You Know You're From New Orleans....

...when your daughter's jewelry box looks like this!

A silver doubloon, Mardi Gras "pearls", flashing green pendant, lucky heart rock and handmade Valentine from a friend. I look at these contents and wish we could all stay this sweet and innocent.

The piggy bank is from my brother, who lives in NYC. Both girls got one for Christmas and I teased them that when it was full I would gladly ship them off to the big city to visit Tio Henry for a week!

My Busy & Fun-Filled Week

I realized that I hadn't posted in a while and I couldn't figure out why. Then it hit me - Isabella was off of school all last week and we had a lil thing called Mardi Gras to celebrate. It's been one party after the other around here... just the way we like it!

Check out my pics - I love the expression on Lucia's face when they would throw her something! Priceless!! And Isabella was a magnet for all things stuffed - we easily had 20 stuffed animals, from lil fish to huge flowers. It was a great day!

And on top of all that, soccer season has officially started! This year we are trying a different league that sounds a lil more organized. The only "problem" being that they meet three times a week - twice for practice and then a weekly game! Geez!

Isabella seems to enjoy it and Lucia doesn't mind watching and cheering her on. Now, I've just got to find Harold and I some purple sweatshirts or a blanket we can wrap ourselves in for her games - gotta show of our Purple Panther spirit!!

A Valentine Kick-Off

As if last weekend wasn't exciting enough, this weekend was just as great... if not better! ;)

Harold and I got to go have our traditional Valentine's dinner last night. We have been eating at Cannon's Restaurant on St. Charles, for Valentine's, since we first started dating. We have only missed one year (thanks to darn Katrina!) since 2000. I think only once or twice have we actually celebrated on the 14th - usually it's the day before or after. We spent today with the girls, going to church and then to a fun lunch.

Then we came home to tackle this packet of papers:

Yup... We are finally making all our decisions and dreams come true! We have chosen Gladney as our adoption agency - hopefully, they choose us, too! - and Ethiopia as the country we'd like to adopt from! We are so excited! I'll have to share one day how we decided upon Ethiopia and how we truly feel called to that country. I think we're much too fortunate or blessed to start doubting God's plan for us and I'm not about to start now.

I know from following so many of your blogs and journeys that we need to prepare ourselves for the many high's and low's of adoption. We're ready for it. If it's one thing that I've learned from this whole medical school business, is that we can survive anything and great things come to those who wait!

Hope all of you had a great Valentine's Day!

Happy Lombardi Gras!

Last night was the Lombardi Gras parade... as if New Orleans needed another reason to celebrate, right? I know there are a lot of pics (and video at the end) but I really did do pretty good - my husband took over 220 pics!

These are for all our family and friends that couldn't be here with us. As much fun as it was, it would have been three times that had you guys been here to celebrate with us!

And last but not least, a lil "Drew Dat" video! (Thanks, Maureen!)

Geaux Saints!

In case you haven't turned on your tv lately, logged on to the internet or checked your Facebook page in the past couple of hours - the Saints won the Superbowl!! We won! Who Dat?! We Dat!
On our way home, we were stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic. It was probably one of the best parts of the night! Celebrating with the city... as we all waited happily to pay our $1 toll. We rolled down our car windows and played (aka: blared!!) all of the popular Saints songs for everyone to hear. Honks were blaring, people screaming, signs being waved and lots of dancing - all while we moved 2 miles an hour and were stuck in our cars. I loved every second of it!

Black and white, young and old, Metairie or Uptown - none of it mattered. We are a city that believed. We are a city that cried together and is now celebrating together. It has never felt better to be from New Orleans!

Geaux Saints!

PS: We're pretty sure our horn died last night... that's how much it was used!! :)
PPS: Who knew my husband had DJ potential?!
PPPS: Saints pic taken from SI.com - thanks for the coverage!

Is That Wrong?

I saw this pillow. And thought of Harold.

He's always accusing me of always thinking that I'm right and he's wrong. I thought how fun it would be to buy it for him and be able to hand it to him after our next fight. Then I thought how much more fun it would be, if instead of handing it to him next time he's right, I just smack him upside the head with it.

Is that wrong? :)

(Pillow can be found here)