New Orleans

One of Filipe's old co-workers invited us to his wedding this past Saturday night in New Orleans. This happened to coincide with my mom's visit to Texas (okay, okay, we begged her to come down so we could escape for the weekend). So Saturday afternoon, she dropped us off at the airport, on the way home from our church's camp-out (more on that in another post) and away we flew.

We went through some really beautiful clouds... I wish I had the equipment or the know-how to capture it better, but I guess there's only so much you can do out the window of an airplane. They looked like they were just boiling up, white ones starkly contrasted with gray, irritable ones. Very beautiful.

Here's swampy Louisiana:Here's the view from our hotel: downtown New Orleans.The wedding itself was very traditional. Very New Orleans traditional, that is! Instead of your standard organ or even piano playing your traditional wedding march, we got this guy, playing something that doesn't have written music, playing the jumbo-trumpet (I know there's an actual name for this instrument, but I'm at a loss as to what it might be, so jumbo-trumpet it is). It was actually very cool. And the reception featured a live, rockin' New Orleans jazz band. It was very dark & very LOUD, so it was difficult to get a good video clip, so this is the best I've got right now:

You can also tell by the wedding cake how "New Orleans" the wedding was--they even decorated it with the fleur de lis!Sunday morning we drove around downtown New Orleans, and of course Bourbon St. Man, is that place a haven for sins of all flavors! We even found a venue where you could go to watch "Love Acts." Eww. But it was kind of neat to see the places that I've seen in movies & stuff. I almost expected to see Ashley Judd hanging around (I love Double Jeopardy). But I don't really have any pictures of this part, because it was raining like, uh....... well, it was raining a lot.

On Sunday afternoon we went to the Nineth Ward, one of the places that got hit the worst by Hurricane Katrina. Now, I know this place was no beauty before hand, but it was really strange how it felt as thought the hurricane was there just a short time ago. Most of the uninhabited houses (and there were lots--I wish I knew the percentage of occupied to vacant houses. I'm guessing 1-4) were obviously incredibly damaged, but also still retained the X markings from directly after the hurricane, indicating when the building was searched for survivors, and if there were any casualties in the house. You can see it on the left side of this blue house, including a "R.I.P" marking next to it. Pretty sobering.

Lots of houses & lots were just completely overgrown, like this one:

But there were also several newly-built homes, right next to the abandoned ones. Kind of a strange juxtaposition:

Not only are there abandoned houses, which I'm sure contain extremely unhealthy levels of mold, mildew, and who the heck knows what else, but some houses even have methane warnings still posted on them:

Eventually the rain let up, so we decided to return for a stroll through the French district. They were having a nice little Farmer's Market/Swap Meet. Such lovely produce, but.........Me like the candy store!

We also went to the St.-Someone-Famous-But-I-Can't-Remember-Who Cathederal. See the ominous sky?

Also met Andrew Jackson:

Loved this banana tree, with the flowers half banana-ed. I will admit Filipe made fun of me for finding this interesting!

We had a little bit of afternoon left, so we decided to head about an hour out of town to visit some plantations we saw advertised in a brocure. On the way, we were driving about sixty on a nice little two-lane highway, when I glanced out my window at the edge of the marsh next to the road. "There was an aligator!!" I exclaimed to Filipe. Surprise! He didn't believe me. I had been teasing him ever since we were on the plane that I would find an aligator on this trip, so he was sure that I was pulling his leg. I tried to express how seriously honest I was being, but it took a bit of convicing for him to turn the car around. We drove back to the spot where I was sure I'd seen a gator, and, Hello! There was the gator, not 20 feet from the car. Filipe tried to make me get out of the car to get a picture, but I think my camera has a satisfactory zoom!!

So we drove for about 1 1/2 hours, and finally found the plantation we were looking for. We walked up to the ticket counter. We read "$15 per person." We turned around and walked back to the car, and headed 1 1/2 hours back into town. I'm so cheap. So here is a picture (from the gate) of the plantation we never went to. Lovely, isn't it?

