Ballin' in N'awlins

Today was action-packed. Wet, but fun. We started our morning with a trek from our hotel to Cafe Du Monde. We had to have beignets for breakfast--it's New Orleans! On the way there it started raining, and raining, and raining. And of course we didn't bring the umbrellas. It dried up just as we got there. But it wasn't busy there so we got in quick and we were served instantly. Powdered sugar everywhere! We forgot the camera so we didn't get any good pics. But for a good visual, just picture our little angels with white powder all over their faces and clothes. After the scrumptious breakfast, we sauntered back to our hotel and were caught smack dab in the middle of a monsoon. At that point we said, "Ok, we're just going to get wet." And we did! We laughed and sang songs on the way back. A great reminder of innocent times--and vacation time!

After checking out, we took the brood to the Insectarium. Although Cindy and I really enjoyed it, with the exception of Gus, who dared to eat a few bugs, the kids were pretty terrified of it. They kept wanting to leave. Personally I found it very educational and wonderfully presented. It was just not their cup of tea. However, for those bugs Gus digested, we rewarded him with a T-shirt that reads "I ate a bug at the Insectarium". Chocolate covered or not, we were pretty proud of him.

After, we searched for food. It's New Orleans, how hard could it be? Well, we headed uptown toward the zoo and we just couldn't settle on anything. About an hour and a half later, it was Wendy's for the kids and po-boys at a dive on Magazine Street. Not one of us was let down!

With lunch in our bellies, it was time for dessert. We had a special treat--snoballs! And not just any snoballs. We watched a show on Food Network not too long ago called "A Kid in a Candy Store", where they feature sweet shops all over the country. They did a feature on William's Plum Street Snoballs. We were sold! They make EVERYTHING from scratch. And what really got my attention was a flavor called Banana's Foster! Watching them make it from scratch on TV has kept me yearning for several weeks.

What's so cool about this place is that it is so unassuming. It's in the middle of a neighborhood, butting up to other houses. It has the humblest facade; you'd never know that it has some of the greatest treasures in the South right there inside. We walked in and were immediately greeted by the owner, the lady we saw on TV making the Banana's Foster snoball--Mrs. Donna Black. At this point I'm pretty giddy. Donna easily strikes up conversation with us and we let her know that we heard about her snoballs on Food Network. She mentioned to us that it has brought a lot of new patrons her way. She was very cordial and while chatting, it turns out she had a daughter in school at UL and had family in Eunice that Cindy new of--small world! And wouldn't you know, the snoballs were even better than anticipated! Of course I went for the Banana's Foster--AMAZING!!! Gus had the Watermelon, Gracie had the Rainbow, and Beedle, James and Cindy split an Orange. Everyone was content!

What next? Well, it finally stopped raining and we were so close to the zoo. We gave it a shot and they were still open, but only for 45 minutes. We did the "super-express" tour of the zoo and hit the important exhibits--elephants, jungle cats, monkeys and giraffes. Unfortunately, closing time came quickly. We'll just have to tackle the zoo again on a return trip.

The jaunt home was enjoyable--lots of laughs. We played the "what was your favorite thing we did?" game and ironically they all agreed that the most fun thing they did is staying in the hotel and watching movies. Pretty simple kids we have here!

Thank you, N'awlins! We hope to see you again soon!

An Easy Night

After a day at the Aquarium and a stroll to Jax Brewery, we made it to our hotel, The Intercontinental on St. Charles Ave., and checked in. It didn't take long for the kids to realize that there was a pool. In fact this pool was sort of unique because it was on the 15th floor--the top floor. I had never seen a pool that many stories up. The kids worked on their swimming; I'm sure they were inspired after seeing so much aquatic life at the Aquarium. When we were done we went back to the room to get ready for supper. We decided to give Mother's Restaurant a try. It looked like a family restaurant that served good soul food--which is what we were in the mood for. Plus it was only three blocks away from the hotel. One of the cool things about New Orleans is that some of the most unknown restaurants have been frequented by many celebrities. We were treated to a delicious dinner of shrimp poboys and award-winning ham. On our stroll home we all had sweet teeth. We stopped at the nearby CVS and got ice cream and candy for everyone. Back at the hotel the kids watched movies on Netflix until they passed out--one by one. Including Mom and Dad. We're looking forward to Day 2 in N.O.

N'awlins, Here We Come!

The forecast called for rain, rain and more rain for Thursday and Friday in New Orleans. That didn't stop us from venturing to the Big Easy for our scheduled two-day romp. We left around 8:30am with plans to go straight to the Audubon Zoo. By the time we got to LaPlace it was raining pretty heavily so we decided to take one of our inside tours--The Aquarium of the Americas.

Right when we walked in, it was obvious the animals were happy to see us. Especially the sting rays! Check out their smiles from above.

