New Orleans

This trip to New Orleans was a request of Lynn, but for years Kyle had been hoping to return for a visit.  Lynn has always been good about visiting us.  Some of his recent visits have revolved around depositions he's had in Dallas.  We don't live in Dallas but the man can't visit the large state of Texas without feeling compelled to hop another flight to visit us a little farther south; it just doesn't sit right with him.  Lucky us.  Having recently visited us he had bigger plans this go-round to "make a memory" as he puts it.  Translation:  I visit you all the time and we've done and seen just about everything in Houston.  Kyle never needs an excuse to visit New Orleans.  He loves it.  Lynn had been tipped off to our recent 14 hour drive to Albuquerque, that trip apparently qualified us for the "short" 5 hour drive to New Orleans -- at least in his mind.  It took me about a week to get on board.  Only after loads of laundry and organizing both house and mind was I able to concede.  I'm glad I did.  We had a great trip and I loved being able to use my camera to capture all the ground we covered over that weekend.  

Saturday

We hopped in the car following Ty's flag football game for an uneventful ride to New Orleans.  We arrived just in time to walk the lit up streets in search of an authentic Nawlin's dinner.  We stopped off in a few shops along the way; I mean how can you pass up this guy beckoning you come in?

I'm sensing a favorite . . . 

Sunday

Our morning started off right, in the French Quarter.  At Cafe Du Monde we enjoyed Nawlin's famous  beignets.  In this case "starting off right" means you have intentionally written off any ambition to eat healthy that day. I believe we accomplished what we set out to do that day.  In fact, we succeeded the rest of the weekend too.  I know this because I wasn't hungry for literally two days after returning home.  I'm serious.  The food served there is heavy.  I just wanted a bowl of fruit.

We jumped at the chance to ride around the square on this horse and buggy for a guided tour.  This was our tour guide, Lorna.

We attended church on Sunday.  Actually, we just missed mass that was letting out as we walked in to the St. Louis Cathedral; the oldest practicing cathedral in North America.  I've never been to mass.  I was hoping we'd get to sit in for a bit. It was a gorgeous building, inside and out!

The square was hopping as I would guess most Sundays there are.  Reese paid a dollar for a wave from this lovely lady.  Following that she requested a pic with this grizzly guy below.  He was not paid.  Jaden was curious and received her first, and probably last, tarot card reading.  She left feeling quite confused about her past, present and future.  I was there listening too.  We had a good laugh afterwards and decided against trying to make any sense of it. 

About mid day Kyle and Ty pooped out or rather went back to the room to watch the Texans playoff game.  Lynn and I took the girls on a steamboat down the Mississippi river.  It made one stop at Chalmette; the battleground for New Orleans.  Jaden and I left Lynn and Reese on the boat and took the short tour.  These trees were our favorite part of the stop.  

Monday

We decided to stroll around the square after having been acquainted with it during our carriage ride the day before.  We stumbled across the famous "Blue Dog" artist shop that I'm so accustomed to seeing both in New Orleans and some in Houston.  After getting permission, I snapped the shot of the Kyle and the kids standing next to a $95,000 portrait!  Seriously.  We also came across a hat shop where I was just sure I had to buy a hat.  I have no idea when or where I'll wear it but it's mine now.  Jaden covets it.

Goorin Bros. Hat Shop.  

Don't they look so excited for me to choose a hat already?!

Easily my favorite site of the trip was this cemetery.  I've never seen anything like it.  I loved that with all of its chaos, what with random placing of tombs and sentiments scattered throughout, there was still such reverence and respect for the area.  To ward off evil spirits Reese is shown knocking three times on the gate before entering the cemetery.

This tomb was crumbling and behind the stone was a plastic bag.  What was beyond that?  Well, we weren't interested in finding out!  The kids enjoyed the thrill.

Reese is in front of what is to be Nicholas Cage's final resting place.  Word is that he spent a cool million for this lot and had the pyramid built on it. 