We had such a great time just hanging out, no stress (okay, well, not too much) doing the tourist thing. Last year we went to Charleston, this year it was New Orleans. I think we may try the Florida Keys next year. That is, if Grandma's up to another round with our kids! WE LOVE YOU GRANDMA!!

playing catch-up

Obviously it's been a while since my last post.... so I'm going to do a superspeed catchup post that will contain a few highlights of the past week and a half.

First off:

My father-in-law and husband started a remodel in my garage. We got rid of the old kitchen cabinets that looked like they were useful and a clever use of un-needed cabinetry, but were in fact a huge waste of space. They then built me some lovely floor-to-ceiling shelves so I can keep all my garage goodies in boxes and out of the way. Happy! That completes phase 1.

I also had a lovely girl's night out with my girls from church.... that is, after I found the place. I have the worst sense of direction God could have given me. If there is an option to go left or right, no matter which I choose, I should have gone the other way. It doesn't fail. My friend, Dear Abby, diagnosed it one time for a writer (not me), it's called Directional Dyslexia. A serious (okay, not) condition. Anyways, a little shopping center 20 minutes from my house took me very close to 1 1/2 to find.... after driving all over several sides of San Antonio.

I got there 15 minutes before the shops closed, but was still on time for our reservations at Bin 555, a lovely restaurant where we dined on the porch. For dessert I had s'mores--can you believe it? After feeling like a grown-up, eating miniature goat-cheese grilled sandwiches with tomato marmalade sauce, naan flat bread with hummus, and pommes frites (haha!) I have campfire dessert. But it was good, and it came with live fire! And although much of our conversation centered around our children's and pets' body fluids (my apologies to the people sitting at the next table), it was a much-needed connection with other moms pretending to be adults for a while.

The next day I headed up to Michigan where my sister graduated from Andrew's University with a BA in Communication & Spanish, after which I traveled down to my parents' house in Kalona for a little R&R. There's so much I didn't do there, I don't even know where to start. Let's say I had a fantastic time being 17 again. No kids. No husband. No responsibilities. No curfew. No cooking. Lots of Lazy. I went through a bunch of old memory boxes in the attic.... man, was I really that much of a drama queen in high school? How immature! Oh, right. I was in high school. And although it was good to get away, it was awesome to get back to my babies & my hubby. Dorothy had it right--there's no place like home.

I was pretty sure the kids would be devastated with their mommy gone. This is how bad it was:

So I think Daddy buying them a pool helped. But I guess there was also a little of this going on:

So that made me feel a little better (isn't that terrible?).

I got back late Tuesday night, then Wednesday Filipe reminded me we have to get the kids' Brazilian passports for our August trip. That requires a trip to Houston, which is where the closest Brazilian Consulate is located. So I packed up our bags, and we left town after the boys' nap. The trip normally wouldn't be all that dramatic, if it weren't for the fact that our portable DVD player mysteriously stopped working. And brilliant mommy didn't bring alternative entertainment. So they made some entertainment of their own.

We stayed the night at a hotel, then in the morning Filipe went to a couple of hospitals to get some work done while we were there, and I took the kids to Hermann Park. The boys almost posed. Sofia was having a "day."

And don't be fooled by the cloudy atmosphere.... it had to have been 99% humidity--it was awful! And that was at 9am! I had rivers of sweat running down five minutes into this adventure, which is why we stopped by the fountains next.

We went to the playscapes next, and I did manage to sneak in a picture of Sofia. Boy, did she give me one dirty look afterwards.

And last, but not least, cooking for Friday night worship. I made Prosage (fake sausage for all of you non-veggies out there) cheese muffins, Chunky Apple and Raisin Bread, Banana bread with chocolate chips, and Taco Turnovers for dinner. Oh, yum. This batch of recipes was a good one!

So now you're all caught up, I think. Maybe I can stay on top of it better now. Next adventure: Guadelupe River for Mother's Day!

