Fall Break - New Orleans

By the time Fall Break rolled around this year we were all ready for a vacation. In the midst of a busy fall it is always nice to unplug and get away for a few days.  We started off our week in New Orleans.  We only had a day and a half there, but we hit the highlights. We also made sure to be back to our hotel by dark. I wasn't going to take my chances there at night with the girls. ha!

On the way down we grabbed some Shrimp Basket to go.  This is one of our favorite seafood places at the beach. We've enjoyed it since there were only 2 locations, and now there are enough that we can usually find one when we head south.

This one managed to meet the pavement on the way to check into the hotel. She sported this lovely scab all week. I'm just thankful it wasn't worse and that no teeth were damaged. 

The next morning we headed down to the Honey Island Swamp Tours.  We really enjoyed our ride through the bayous. Our guide was great and we all had a wonderful time.

Who knew alligators like marshmallows.

And raccoons do to. Surprisingly we saw 6-7 of these guys on our tour.  I didn't realize raccoons lived in the swamps.  Wild pigs do too, but they weren't out this morning.

We finally made it to the city to spend the afternoon walking around. The girls found some beautiful masks in many stores. 

 

We walked Jackson Square and made a stop in the St. Louis Cathedral

A trip in the French Quarter wouldn't be complete without a stop here.  The girls (and their parents too) were excited to give these a try. 

 

The to-go line wasn't long at all, but to these three it was more than they would have liked. :)

The beignets were totally worth it. 

After an early dinner we took a walk down the Mississippi River before calling it a night.

We had to make a quick stop at a drug store before heading back to the hotel.  We decided to be the crazy parents that walked across the street for another sweet treat of the day.  And if you get chocolate cake you have to have milk to go with it.  Brooke and I found this little jug, and she thought it was just the cutest thing.  She giggled all the way to check out with it.

We had Monday morning free before boarding the ship so we took the girls to Mardi Gras World.  This is the largest maker of Mardi Gras floats as well as other creations - like the big Chick-fil-A cows that are on billboards. The girls tried on some costumes before the short video about Mardi Gras.

We then were given a tour of their warehouse that is an active design and creation center. There were a lot of cool floats, and we learned so much.  I was surprised to learn about how they reuse so many of them over the years.  It's amazing how they can start with one things and change it into something very different.

We enjoyed our time in New Orleans, but the real fun was about to begin.  I just love spending time with my people!

Apple Orchard

One thing we love to do each year as a family is take a visit to the apple orchards. It seems every year we have to be intentional and creative to squeeze in this adventure.  Schedules are busy once school starts, but thankfully we live less than an hour from several orchards.

 The annual Macy with an apple shot.

 

They are getting a little big to be hoisted up on Daddy's shoulders, and honestly it scares them a little.  But in the end it is worth it to reach those apples up at the top.

Someone likes her apple cider and is learning how to use her eyes to get what she wants. 🤣

Back to School 2017

It's hard to believe we are ready to start another new school year. 

Brooke is in 2nd grade.

And clearly she is not the least bit excited about it.

Macy is in 5th grade.  The end of her elementary career has arrived.

She is ready to take it on! Although she would also be perfectly content with continuing her summer break a few more years. :)

Kayla is in 7th grade and rocking middle school. 

 

She is heading into the year with a little bit of sass... such a rare thing - HA!

 I will be starting my 4th year teaching 3rd grade at King's. I know this school year holds many exciting adventures for these girls.

Summer Fun

Summers always seem to fly by, but we managed to get in a good balance of fun and relaxing. Kayla finally finished making her skirt.  The fabric is from Kenya and is beautiful. She worked hard on it and it turned out so pretty!

Kayla performed at several nursing homes this summer. These are one of our favorite places to perform.  The people that live there just love having the dancers visit.

We took the girls to Six Flags for the first time. It was hot and crowded... just like I remember.

Brooke finally started gymnastics.  She has been asking about this for a while, and she chose to give up dance to follow this desire.  She absolutely loves it and is doing so well for having just started.

We watched the Braves lose in the new stadium, but it was fun to explore.

All three girls played soccer this year.  I need to find where the other pictures ended up.

And finally we enjoyed watching the UT marching band practice at a local high school. It was a neat experience for us and the girls.

And just like that it was time for school to start back. Another summer of memories filed a way, and a fresh start of a new school year to look forward to.