Gracious.

A month?!?! Yep, a month.

A month since I blogged. I have things to blog about and lots of stuff in my head. Just gotta make the time to sit down and work on that. As I don't scrapbook anymore - this is how I will keep my memories. These pages will be turned into books (there are lots of websites out there to do this.)

Miss Molly James is going for her 6 month appointment tomorrow. She is up to all sorts of things and I will post more about that after we get her stats tomorrow. She is everywhere these days with a smile that everyone loves.

This past weekend Jamey and I escaped to New Orleans. We were there together 24 hours, but it was just what we needed. Or what I needed. I needed to us to have each other's full attention for a period of time longer than the two seconds before we fall asleep. We tend to meet each other coming and going right now. We both work full time.  Jamey teaches night school two nights a week. I am still working with my Scentsy. Jamey starts classes at Alabama in January. I also start school again in two weeks. (What!?!?) My bachelor's degree AND my Master's degree were both earned BEFORE I had children. I have three children now. Not sure what I am thinking...but I am registered so I guess I am committed. I will be working toward my Ed.S. degree ( Educational Specialist). I will keep you posted how THAT goes....

But back to the 24 hours that was New Orleans heaven. Hotel? We stayed here. At the Hotel La Pavillion. In a word, FAB-U-LOUS. Just what the doctor ordered for us. We arrived at check-in time Saturday. Spent the evening walking the streets of the French Quarter. There was lots of music and art and stores with awful things in the windows and people dressed in every which way you can imagine. Street performers were everywhere. Tarot card readers, horse and carriage rides, painters. Jackson Square was lovely as ever. For dinner we enjoyed blacked gator, bowls of gumbo, the Chef's special of the evening which was a flounder dish that was excellent. And homemade hush-puppies with a wonderful sauce was also served. And, brace yourselves, I had a glass of WINE. Slowly. We ate and drank and talked and ate and drank and talked some more. We noticed at one point that we had been there long enough for TWO tables of people to come and go (almost.) Wow. Not once did we take anyone to the bathroom, or ask for a bottle of ketchup or tell anyone not to put use their fork as a back-scratcher. We laughed and talked and enjoyed every bite and sip. We then walked around some more before heading back to the hotel. We listened to a lone trumpet player playing as we walked. We passed teenage boys drumming on the bottoms of buckets. The sounds echoing down the alleys of the French Quarter. We stopped for a drink or two in Pat O Brian's. It was loud and full of Saints and Chargers fans. People of all ages. We shared a Hurricane. We decided Hurricane's tasted better when you are 22.
The hotel had a rooftop pool and hot tub. We made our way up to the top of the 10th floor. It was dark, but the lights and sounds of New Orleans floated up to the rooftop as we sat together Blue Moons in hand. A few other people came and went. We chatted with another couple from Baton Rouge for a while. We all four laughed like we were old friends. I don't even know their names. It didn't matter. We were all there for the same reason.

Now this next part is REALLY exciting. Ready?? Jamey and I slept ALL NIGHT LONG. All night. Do you understand the significance of this statement? All night. Heaven. The next day involved Cafe Dumonde, shopping for treats for our three littles, lunch and then the drive home for me while Jamey stayed to attend the Saints game with friends.

Thank you, Lord, for 24 hour getaways. Thankful to friends and family who kept our children from wandering the streets while we were gone. Thankful to spend 24 hours with Jamey and thankful to come home to three sweet children. Almost 12 years of marriage. Well over 16 years since we met. Half of my life, people. And I would give him half my years all over again if I was given the choice.