Back to the Gym

It was Hannah's first time back to Elmwood Gymnastics Center on Wednesday since the Storm. It was one of those moments for me that I had to stop and take a deep breathe before entering the doors. I still remember getting Hannah's phone call from the gym that her practice had been cut short due to the severity of the storm, and I needed to come and get her as soon as possible.

It has been a year and a half since her little body has tumbled across those mats, so in small way it is a new beginning for her with this team. She will be competing in February (she is a little disapointed that she is not able to go to NY...she missed the signups) and is on a busy workout schedule MWF from 4-7:30 and Sat 9-12. I just hope that we can keep up with her homework.

We are excited that we have made this full circle, and are grateful that she has a place to go to do gymnastics.

Nighttime NOLA

They may seem like just ordinary beds, a place to close your eyes and hopefully dream of something wonderful, but these beds have turned into one of the things that I am thankful for being back in my house. Lately when I have tucked my children in for the night, and hope they are settled for the evening . I have had the opportunity to have some alone time with my older children. Caden, my son, will ask if I will talk with him for a few minutes. He will then proceed to tell me about his day at school, how he misses his old school , his friend Carson and being his mother I try to assure him that everything is going to be OK. I kiss him goodnight for the second time and he begs for just a few more minutes to talk, so I kneel back down and listen to him some more. I am finally able to move to the last child who has now decided she can no longer fall asleep in her room because her little sister talks too much and is bothering her, although I think she just was making an excuse to have some time alone to talk instead of having to go right to sleep. She is now in my room to let Addie fall asleep by herself without anyone to talk to. I kiss Hannah goodnight and she asks me to lay down with her for just a few minutes. She then rolls over and gives me the play by play of the day. I am so grateful for these beds that I am able to kneel by to hear my son tell me about his troubles and his triumphs. For my bed that I am able to lay down beside my oldest daughter and have her tell me of her day.

I really have enjoyed being in MY HOUSE and have everyone in THEIR BEDS. I truly love my kids and spending precious childhood time with them in our very own space.

I can't express how grateful I am to each of my new blogging friends. Today I received two pieces of good mail one from the queen Jill and the other from Dana. Thank you! It was so nice of both of you to think of me.

Happy Birthday Tasha!

Last Chance

I just wanted to give everyone one last opportunity to get their recipes in today. I appreciate all you have already contributed. I am excited to get them compiled, so be looking in your mailboxes soon.

How 'bout dem Saints!!!

I'm not so sure you are aware, but I bet your husbands know that the Saints knocked off the Philadelphia Eagles yesterday and will be going to the NFC Championship Game (1st time in Saints history) in Chicago next week. The curse of the Dome has been lifted!




Football in NOLA is something very exciting right now. The people here are going crazy about black and gold. I spent thirty minutes in line at the Black and Gold store to get my kids shirts to wear to school. The uniforms were covered and the colors of the Saints were proudly worn . Addie even got to participate and wear her Saint shirt to pre-school on Friday.






This football team has given this city hope when it has had none. It has rebuilt a place that once held refugees instead of fans. As the sign says on the Super Dome "Our Home. Our Team. Be a Saint".


I would also like to add that I got to some good mail this weekend. Angie was sweet and sent me a nice Welcome Home package. Somehow I feel as if we have been friends for years. She knew just the right words to say and just the right things to put in the package. I feel very blessed to have met her. Thanks again. I love it!

