Big Three, Little Three

Here is the photo from the day that Jay told the photographer,  "I'm a big three and she's a little three."  It was the first time that I had heard him say that. I also remember being disappointed that he had a scrape on his face but a three year old boy in the summer has a few bumps. Now I like that about the photo.  Yes, they are both wearing Izod shirts. I still think it's pretty cute. Wow, thirty years ago? That is the most amazing part of all.

Big Two, Little Two

Lincoln is two years old and Walker is two months old. Ashley took this photo when we went into the woods a couple of weeks ago. This age has reminded me of when Jay was three years old and Ashley was three months old. Jay would say, "I'm a big three and she's a little three." It's so fun to watch my grandsons interact. Lincoln is gentle and loving. Walker smiles and loves to watch Lincoln. I love that they each have a brother!

Memorial Day 2014

 We have been doing lots of walking but I like it best when we are on the trails out in the woods. Since we had a long holiday weekend I asked Dale to go with me to Hickory Hills to check out the hiking trails. I have been to the park but never looked for the trails. It was a great Memorial Day walk, not too hot yet and no mosquitos. I expect that to change soon.

Ashley and Travis hosted a family cookout for the holiday. I always love a family gathering and its great to get to see Travis' family also. It was a perfect ending to a wonderful holiday weekend.

Wonderful Saturday

 Saturday was a wonderful day at home with lots of gardening and a long walk to the lake and back. We invited Ashley and the boys over for lunch and had a great time playing. We got out the "turtle tot" for Walker for the first time and he did very well in in. Lincoln loves the basketball hoop and the sandbox with Dale. 

 

 Travis surprised us when he arrived on his motorcycle. It was fun to see him and Lincoln didn't hesitate to give him a kiss good-bye even with the helmet.

 Salads were on the menu and I waited till Lincoln arrived to help harvest the pathetic crop of spinach. The greens were good but the squirrel's digging and the rabbit's eating decreased the harvest greatly. I think it helped when I added Mowgli's hair to the soil.

So fun to share a wonderful Saturday with my boys!

Social Summer Start

This week has been very social and so much fun. The weather has been absolutely perfect, a kick-start to summer but not yet hot. I have had two patio lunches with family, two walks downtown for beverages with great friends and a road trip to a little brewery to catch up with an old friend. I already have patio plans with two friends for Wednesday evening too. Let the summer begin!

 Potosi Brewing Company was a great find. I am not sure how I made it this long without knowing about this little gem. The chaplain at work mentioned it this winter and I made plans to meet a friend and explore the brewery at the same time. The beer was excellent and the atmosphere was wonderful. I loved the quiet beer garden with the koi pond. It looks like they have live music on the weekends. Its well worth the drive and I will definitely be back to this spot again.

Sunshine

This boy just lights up! He is so precious and so responsive. So often I get busy with the big boy stuff and don't get time to slow down with Walker but I love it when we hang out together most of the day and I get to enjoy quiet moments with both boys. These two and a half months have gone so quickly.

Walker is a ray of sunshine but I still love that little bottom lip. . . just precious!  

Happy Birthday, Ashley

My baby girl is thirty today. At the risk of sounding cliché, the years have gone so quickly. This is a shot of Ashley when she was about the same age as Walker is now. Happy Birthday, Ashley!

Lawn Mower

I got a new lawn mower for my birthday from Jay and Briana. It' a great gift and although I was getting by just fine, I admit that it was probably needed. The old green machine was passed on to me by my mother-in-law in 1979 so I don't know how many years it has actually been mowing grass. It took a gas oil mix and sometimes left a bit of a blue smog as I trudged through the yard. The new machine takes less pushing because its self propelled and I no longer have to mix the oil and gas. It works great and for now its all pretty and shiny, but I did scuff up the handle a bit already getting too close to the neighbor's chain linked fence. I bet it will be awhile till it looks as bad as the old mower that was cutting my grass for the last thirty six years. If you know anybody who could use this old antique let me know or it will probably show up on my driveway with a "FREE" sign when the neighbors have a garage sale this summer.

Birthday Picnic

On Saturday afternoon we gathered to celebrate Ashley's birthday. The big day isn't until Tuesday but the weekend worked well so we had a little party. Because it was so nice we did everything outside and it became a pizza picnic with sidewalk chalk, t-ball and lots of driveway fun. I always think that birthdays should last more than one day and this was a great way to get it started.