The kids learned so much about the life aquatic. They learned about fish in the Gulf, life in the Amazon rain forest, and the inhabitants of the Louisiana waterways. Here are some pics of their discoveries...

Scalin' Back Tuesday

Vacation time again!

Today, as a family, we worked in the yard. While the tots picked up pine cones and branches, Cindy and I tackled some other yard projects that were long overdue. Mom worked on yanking weeds out of the flowerbeds to the tune of 12 trash bags.It was very hot and humid and she worked very hard. And after mowing the grass, I labored on edging the lawn borders at the street. I was using some pretty archaic but effective tools. And with Gus and Gracie helping to pick up the clippings it went a whole lot easier than it could have. For some, it doesn't sound like a vacation, but I really enjoy a good day of yard work. Vacation for me!

While James took a nap, I took the other kids bowling. They had a very good time and surprised me with how well they bowled. Their reward was a cookie from the nearby bakery. And we picked up one for Nanny Wanda since she worked close by.

Today was also Beedle's first day in acting classes with the Christian Youth Theater. He went and absolutely loved it. It turns out that his age group will be doing a reprise of The Wizard of Oz and Beedle will be a munchkin. "I get to wear a costume!" He's pumped!

Later that afternoon we headed to GiGi's house to have dinner with the Van Vickle family. GiGi cooked a savory shrimp stew and the young boys turned GiGi's backyard into a gridiron. Gus was especially happy as he got to play tackle football with kids his age. It was a great visit!

I thought we were supposed to be scaling it back today. So much for that! I'm telling you, this vacation's been pretty great so far!

Wet and Wild Monday in Sulphur

We left for Sulphur this morning at vacation time. Are you catching our theme?

Today is waterpark day in Sulphur. Cindy and the kids went a few weeks ago and raved about it. I couldn't go because I was at work when they went so I was eager to see this thing. For those that don't know, the Sulphur Parks and Recreation Department (SPAR) has a waterpark that anyone can attend. The cost of admission is $5 a person. It's not Schlitterbahn, but it's pretty awesome considering how affordable it is. There are things to do for every age group. There is a zero-entry pool and water playhouse for the little ones.There's a lazy river and giant swimming pool for those that just want to relax. And there's a couple of giant waterslides that the adventurous can slide down, with or without an inflatable device.

There were several families there that we knew so it made it nice to have friends to play with. Here are some pics from our day...

Saluting our Scouts

What time is it? Still vacation time!

Today was a very special day for Gus & Beedle. They each received their religious awards today at 9:00am mass at Our Lady of Wisdom. The boys and the rest of the pack got to process into church and sit in special pews upfront. Fr. Bryce Sibley, pastor at OLOW, delivered a wonderful mass. At its end, Fr. Sibley allowed the scouts to come up to the altar to receive their awards. Beedle received the Guardian Angel award and Gus received the Light of Christ award, as well as the Guardian Angel award. They felt very honored and many thanks go to Fr. Sibley and the rest of the OLOW staff for supporting our scouts all year.

After the mass, the pack was treated to an end-of-the-year party at the Leblancs' house. There was a waterslide and pool for the scouts and their families to let loose. Everyone was treated to pizza and cookie cake. There was also a small advancement ceremony and the boys, once Tigers and Wolves are now Wolves and Bears. They were excited to get their new kerchiefs. It was a fun event and we are very grateful to Kirk and Michie for opening up their home to our kids.

Two days of watersliding left us pretty exhausted for the rest of the day. We came back and took naps--like you should on vacation.

Capri's Birthday Party

What time is it? Vacation time.

We took our time getting up and going Saturday morning. Why? Cause it's vacation time!

But we had plans today. Capri is having a birthday tomorrow. So to celebrate we had a waterslide at Poppa & Grandma Dee's house. The family was there and the kids and the adults took their turns zipping down the slide. The injuries were minimal--sprained thumb, bruised ribs, brushburns. But there's no doubt that some of us will be sore tomorrow. Poppa BBQ'd some hot dogs and hamburgers and we ate and relaxed all day. There was a ton of fun had by everyone! We're looking forward to Capri's birthday next year so hopefully we can do this again. Happy Birthday, P!

Vacation Begins!

You know that feeling when it's 5pm on Friday and your on vacation the next week--we've got that right now! What time is it? Vacation time! We have a couple of rules when we are on vacation: Dad never shaves and we eat whatever we want. And when someone asks you what time it is, you always respond "vacation time".

Tonight, as we kicked off vacation by honoring one of those rules--we ate something we wanted. We had beignets.....for supper! Look at how miserable these kids were being forced to eat beignets...

Welcome to the Church, Joshua Paul!

A celebration was had today as a new member of the church was welcomed. Joshua Paul Bayard was baptized today. Cindy and I are honored to be the godparents of this beautiful Catholic boy! Here are some pics from the baptism...
We love you Joshua and we will always be praying for you!