Expanding a tradition

Breakfast buddies--grandsons Luke, Walker and Nate (Photo by Walter Skupien)

Husband Walter expanded a family tradition to the holidays this year with a Saturday, December 28, breakfast for our clan of 12 at one of our favorite breakfast spots, McElroy’s Seafood Restaurant, an eatery overlooking the Biloxi small craft harbor.

Our kids from left, Katie, Jeremy, Walt and Sarah at McElroy’s

Our sons grew up with the tradition of Saturday breakfast at Harbor House, as it was known then. Daughter-in-law Sarah was initiated when she and our oldest son Walt were dating. 

Daughter-in-law Katie, a Baton Rouge, Louisiana, native, already had her own McElroy’s tradition, thanks to frequent excursions with her grandfather to Biloxi and McElroy’s.

From left, Granddaughters Charlie, Molly Kate and Stella make memories at McElroy’s. (Photo by Walter Skupien)

The restaurant was swept away by Katrina in 2005. It reopened in 2012 with the new building elevated on towering support piers as required by the post-Katrina regulations for construction in hurricane surge zones. 

It still has a casual down-home appearance, friendly, attentive wait staff, huge pancakes, biscuits, and the best eggs and grits ever.

Another special treat was a New Year's visit from my brother Mike and his family from Virginia. On the morning of their departure for sightseeing and visits to other family members, we had breakfast together at McElroy’s.

Hubby's arm just wasn't long enough for this group photo.

Husband Walter tried to fulfill my desire for everyone to be in the photo, including him. After a couple snaps, he dealt with the limitations of my little point-and-shoot Canon by enlisting the help of our niece Lauren.

We had visited briefly with her and her family earlier. They were having a bon voyage breakfast for Lauren. After taking the photo below, she left to drive to Oklahoma for her next Mississippi National Guard training assignment.

Thank you, Lauren, for this photo and for your military service!

Mike and his family are even more determined to capture memories visually than Hubby and I are. The helpful McElroy’s hostess snapped this group photo with Sonya’s phone then with my camera. 

She and Lauren definitely went the extra mile to help us preserve memories of a happy time.

From left, back, are nephew Matthew, niece Becky, her fiancé Josh and my brother Mike; front row, niece Amanda, sister-in-law Sonya, me and Husband Walter.