the south! (uh huh) Anywhooo....we couldn't wait until they got here! They were with us for almost a week, and we had a great time! We worked, and played, and did a little fishing, and enjoyed Sonic drinks at every opportunity. Ben installed our surround sound speakers, fixed our gates, and was the "Handyman of the Week." Tiffany helped me use up some of the mountains of scrapping stuff I so love to collect. (My addiction to creative supplies is a blog topic all in itself.) The kids, especially Kathryn, loved having them around, and we were sad when their visit came to an end. We felt blessed that they would use their vacation time to come to the "armpit of the south" to visit us. So Ben and Tiffany, you guys earned bigtime brownie points with us! And a wonderful scrapbook layout entitled, "Spring Break in 'The Armpit of America'."