My 100 list

1. I have hazel eyes

2. I love to cook, but hate to decide what to make.

3. Don't like to be alone

4. Love Diet Coke, and usually stop and get one before 9 a.m

5. Was on the dive team in High School

6. Afraid of reptiles

7. Love to read

8. Spent four months in Europe

9. Traveled to 10 different countries

10. I was only 18 when I did #8

11. I have migraine headaches

12. Learned to snow ski when I was three

13. Was a tomboy when I was little. I didn't understand why girls were not allowed to take their shirts off.

14. I had my own motorcycle

15. Love to travel

16. I married my best friend

17. Hurricane Katrina was one of best things that could of happened to my marriage

18. Broke my ankle walking down a flight of stairs in High School

19. I don't like seafood

20. I want to run/walk the Crescent City Classic before leaving NOLA

21. Love lightening and thunder

22. Love falling asleep listening to the rain

23. I hate to camp

24. Love to water ski

25. My best friend in Jr. High and High School is now my sister-in-law

26. I wanted three kids just like the family I grew up in

27. I didn't like ketchup until I was pregnant

28. I cry at commercials

29. I think being on time is very important

30. I love to vacuum

31. My car is usually on empty (this drives my husband crazy)

32. I love to talk on the phone

33. I love to strike up conversations with strangers (IE. on an airplane)

34. Don't like to public speak

35. Can't sing, but love to sing in the car

36. Very rarely do I ever forget a face or a name

37. I love Fleur DE Li's. I think even more so since the storm.

38. I love the smell after it rains

39. I have to have a shower before leaving my house

40. I love Nielsen's Frozen Custard, and frequent it often when in Utah.

41. Love to fly

42. I hate yard work, but love flowers

43. I love shoes

44. When I was little I wanted shoes more than toys

45. I am a worrier

46. I love clocks

47. I love clean sheets

48. Had gallbladder surgery when I was only 18

49. Lived away from family most of my married life

50. Best thing I could have done for my family was move away

51. I am very good at keeping in touch with my friends

52. I Love the smell of newborns

53. Have kissed all of my kids bare bottoms (I love their bums)

54. My older brother was my best friend growing up

55. I hate math

56. I hate to grocery shop

57. I love to DE-junk

58. I Love to entertain

59. I love Peanut Butter M&M's

60. I love to date my husband

61. Favorite Colors are Pink and Brown

62. I have a hard time getting teased

63. I love Grey's Anatomy

64. I love to watch T.V. in bed, and have missed it for the last 18 months

65. Went on Pioneer Trek, and loved it!

66. My favorite movie is Sweet Home Alabama

67. I enjoy exercising, but have a hard time finding the time

68. I Love Creme Brule

69. Would love to skydive before I die

70. I love to cook meals for other people

71. I love cooked spinach with vinegar

72. I love soup (It's a comfort food)

73. NOLA was were I met friends that I hope to have a lifetime.

74. I hope to serve a mission with my husband someday

75. Hearing my children laugh is one of my greatest joys

76. Hearing them say I Love You is my greatest joy

77. I love to get dressed up

78. I am not very creative, but am pretty good at trying to copy

79. When I am sick I still have to get up and get ready for the day

80. I love to wear my husbands scrub bottoms

81. I love to cuddle

82. I love to watch movies in the dark

83. I hate to iron

84. I love my house to be clean

85. I love to be barefoot

86. My grandparents were great examples to me

87. My brothers nickname for me is doughie

88. I am not computer savvy

89. I would have a massage all the time if it was in the budget

90. Love pedicures

91. Fell off the counter when I was two and broke my elbow and my wrist. I was talking on the phone.

92. I hope to never have to evacuate again

93. I hope my kids leave NOLA with a little Southern Accent

94. I love my wedding ring
95. I am very grateful for the power of prayer

96. I wrote a letter to Bo on Days of our Lives in the fifth grade.

97. It was very important to me to get my college degree...I wanted to be an example to my children

98. I sometimes can be a nag ( so my husband tells me)

99. I love to have my kids photos taken

100. Hallelujah I made it to 100

Day of Firsts

It's my first day of school. I'm a little scared, but I'm prepared. I brushed my teeth, I combed my hair, and I waved bye-bye. It's my first day of school.

