bluebonnet picture FAIL

while taking the long way home from lunch through a neighborhood near our house, i drove past a random patch of bluebonnets on the side of the road.  i threw the car into park, quickly bathed my children with wet ones, and plopped them in the "field" of bluebonnets with strict instructions not to eat or smush them.

now i could finally have some of those cute kid-in-bluebonnets photographs so popular in texas this time of year.

wrong.

 "hey guys, over here."

 

 "crosby, no-no.  no.  no.  ben, make him stop."

 "wheeeere's momma?  wheeeeeere's momma????  yoohoo?"

 "focus, ben."

 "why are you holding your face? is it too bright out here?"

 "crosby!  no-no.  no.  NO!"

 "BEN!  crosby can turn his own head.  thanks for your help, bud."

"good enough.  let's go home."

greatest hits- NOLA edition

every year, chris and his buddies fork over $160 each to join their fantasy football league.  every monday night during football season, they gather together to drink beer, watch games, and enjoy each others company.  we usually celebrate someone else's season win at an annual superbowl party.  but not this year!  chris won the imaginary superbowl.  to him this win means bragging rights, a trophy, and a big, fat cash prize. to me this win means just one thing: a big, fat cash prize.  

we couldn't book our plane tickets to new orleans fast enough.

 although we revisit our favorite city often, the adventure-seeking side of our personalities shine by switching things up each trip.  

wanna see what made my weekend?

 1) hearing kermit ruffins play at vaughn's.  it was a dancy, twirly, sweaty good-time.

2) hard and soft.  

wild flowers growing all over a dilapidated house.  vines crawling on wrought iron.  it sums up everything i love about new orleans.

 3) our balcony.  uh yep, the door is a window.  and yes, my husband is holding cafe au lait and croissants.

loving our balcony so much caused us to spend a lot of time on it,

 which led to me taking pictures of myself,

which led to the consumption of my new-found favorite beer, abita strawberry.

4) and speaking of abita strawberry, they sure were tasty while bellied up to our new favorite bar.  it was dark, the food was tasty, and their motto (as pictured on the sign above the bar) goes something like this:

'remember you can't drink all day if you don't start in the morning'.

 5) walking up and down royal, taking pictures of the colors of the doors and buildings, ducking in and out of antique stores, dreaming of buying art and furniture.

 6) could i be related to ella brennan?

 7) an unforgettable birthday dinner.

 8) a fancy schmancy after-dinner cocktail at the newly renovated carousel bar inside the hotel monteleone.

 9) happening upon a street festival.  we found a vendor from our favorite rib joint in memphis.  serendipitous, maybe?

 10) rounding the corner and running smack dab into a wedding party dancing down the street.

11) the food.  we put our noses to the grindstone, sought and successfully found the best bloody mary in the quarter.  oh, and the best coffee.  and the best breakfast.  i had an eggs benedict po-boy, y'all.  seriously.

 12) my travel buddy.  we have the same interests.  

i like him a lot.  

thanks for winning the imaginary superbowl, baby.

*i will be writing a travel guide soon.

stay tuned.

looking forward to a couple of baby showers and a birthday party.

how was your week?  what are you looking forward to?

until next time,

xoxoxo

boys club

my group of friends is multiplying.  all in all we have eight children, 3 girls and 5 boys, with another little guy due in april.

meet the newest man in our lives: nolan.

the evil stomach bug tried to come between me and my new little snugglebug, so once we finally met, we had to make up for lost time.

he was worth the wait.

greatest hits

 it seems as if most everyone we know has a spring birthday.  march hits and it's off to the races, a birthday per week.  so this week we started celebrating and it was good.

1) spring arrived in my backyard and it sure is beautiful.

 2) we partied it up four-year-old style.

 3) someone in this house is now 33 years old.  and it's not me.

{birthday card idea courtesy of pinterest}

 we ate cake, we brunched and we even went grocery shopping.  you know you're 33 when you go to super target on your birthday.  party animals!

4) nolan brown.  finally hanging out with this brand new baby and his momma (who happens to be one of my favorite women on the planet) was perfection.

looking forward to walking on royal street and drinking a cafe au lait (we're in nola, baby!)

how was your week?

what are you looking forward to?

until next time,

xoxoxo

laissez les bon temps rouler

this time tomorrow night we will be in new orleans at vaughn's listening to a little bit of this:

tomorrow night cannot get here fast enough.

 over the next few days we will be busy eating and drinking and twirling around, so i have scheduled a couple of posts (you know, 'cause i'm fancy like that).

have a fantastic weekend, friends.

xoxoxo

p.s. shelly- i'll be thinking about you!

a birthday

birthday boy

happy thirty-third birthday

 to a man who still writes love notes,

 does the dishes and laundry,

 makes really awesome babies,

 who can dance a jig like no other,

 sings in the shower (and not in the shower),

 fixes boo-boos,

 and makes us all feel loved every single day.

we love you, chris bo/daddy-o. 

xoxoxo