Vacation in Vicksburg

Scott, Alyssa, and I had a mini-vacation to Vicksburg, Mississippi.  We've been studying the Civil War this summer and Vicksburg was mentioned several times.  Alyssa was so excited to get to see an historical place and with it being only four hours away it was the perfect destination.
We left on Monday morning, August 6, and took our time driving and eating lunch.  When we arrived around 3:00 p.m. we noticed school buses throughout the town.  I thought the bus drivers were just practicing their routes but there were kids on the bus so we were perplexed.  We found out that the Vicksburg school system started school that day!  This made our little trip less congested and calm.  All of the destinations seemed less crowded than I expected.
In the 48-hour period we were there we were able to visit the...
1. Coca-cola museum
2. Doll museum - Alyssa loved this!
3. Outlet mall - Jennifer loved this!
4. Vicksburg Battlefield and museum, U.S. Cairo museum
5. Anchuca Mansion - Jefferson Davis' brother's home
6. Walnut Hill restaurant - located in an historical home
7. Vicksburg mall - not fancy, but GREAT prices
8. Riverfront park and Vicksburg murals
9. Several scenic drives
I didn't even mention all of the eating we packed into this time period.  It's a good thing we were only gone for three days!
We left a little early from Vicksburg so we could spend time at the Pecanland Mall in Monroe, Louisiana.  It is a nice place to stop and stretch your legs while you shop at Dillards....

Celebrating Kimber

Praise the Lord - We now have our third granddaughter!  Leonard and Victoria Costa had their second daughter, Kimber Layne, on Thursday, August 2, 2012.
Kimber weighed 8 lbs. 5 oz. and was 20 inches long.  All of the Simmons grandchildren were born at the Good Shepherd Medical Center in Longview, Texas.  Kate Lynn Costa and Emma LuAnne Meave were also born there.  Kimber broke the pattern.  She was born in Kaiserslautern, Germany at Landstuhl Army Medical Center.  It was very difficult not to go through the doctor visits and hospital stay with Victoria but it was very good to know that she and Leonard were together for the birth of this baby.
Leonard called on the day of her birth and talked for over an hour.  He seems to be taking fatherhood very naturally and was very happy about Kimber, even though she wasn't a boy!  Victoria was able to go home from the hospital on Saturday and seems to be doing very well although she has her hands full.
Alyssa and I celebrated the next day by going out to lunch and shopping for fabric and patterns.  It's time for Gigi and Aunt Sissy to start sewing so we can get good and making things for these little girls!