It's my children's second time to have a first day of school this year. It was my second time crying and my second time making my traditional 1st day of school chocolate chip cookies. We went from no school uniforms to the fabulous Birney green, three recesses to one, being able to walk to and from school to carpool lanes. Thank goodness the children are resilient and try to find the good in every situation. I think I was more worried than they were until it was homework time it took us three hours to complete Hannah's second grade work. I think she was a little overwhelmed, but plugged right throught it like a true champion. I hope and pray I see better days for myself.

Caden just marched right in like he had been there from the begining. He did get a firm reminding to tuck in his shirt.

Addie on the other hand stated that her teacher talked to loud which is ironic for my loud mouth chatter box. It is very comforting to know that she is attending the same school that both of her siblings went to.

Richard also started back to work today at Tulane it was his first time back since the storm. He mostly filled out paper work, and tried to get his ID's for some of the new hospitals. He also needed to get finger printed for the VA, but was unsucessful. We will see what happen tomorrow, because he is on call.

Here is to a day of many firsts lets just hope they are a little less tearful for mom.

Recipe Exchange

OK, Ladies. I need a project to keep me busy the next little while why my husband is getting busy with work and while I'm trying to find my groove again. I love to cook, but I also love to collect recipes. Five years ago I did the first recipe exchange here in NOLA. It became something we did about every six months or so. It was so much fun to collect recipes from our group of friends.

I thought it would fun to have a recipe exchange here on the blog. If you are interested in participating please email two recipes by Jan 15, 2007. I will then compile all of them and get them to you via email or good mail. I have added on my sidebar a place to submit your recipes (thanks Jenny). So, have fun everyone! Whether you feel that you can cook or not everyone as a recipe or two that each one of us would love to have.

I also wanted to thank Tasha for the wonderful good mail that I received today. Not only were the things inside the package fantastic, but the sweet card of encouraging words was even better. I would also like to thank to Chanel for the nice "Welcome Home" card that she sent (I forgot to take a picture I am still a little new to all of this). I am so blessed to have such wonderful friends.

Welcome Home!

We arrived in our house monday night, and totally de-junked the house. It took 11 garbage bags to clean out all of the closets. The toy room was given the clean sweep and the new toys were put away. It is amazing how much your children's interests change in 18 months.

The new fridge arrived, Addie's mattress came, phone service is now working, Directv fixed the satelite, and my children came enthousiastically off the plane wanting to see the house they had left behind. Addie was so excited to have a new "Big Girl's Bed" that she screamed when she ran up stairs for the first look at her new bed.

Many things have changed over the last 18 months, my style of clothing, my kids toys, but not the feelings I have for my house and the memories that we have had here. I hope that the next 18 months will be for rebuilding, making new friends, learning to love the city and the culture more, learning to cook some more Southern food, learning to love the Church on Cleveland Place instead of the one on Academy Drive, eating snowballs, finding more good restaurants, and listening to the sounds of a Southern rain.

So, Welcome Home.

Posting for Alli

Allison is without internet this week--Bummer! They are in the process of hooking everything back up. They made it safely back to New Orleans last night. I spoke with her today and they are making headway cleaning out closets (they got rid of 10 bags of clothes!), setting up beds, waiting on their new fridge, and organizing all their stuff. Hopefully, they will be up and running soon.

Visit to San Antonio

We got our "Chuy's" experience

We got to Doug & Jenny's house late Saturday night. We traveled through a terrible snow storm the night before. It was very scary driving through a blizard dragging our uhaul. Luckily, we made it to a hotel before the roads closed down in Albequerque, NM. Several people were stranded on the highway from all of the snow. Saturday we drove another 10+ hours and finally made it into San Antonio around midnight.

Here we are at the Alamo. This is one of the stops we wanted to make in San Antonio. I had heard so many things about it, I wanted to see it for myself. It was much smaller than I imaged it would be. We also took a boat tour ride on the riverwalk.

Today I went on a walk with Jenny & Angie. It was FREEZING cold. I think the temperature was about 32 degrees. So, I not only got to go to Chuy's in San Antonio, but got to go on Jenny's daily walk with her. We left the Clouse's around 11am to head on back to New Orleans.