 Lincoln really isn't being overly safe. He spent much of his time riding his bike and is very comfortable just leaving his helmet on throughout the party.

Time to Shop

All the walking is paying off and my clothes are annoyingly saggy. One of the downsides of losing weight is that I have to go shopping. As much as I don't like spending money, its the actual shopping that is the toughest part. I actually went shopping two evenings this week, once for pants and once for tops. I just got basics but came home drained. At least I have some pants that don't feel grossly stretched out and saggy by noon. Its even worse when I need to go shopping because my clothes are too tight so although I have done this many times before, I am not complaining too loudly.

Rainy Monday

 Mondays off are best when Ashley, Lincoln and Walker come over to visit. It was great to spend this rainy Monday with them after having been gone for more than a  week. Lincoln and I walked around the block looking for worms and puddles. I was so impressed that he walked the entire way. Its almost a mile. Walker spent most of the day inside snuggling or sleeping but we ventured out between showers. Lincoln and I even transplanted our pumpkin seedlings into the garden.

We decided to pick some rhubarb to make a special treat for Daddy. When I showed Lincoln the rhubarb I pointed out that the leaf was very big, big enough to be a hat. Lincoln said, "It's my umbrella. Or a parachute!" He continues to amaze me.

Homeward Bound

 When we left NOLA we took time to explore a bit of Louisiana and Mississippi as we traveled toward home. The state capital building in Baton Rouge is the tallest capital in the country and it was interesting stop with much attention given to the governor who was assassinated in the building.

 St. Francisville, Louisiana was a great stop. It's a small southern town that is recognized for architecture and art. I was impressed by the live oaks with Spanish moss because its such a southern thing. I was also quite impressed with the food at the Magnolia Café. We stumbled on this one. Its actually set back from the road and difficult to notice. My bluesy salad was delicious and I will duplicate it at home often; greens, apple, cranberries, walnuts, red onion, blue cheese and chicken.

 We lingered so long in St. Francisville that we didn't arrive in Vicksburg Mississippi until after the national park battlefield visitor center had closed. We stopped at Tomato Place for some information. It was an interesting place and the people were very helpful. Dale wanted to see the battlefield so we got a hotel and spent the night. We walked three miles through the monuments with a local woman who gave us our own guided tour when we met her on the road. Since the forecast was rainy we were happy to see some of the park that evening. She also gave us a tip for a great dinner of crab cakes and peanut butter pie at Rusty's. Its a good thing we took a long walk!

The forecast was right and it was heavy rain through most of the morning. We were two of very few visitors in the park that day but we got the CD and drove through. When the showers let up occasionally we would get out of the car and visit some of the many monuments erected by the states that fought in that battle.

 Jackson was our last stop in Mississippi to see the state capital building. They were incredibly hospitable and it was an impressive building. I believe the Sergeant at Arms may have had some extra time on his hands. He talked for a very long time even pulling up photos of his tomato plants on his computer screen for us to see. He was happy to take a photo of us too. It was actually rather funny.

When we left Jackson we were ready to focus on getting home. We did make a stop in Memphis for another dinner on Beale Street then found a hotel after getting down the road another hour. After being gone for eight nights and traveling almost three thousand miles we arrived home on Saturday evening discussing what the next trip might be. It was a good vacation and it was good to be home again.

NOLA

 

Dale and I had both been to New Orleans before but since we were so close I wanted to go again. It is such a unique city with a very distinctive energy. I am so glad that we added it to our trip.

 

 We got a great hotel just a few blocks from the French Quarter and enjoyed walking around the area. It was a 24 hour visit but we put on lots of miles, actually ten full miles of walking the first day and we arrived at noon! It's a good thing that we got that much exercise with all of the great food.

 One of our breaks to rest our feet and cool off was at this tiny little bar in an alley. What a fun little find!  It was warmer than I would normally prefer but walking on the shady side of the street and little tables for drinks or snacks were very helpful.

 The food was amazing and Oceana just may have served me my  favorite dish for this trip. The sauce was amazing and the shrimp and alligator sausage were a delicious blend. The city is known for food and we got some of the favorites like muffalettas and red beans and rice also.

 

Yummy, beignets and café au lait for breakfast at an outdoor café!

I always look forward to walking down Bourbon Street but I prefer it early. I don't need to be on Bourbon Street after dark. I actually think Royal Street is my favorite. So grateful to get the chance to explore New Orleans again. It was a great stop.