Further signs of ADD

I have realized I am a literary polygamist. I have at least three books that I am currently in the middle of reading. This was never my way before. I was religious about finishing a book to the last page before beginning a new one. What changed? Perhaps I am so worried that I will never have time to complete one book that I panic and pick up the next one. Ahh... I never thought of myself as a cheater. But here I am. This is what is currently on the docket: ScreamFree Parenting (anyone think I really should read this one cover-to-cover??), The Bible Jesus Read, and Divine Prophecies Fulfilled (a very interesting 1922 book about Ellen G. White & her prophecies). And I'm sure there are several others that are not privileged enough to be on the night table.

The fruits of my labor

Filipe and my mom took the kids to the Children's Museum this afternoon.... blessed peace! For me, not them, ha! Here's the product of that lovely quiet time....







Let's see, there's Banana Chocolate Chip Mini-muffins, Lemon-filled Coffee Cake, Pecan Poppy Seed Loaf (actually made yesterday), Cheesy Mexican Corn Bread, Sausage Enchiladas (thanks, Kim!), and Spaghetti Pie. OH..... I can't wait to start eating!

Hangover

After I put the kids down last night about 8:15pm, I tooled around the kitchen, cleaning up a bit. Then I realized, hey, I'm tired. Wouldn't it be funny if I went to bed now instead of wasting time watching tv or surfin' the 'net? So off to bed I went. Only I made the night-altering choice to grab a book I had just picked up at the library. It's by one of my favorite Christian novelists, Kristen Heiztmann

I crawled into bed and thought, A couple of chapters won't hurt. Hahaha.... I must really have forgotten who I am. Let's just say I was conscious for boy #1's 1am wake up, and then for boy #2's 3am wake up, then also for girl's 3:15am wake up, and boy #1's 3:30am wake up. And I was just drifting off to sleep for boy #1's 4:15am wake up and his 4:45am wake up. I'm actually kind of glad I was already awake for most of those, because once I'm sleeping, I really hate being woken up. Maybe that's why I'm not a big fan of newborns.

Anyways, at least the kids had the decency to sleep in until 7:45 this morning. I've got a bit of a headache, and still the stuffy/runny nose, but honestly, it was good. It was good to take some total selfish and virtually unredeeming time for myself. It is a bit of a shame that it had to take place in the middle of the night, but really, it felt kind of good to do something I used to do all the time before kids. I know there's more pieces of me in there somewhere.... I just hope it doesn't take a hangover to find them.

Then..... and now.

Ah.... Midland Adventist Academy, Class of '99. This last weekend was the 10-year reunion up there in Shawnee, KS. My whole family made the trek so I could see most of my former classmates.

What a strange feeling walking into the building that I spent most of my time in 10 years ago. I had my three kids with me, but somehow I still felt 17. And to see my classmates, and schoolmates, and their kids. Well, it was an interesting juxtaposition.

Eight of the 11 students in our class showed up for the weekend. Susan, who has two kids and has been married for almost 10 years, Carlos Mott, who looks exactly the same as he did 10 years ago, Tasha, still the unofficial leader of the class, trying to get everyone together. Carlos Prieto, still asking how my sister's doing, Mikey, as full of mischief & teasing as ever, but now a father and preacher. Seth, the other preacher in the class, with the content and powerful delivery of a sermon that amazed me, Dean, still the same, yet all grown up with two boys of his own. We missed having Doug, Tesha, and Brandon.

It was a great year, and this was a great weekend. Thank you to my classmates for giving me a place in your ranks. See you in 10 years!

Road Trip Austin

I got to go to Austin all by my lonesome yesterday--yay me! I ran some errands, stopped by to see my Grandma & cousin in San Marcos/NB, then did a little retail therapy at Garden Ridge, Target, & Ross. Good times. Here are a couple of random shots from my good times.

Free at last!

Filipe kicked me out of the house today to go grocery shopping.

As I'm pushing the cart outside, I see my shadow, and it's not pretty--my frayed stonewash jeans, boxy v-neck long-sleeved tee (navy, of course), slip-on Keds, and my lifeless locks. I'm feeling matronly and frumpish. This sucks.

