Holiday weekend fun!

I know that many of you reading this are only just now getting ready to send your kids back off to school, but we've been back in session since August 18, and Jason has been back since July 20 if you count Band Camp, which considering how much work it is, should definitely count for something! Finally, last night we were able to enjoy the fruits of their efforts for the first official debut of the Marching Tigers at the home game. I'm including this video -mostly because my parents are in CA right now and didn't get to come and Jason wanted them to see it right away - but I hope you all enjoy it. The show is entitled "Fields of Gold" and incorporates a lot of Aztec themes in their movements, as well as some South American music, which then moves into Sting's song by the same title.



It's a bit difficult to hear at times, but you get the gist. I'm sure I'll record it again in the future at an indoor competition where you can hear it better. We've seen it many times, but it was SO much more impressive in uniform, with the white pants just emphasizing the sharp lines of the formations that much better. Unfortunately, you only see about half the field here because I don't have wide screen recording. I focused on the woodwinds where Jason was, but the other side had movements all their own. I know you'll have no idea which one he is, but if you can find the bass clarinets he is the one with the blond hair sticking out from his hat. He's up front at the very end. And in the part where they are the swaying barley fields he is the in the far left row, and of the first to kids to stand up and sway he's in front.
We're so proud of Jason and the hard work he has done! It was great to see the band and the spirit they provide for the team - playing the fight song at every score, and funny pep chants and dances. They really get into their team spirit - wish it had worked it's magic on the players, but unfortunately we pretty much got our @$$#$ whooped! I think the score was 40 to 59
The weather here has been delightful this weekend. We spent it very quietly at home due to baby sitting my parents' dog. I was a little mad about having to turn down a great opportunity to go camping with friends, or celebrate our anniversary by going somewhere for the day, but we still had fun. We cooked out at home, played yard games with the kids, made a fire and had smores, and watched a movie. Lauren finished reading "New Moon" and I had promised her that when she did we would rent it, so we did. She had her friend Libby come and watch too, but we couldn't do a sleep over because Lauren has a bit of a cold and I didn't want her to lose more sleep.
And of course, it was our 18th anniversary weekend as well! Can you believe it?! I posted some wedding memories on my FB page, but here is a honeymoon memory - a then and now since we went back to New Orleans for our vacation with the kids this year!

That was the only photo we had taken together on our honeymoon!  We went to Mr. B's Bistro and they took a polaroid for us so we would have one together.  This time the kids were handy to take a memory photo.  The food there is SO amazing, but we were worried if the kids would like it since it can be very rich......

I think he liked it just fine!  This was just the gumbo - the main course was even better!

Lauren was trying to make friends with the garnish.....it was the only part she didn't like about the meal!

I might as well finish off with the rest of our vacation since I never did finish those posts.  Our stay in New Orleans was very short - just a quick overnight to relive some memories and give the kids a "taste" of NOLA - pun intended, since most of what we did involved food!


They did think that Bourbon Street was as Lauren put it "interesting".  Jason was very worried about it at first - his self preservation instincts are very healthy and he knew this was a seedy place to be - but once he saw some street performers and the nice shops on Royal street, he got into the feel of the place.  We did see an amazing magician dressed as Abraham Lincoln - very appropriate for Jason!  He is really into magic these days - must get that from my grandfather - and is constantly teaching himself tricks off of YouTube.   Lauren did NOT like the voodoo shops - they gave her the creeps and she didn't want to go in.  We saw no evidence of oil, nor could we smell it - although what can you smell but stale beer in NOLA?  One disappointing factor was that many of the upper levels of the bars and restaurants seem to still be abandoned.  And the other thing we didn't like was that reggae and other non - jazz music seems to be the prevailing music now - we didn't hear dixieland ANYWHERE.  It was a big let down - why would they want to move away from the one thing that made them unique?

The morning we left we went to the French Market for Beignets and chicory coffee.  Why can't anyone seem to replicate this taste?  The kids loved it - how often are you encouraged by your parents to eat as much powdered sugar as you want?

We walked along the riverfront and took photos together that we weren't able to get on our honeymoon - lots of single shots back then!  Then for lunch we hiked back up to Bourbon street to the Desire Cafe which was a small little cafe attached to the Royal Sonesta where we stayed during our honeymoon.  This little cafe was our very favorite eatery - they make the most amazing Crawfish Etouffe!  I think we must have eaten there at least 5 times in the time we were there!

This time the kids got the Jambalaya!  It was so amazing - I came home and tried to replicate it - got pretty darn close too!

It was a lick your plate clean kind of good!

After lunch we drove very quickly to Vicksburg to try to get to the National Battlefield Park prior to it's closing!  It was a beautiful drive along Lake Pontchartrain - hard to imagine all the distruction Katrina had caused, although from the highway we did see a LOT of abandoned buildings and areas that still seem devastated by the flood.  But the Bayou area has such a romantic beauty to it, that you can't stay sad for long.

If you've never been to Vicksburg it is definitely worth the stop.  What grandeur for a battlefield!  Monuments to the various regiments everywhere -and they just keep getting bigger and bigger!  But the most impressive sight was the Ironside "submarine" they pulled out of the river.  They have it displayed so you can walk through the actual ship that has be reconstructed from the rotting wood.  It was amazing!

So that's enough for now!  Next post will be stamping as I have been working on many projects and just haven't taken the time to show them off lately!  Happy Labor Day!