Got Bike, Got Gear, Going Touring!

I ended up buying the Cannondale Touring 2 bike. If a bike can be beautiful, it is beautiful. I love riding it--it has a very smooth ride. I've also purchased all of my gear including Ortlieb Panniers (I was told these were the best and I would never need to purchase anymore). Other than splurging on the Ortlieb panniers, I purchased most of my biking items from the REI.com Outlet. I think I purchased some real good bargains, and I am ready to try them out. My poor husband spent most of his afternoon helping me install lights, flashers, panniers, bells, and everything else I was too helpless to do. I did my best to evenly pack my panniers so that the weight would be distributed evenly. Every now and then my husband would say, "You really need to learn how to do all of this if you are going to be a biker." My reply was, "Why should I? I have you to do it for me honey bunches, sweetie pie." Honestly, it would have taken me two weeks to do what he did in one afternoon. Thanks Keity-Q Chocolate Chip.

Anyway, I am leaving tomorrow for the tour. I will fill you in when I get back from my daring adventure (at least daring for a 43 year old woman).

What Do You Do on a Rainy Day?

This has been one dry summer in Louisiana. However, when it rains, what do you do? Well.........this is something you can do....

Stare at the rain from the front porch.

Listen to the pleasant sound of the rain falling on the roof top and pouring out of the gutters.

Take a nap on the front porch with your favorite buddies.


Or....bake a cake!

(check out the huge knife the chefs cut the cake with)

First you collect all of the ingredients and tools needed...while making a huge mess. The mess makes the cake baking process much more exciting and fun!

Then you mix up the ingredients (of course you need a favorite person to do this with) and pour into pans to bake. (Love them hair dos-these dos are called Cake baking dos)

Next, you do a little dance around the kitchen, while wearing oven mittens, as the cake bakes....
(This little dance is called the "Cake Dance")

Once you begin to smell the cake baking, you continually check the oven to see if the cake is completed, all the while doing the cake dance in between. In case no one knows this, the cake dance makes the cake taste much better.

Wallah! The cake is done. Next....you remove your cake and let the entire family enjoy.

What do you do on a rainy day?

Urgent - Please Pray!

Just a quick blog to ask anyone who reads this to pray for four precious christian young ladies from Christian Life Center in Gaithersburg who were involved in a bad car accident yesterday evening. Please pray for them and their families. Prayer is needed urgently! I also want them to know that I am praying for them and that I love all of them dearly.

Memories of a Very Snowy Day in MD on a Very Hot Day in LA!

I have so many wonderful memories of my time in Maryland. Just in case anyone who reads this blog doesn't know it, for approximately one year my children and I lived in Maryland after our home was severely damaged in hurricane Katrina. During this time, we were very blessed to have a fabulous church to attend, Christian Life Center in Gaithersburg, MD, a wonderful family to live with (the pastor and his wife), and we were able to make many great new friends and experience some new and exciting things.

Well, on this hot day in Louisiana, I thought I would share with you one of these experiences. Snow! Not just a little snow--a lot of SNOW!

This is a picture of the beautiful home of the family we stayed with. This is a picture of what that beautiful home looked like when we woke up on this particular morning. My littlest was so excited (he was three at the time) he ran straight out the door, still in his PJ's, and fell flat on his face in the snow.

This was the view out of the front door. Simply breath taking! I was so amazed at the beauty of it all. My brother-in-law drove over in his truck, picked me and my children up, and then away we headed to their house for a day of snow fun!

This is my brother-in-law hurdling snowballs at my sister while everyone else gawks. If you enlarge this picture and look close enough you can see the snowballs flying through the air.

This is my daughter practicing her balancing beam skills.

This is my nephew snowboarding down the hill. Wheeeee!

Isn't it amazing how the snow settles on every little branch?
I could not get enough of looking at it.

Doesn't my niece look precious with her rosy cheeks
and bright blue coat?

Here's my booger. His favorite thing to do in the snow was make snow balls and eat it! Every time I looked at him he was sucking on snow.

Here's my daughter sledding down the hill. Wheeee!

Triple pile up. My brother in law sledding down the hill with his kids! Wheee!

Afterwards, when we were completely exhausted, we retired to my sister's cozy kitchen in front of a toasty fire blazing in the fireplace and drank a mug of steaming hot chocolate! We had such a fun time! I must do this again one day! But for now, I need to get back to work on this HOT Louisiana day!

Who is this man living in my house?

Twenty-two years and eight days ago this sweet little blue eyed bundle of joy came into my life.
My dear friend below, "Bebesie", helped and encouraged me as I struggled to bring this sweet little baby into the world. During the process, I urgently warned her to never ever have children. She didn't heed my warning and now has two of her own. Thank the lord!

The baby has grown up, and I now I have a man living in my house who strangely still looks very much like the dimpled little blue eyed baby born just over twenty two years ago. This man loves to eat, work out at the gym, and play the guitar at all hours of the night. Another favorite activity of his is to chase his little brother around the house, tickle him, and annoy his sister, all the while laughing, blue eyes sparkling and dimples deepening.

I love this man, and I am proud to call him son.

Happy 22nd birthday Gene!

See Ya Later Mr. Gator!

On Sunday, we had an unwanted vistor in the bayou right across the street from us--MR. GATOR!

On Monday, we told Mr. Gator goodbye--thanks to some really nice alligator wrestlers who cornered and trapped him in a culvert. Unfortunately, he had to be sent to gator heaven because he was a serious fighter and posed a danger to the neighborhood. The debate over his length ranged from six feet to ten feet. The final measurement was nine and one half feet long.

My little bayou boy touching Mr. Gator.

Everyone came from near and far to see Mr. Gator--Grandpa, grandma, aunts, uncles, neices, nephews, brothers, sisters, etc.. What an event!

We were all glad to see Mr. Gator go, except for my nephew who informed me that he and his dad were planning on catching him and eating fried alligator. Sorry Milmil, maybe next time.

See ya later Mr. Gator!