So I stop by Pro-Cuts on the way home. I know, you can only expect so much from an $11.95 haircut, but after lopping off the excess hair, I feel free! I feel at least 9 months younger. Now, I need to find a $28 wardrobe makeover, and I'll be set.

Happy Birthday, Me!

Well, today I turn the big 2-7. Filipe got up with the kids so I could sleep in a little. Then around nine (miracles!) they brought me a beautiful basket of flowers, a delicious breakfast in bed, and lots of Lindor Truffles (my favorite!). The boys really were interested in helping me eat my breakfast, while Sofia was particularly insistent I open my presents right away.

After a lovely shower all by myself, I went to a surprise appointment Filipe had made for me. He had arranged for me to have a minor cosmetic procedure done, something I've been thinking about for a while, but would never do for myself. He's such a thoughtful (and creative!) man, I love him so much! And besides almost fainting in the middle of it, it was quick and painless.

We also enjoyed lunch at the Pizza Hut buffet. We thought the kids would like that, but turns out they don't like pizza anymore. They stuck with the fruit cocktail, cottage cheese, and chocolate pudding. Go figure.

So thanks to everyone sending their birthday love, the day is going great!!

I believe in miracles!

As I turn in for the night, I look at my kitchen and sigh. It truly is a miracle. The counters are cleaned of most clutter. I don't think there are any sneaky crumbs hiding on those tricky mottled-stone surfaces. The table doesn't have any smears of mayo or ketchup. The trashcan is empty. The dishwasher is processing a full load. The smooth top stove is free of (most) spills. It is a beautiful sight. A sight I know will disappear with the morning fog as soon as my three little elves wake up and want their milk. I sigh again. If only for one night.....

Anticipation, or An Apple a Day

I was in HEB the other day, doing some shopping in the produce department, when I saw them. Piled in a big crate, set in the middle of the floor, so as not to miss them. HUGE, beautiful, shiny green and red apples. I picked one up. I gave it a couple of nice hefts in the palm of my hand, awed by the weight/volume ratio. That extra poundage, of course, means that the water content is high. High water content = juicy apple. Yum.The sign above them said "Honeycrisp" in a way that made me absolutely sure they would be sold out within a few minutes, so I had to get one while they were there. Of course, the sign also said "$2.99/lb" in a way that made me absolutely sure that they would completely blow my budget for the week. So I only bought one.

This beautiful specimen of an early fall apple was just shy of an entire pound. It cost me $2.63. I took it home and gave it a quick polish before giving it the place of honor in the fruit basket. It made the Jonagold apples there seem puny by comparison. I thought about eating it right away, but knew that anticipation is half the enjoyment. So I just admired. And waited.

I was right about the anticipation. I was enjoying it, perhaps too much. Last night, I had a nightmare in which someone mistakenly ate my Honeycrisp beauty. I felt bereft when I woke up. I was only pacified when I went downstairs to ensure that it was, indeed, a terrible, terrible dream.

This afternoon as the boys napped, I decided that the time was ripe. I sharpened my knife. I gave the apple one last scrub. I set it on the cutting board and took a deep breath. As the knife sliced through the skin, I could hear the pop! as the juice squirted out. My water/volume ratio theory was confirmed. This was a succulent one. The anticipation was climaxing. I just knew that this was going to be the kind of apple that caused the fall of mankind. I couldn't wait.

I cut it into manageable pieces and took a final look. Mouth watering, I took my first bite. Yes! It was juicy! As those apple juices reached the various tastebud locations in my mouth, I felt...........

Disappointment.

For all the good looks & hefty weight (and hefty price), this apple rated a 4.5 on the sweetness scale. Rats. What a waste of anticipation. I guess that taught me it's best not to expect the best. No matter how good something looks, it probably isn't.

Filipe says I'm a pessimist. I think I'm a realist. Either way, the apple was mediocre. Better to expect mediocre and be pleasantly surprised than to anticipate greatness and be disappointed.

Oh, and by the way, those "puny" Jonagolds were about the sweetest, juciest apples I've had in a long time. And they were on sale.