New Orleans for Real This Time:)

To start off there's something you have to know about Chris, he LOVES March Madness. Since he was a kid he has filled out a bracket and every year since being married so have I, and every year of our kids lives they have filled one out too. A special Family Home Evening is dedicated to this and Chris is a kid again.

A week before BYU's Sweet 16 game Chris half jokingly asked me if I wanted to go down to New Orleans to watch it. I was actually pretty open to it and excited. I'm a BYU fan but really don't pay much attention unless they're worth watching and this year they've been worth watching. I've loved it even more because Jared sits and watches and picks out players on the court. So I called my cousin Melanie who lives down there with her husband and two boys and asked them if we could hit them up and spend a couple days with them. She was so nice and warmly welcomed us:)

So I was a little excited at the prospect of going before but after my phone call with my cousin I pretty much had decided we were going (this cousin is a reason I loved family reunions. We were the same age and I couldn't wait to see her and do stuff each summer). After clearing things through work we were off bright and early, 4:00 AM, Wednesday morning.

We told the boys the night before we were going and Jared was bouncing off the walls. He was so excited to go see Jimmer and BYU play. While trying to put him to bed he commented, "I'm not going to go to sleep I'll just wait her until you wake me up to go!" and, "When we get there we need to make a sign that I can hold up!" We had decided to have only Chris and Jared go and at first Spencer was really sad so we decided we'd let him go to (I was reluctant because Spencer would be a hit or miss of whether he'd like it or not and I didn't want him making it hard for Chris.) But Chris was the one who decided to put the invite out there for him. But after the offer was extended he decided he'd rather watch the game on the TV with mom, phew! (And I had decided as much as I'd LOVE to go I wanted to hang out with my cousin who I really never get to see anymore.)

So Wednesday morning Chris and I get up at 3:45 and we don't end up leaving till 4:20. The kids were wide awake and ready to go. It took us 15 1/2 hours total time to get there. We stopped in Memphis for some Ribs that were a little of a disappointment. The rub was great but the meat tenderness was really lacking. But still fun to be in Memphis. We arrived in New Orleans around 7:40.

The first thing Bently said when he answered the door was, "Where's Marjorie?" He immediately won me over. This kid is so good with names. He remembered everyone's names and used them all the time. New Orleans is a great place to visit but seriously this kid made the trip all the more worth it!

We spent Thursday morning at the zoo, while Chris worked from their home. We only scratched the surface but what we saw was cool.

Two Albino alligators.

Play area:

Melanie with her two boys (Casen in the Bjorn and Bently making his way down the web.)

We even got to pet one of their HUGE elephants (Spencer, Jared and I'm holding out Bently)

The afternoon we spent at Melanie's home and made a sign for Jared. Then we drove a little around the Garden District of beautiful old homes and then met up with my cousin's family for dinner. We got some PoBoys (alligator sausage, roast beef, and roast beef and shrimp) and the boys (Chris, Jared and John) left for the game.

The best and only family picture of us all

It was a good game to go to, except for the fact they lost. But it was intense the whole time and kept you on your toes. I was dying at home. They so could've won but oh well.

Jared and Chris at the game holding Jared's sign. To high up for him to be on TV but he liked it and so did other people around them. A few people borrowed it to take pictures with it.

The weather there was so nice. My boys were loving wearing shorts and I was loving letting them run around in a yard. We brought our scooters and they had a nice driveway for the boys to ride them on. Bently loved Spencer's scooter and got really good at it. I was worried it might become and issue between the two but they were both great at sharing it.

Friday morning we went to the aquarium (Lucky for us Melanie had a pass to the zoo and aquarium so it didn't cost us a dime:) Melanie had a chiropractor appointment so I gladly offered to take Bently with us. We had a fun time petting the sting rays:

And Feeding the Parakeets. So worth the dollar to buy a stick. Everyone loved it. Bently

I don't know why but the parakeets loved landing on Bently's head. So after the fifth time or so he'd had it and was done.

Maybe they liked landing on his head because he'd blow at all the birds that landed on his stick:)

After the Aquarium we went to the French Quarters to get some lunch at the Gumbo Shop. I was a little hesitant with four little boys but Chris really wanted to go. It was fun walking some of the streets and hearing all the live music. I loved it. At the Gumbo Shop we were seated quickly and got our food within five mins of ordering. Awesome! I liked my Chicken Gumbo and Chris liked his red beans and sausage. I didn't think the food was amazing but it was good. And the best part was we were totally able to enjoy it thanks to Chris' thought of ordering virgin strawberry daiquiris for the boys.

(Bently and Spencer)

Miles was insistent of taking this toy around and people loved it. He added his only little live music to the setting.

Chris had to work that afternoon so we went to a park and fed birds and played. Then that night John and Melanie watched our boys while Chris and I went out for the night down at the French Quarters. Now this whole trip our neighbor Terri was texting me throughout the day asking me what we were doing and what our plans were. She loves New Orleans and makes it there at least once a year so she was a great sounding board. She gave us several suggestions for dinner but they were all overbooked. The place we found had good reviews but I was disappointed because I really wanted to go to one of the places on Terri's list. My meal was good and Chris' duck was great.

We walked Bourbon Street (definitely not walking that street with kids). A group break dancing in the picture below.

And finished our evening off at the Davenport Lounge listening to Jazz music.

The next morning we hung out for a bit and the kids adorned themselves with all the Beads Bently has gotten.

Then we headed down to the French Quarter for brunch at the Coffee Pot. There was a long line so Melanie and I waited with our babies, mine was out:

He woke up just as we were being seated.The food was delicious I just wish I would have had the Lost Bread, french toast dipped in their special batter and fried... Yummy!

Below is Melanie and her family, John her husband, Bently and her baby Casen.Then we walked around. The quarter is a fun place that looks so authentic and I love all the people and music and energy. Below is a little courtyard area:Here's their cathedral with Jared and Chris showing off their muscles:)We played tag, ate popsicles and walked.The last thing we did was take a street car to the garden district. We didn't know

how long it was and figured we'd ride it to the end and ride it back. Well it was long and we weren't even close to the end before we hopped off and got on another one coming back. If there's one thing I'd do differently it'd be this. We were all hot and tired and done for the day and no one wanted to be trapped in the rickety street car with lots of other people. But we

survived.

We taught the boys the hand slapping game which helped pass time.

Along with taking pictures and letting them take pictures.

That night the kids had a water fight. Bently loves water and was such a good sport at letting my boys squirt him. He loved the water so much that he'd turn the hose on himself several times:) One of my favorite quotes of his, "Hey Chris, watch this!" and he squirts himself right in the face. The kid is seriously so cute.

The next morning we did a repeat of our initial trip out. Left just around 4:00 AM and got in around 8:00 PM.

I'm so glad we went. I'd never been to New Orleans, Jared and Chris got to go to a BYU Jimmer game. and I got to spend good quality time with my cousin. The boys came back to our chilly weather. Miles and Spencer didn't take their coats off the next day til lunch time (Spencer) and dinner time (Miles). We miss the warm weather.

The only bad part... I lost my wedding ring in the trip. Either I forgot to zip the pouch in my makeup bag or Miles undid it while traveling(Chris let him play with the bag not realizing it was in there) and it fell out but whatever it be it's gone. I've torn our car apart and searched everywhere it could be in our home but it's gone. My only hope is that it's in the grass at my cousins and by some chance the sun hits it just right and they find it.

And to end on a happier note, that sign we made... I figured we'd just toss it. Nope. This is where it is and Jared has asked, "When we move can we take my sign?"