A Few Snippets From Our Day In New Orleans!

I totally neglected my little blog this past month but I have a good excuse. So much has happened since my last blog post, and to be honest it has been a really nice break not having to write so much. I love it, and have to admit missed documenting our adventures, but alas I felt the urge to do a little catching up, and share a bit of what has been happening this last month. 

Tiny squares on my Instagram page has so much of what we've been up to, but for the next few days I will write snippets of the summer days we have had, and hope that you'll continue to read, and follow along! 

A few weeks ago we drove from Jersey to NOLA/Texas to family recently. It was a pretty drive going thorugh Virginia, Alabama, and Louisiana. Prettier than the route we'd take when we used to live in utah. We'd drive straight down toward New Mexico, and El Paso until we reached Corpus Christ. That drive was nothing but desert, and brown dust. Luckily we were surrounded with greenery until we arrived to see my sis in Lousiana. 

It had been a few years since I'd seen my sister and it was really nice visiting with her. The kids had a wonderful time with her, and as we explored her little town of Lake Charles reminded me of what it felt like to live in a small town again! To hear "yes ma'am", "thank you ma'am"over and over again was pleasing to my ears. To have strangers wave to you as you're driving down the road for no reason. To have people taking their time in buying, walking, shopping, and talking! I've obviously been away from the south for too long! We just chilled and relaxed in her cute home, rode bikes, played at the park, went to the bookstore a couple of times, watched movies, ate church's chicken, and cooled off the end of the hot summer days in Louisiana with raspas. 

The day before we left we decided to explore New Orleans, and that was really interesting. We've never been. All we knew about NOLA is what we've seen in movies as well as what happened with Hurricane Katrina. In spite of the damage she caused this city still has a lot of beauty left. The French Quarter was really fun to walk through. So many shops, and restaurants, and you can hear musicians playing everywhere in the quarter. 

The art galleries were a favorite, and if Chelsea had her own money she would have bought this portrait of her favorite icon. 

And Noah and Jon would have taken home this spider-man painting too had it been in our budget. NOT!!!!

The architecture of the buildings here were absolutely exquisite, and beautiful. We didn't tour too much because it was a day trip, but it was so nice walking all along the French quarter. There is soooooo much to see, and places I didn't get to tour, but we are definitley going to make plans to come back and stay for a few days to venture more of NOLA! Lexie particularly want to visit again so she can take her time in seeing every store that is French. 

Upon leaving we grabbed a few sno-ball cones at Imperial Sno. Since living in the east my kids have gotten used to eating water ice, and when they finally tried this place their mouths literally watered as they ate them. They have become hooked on eating a lot of sno-ball cones/raspas! 

My heart was pretty content knowing that my kids finally came to New Orleans, and seeing my sister after 12 years was a treat for them too!