Three X's on this tomb behind Kyle, again, to ward off evil spirits. This is Marie Laveau's tomb replete with offerings of money, food or anything else someone deems worthy.  She was a humanitarian for the city.

Albuquerque

(I'm going to go out on a limb here and suggest that Vinnie and I had individually escaped to our own little happy places.)

Here we are bundled up and posing at the top of Sandia Peak amidst the nasty cold and blistering winds.    You guessed it, I didn't really give them a choice.  This peak is a 5 minute drive and a 15 minute tram ride away from Vinnie and Deborah's new home in Albuquerque, New Mexico.  It is the longest tramway ride in the world -- apparently 15 minutes is long.  However, depending on when you go, the wait to ride it back down is even longer!  Like two hours longer. We learned the hard way there but at least we were in good company.  And luckily, for Davis's sake I randomly had couple of ketchup packets from a recent visit to Chick-fil-a hanging out in my purse.  Ketchup never tasted so good. Good company was the theme for our week long visit with Deborah's family and Sarah who drove down from Denver.  We had a lovely time, thanks for letting us invite ourselves!

Here's the same shot with Aunt Sarah swapped out for me.  And sorry about cutting off your head in that pic, Vinnie.  I'm sure that's not the first time someone's apologized to you about that. 

Sopapilla's with Aunt Sarah.  

Just arriving in Old Towne for dinner and touristy stuff.

 

This unique florescent tree is comprised of water bottles!  I love all things recycled.  I'm trying to pass that on to my kids.  The kids are on board and are mimicking me rather nicely.  Kyle is the one that we all take turns getting after!  Anyway, I thought it was a great use of the bottles and a great example to all those who visited it.  As well, it made for some good pics.  I seem to remember a ginormous tree like this that was put up in New York over the holidays.  I just hope more inhabitants of the earth are catching on.

This is a renactment of how Deborah and Vinnie's prom picture might look -- had they ever gone to prom together.  Deborah needs a fake rock like this for her home to elevate her.  Then she and Vinnie would have to see eye to eye on everything.  Seriously, the guy is 6'7 and Deborah is 5'3 on a good day. It's a case of the opposites attracting!  :)

The lovely Jaden and the adorable baby Scout!

You can't see it but Reese is also giving a hooke 'em horns behind that mitten.

 Snow!  We don't even know what that means around these parts. For Reese this was her first encounter with it.  And it did not disappoint.  

Game Day

Sanford's vs. Harris's

 I can only imagine what kind of inspirational speech we are receiving from Kyle here.  Oh, wait, I was there and couldn't believe what I was hearing, something like:  "this could get bloody but you all remember we will give no mercy."

I love this shot with the littlest Sanford shown escaping the huddle in the background.  She wanted no part of this.  I guess she knew what was good for-- although she walked right through the middle of our game more than once.

 

Family Fun Center 

 I love this photo.  Reese was in tears because her dad was in the bumper boat with her cousin instead of her.  Aunt Sarah saw an opportunity to win Reese over and seized it.  With a little chocolate and plain old logic she was able to talk her off a ledge.  Just look at that look Reese is giving Sarah!  It melts my heart.

Other highlights from the week included:

• Taking Sarah's new puppy, Ellie, on daily walks.
• Having the children disappear with cousins for hours on end.
• Jaden watched The Help with her aunts while the men were out to watch a UFC fight.
• Kyle toured a famous UFC gym.
• On the 14 hour drive home Ty did NOT get out of the car once.  He left Albuquerque and didn't step foot anywhere else until Pearland.  He didn't relieve himself for the duration.  However, I will say that the last 20 minutes of the drive were almost unbearable . . . but we are against pulling over when you are that close to home.  
• Bike rides.  Their community had plenty of trails and paths for exercising just outside their door.  Using the bikes that were available to us, some of us rode bikes that were much too small and we payed for it later.