Audobon Aquarium

We were so happy to have Grandpa Jerry here with us for a whole week of non-stop playing of legos, watching the Toy Story movies and eating out at McDonalds! The kids enjoyed every minute of having him around and didn't even bat an eye when Paul and I left for the New Years Eve dance and to see a movie on Saturday.


We headed to New Orleans on Friday to check out the Audobon Aquarium.






It took Lana a few exhibits to get into looking at all the cool fish. By the end she was asking Paul if we could have a fish tank full of colorful fish.

I definitely want one of these in my tank!









The seahorses were my favorite part of the aquarium. Can you find them all?

They are really good at blending in.





I don't know what it is about indoor play places for kids but the smell of them make me absolutely nauseous. This one was especially gross. I made Tanner do double hand sanitizer.




The albino alligator was exceptionally creepy.

Weeee!

Lana and Daddy petting the sting rays





After the aquarium Paul Google mapped restaurants close by so we could go eat lunch. He saw there was a Fudruckers nearby. We happen to be big fans of Fudruckers so Paul went to go find it. It was located in the casino across the street. Unfortunately no one under 21 is allowed inside the casino AT ALL which meant Paul and Grandpa had to go in and get the food then we had to eat outside. Luckily the weather held out for us (it was about 70 degrees but breezy and we were under a tornado watch). Thank you Grandpa Jerry for letting me use your pictures to blog. I need to be better about taking pictures!

The Lower 9th Ward, 5 years later

After we finished at the aquarium we wanted to drive through the Lower 9th Ward. Last year when Grandpa Jerry came we were all worn out from roaming around the French Quarter and just didn't go.


It's really been a while since I've driven through a neighborhood where I was truly scared to even get out of the car. Once when my sister moved to Chicago we "took the long way" somewhere and drove through some pretty scary places. Even living in Jackson there are some scary neighborhoods but for me they don't compare to the eerily empty, deserted streets of the Lower 9th Ward.










Kelloggs built a cute little playground here dedicated to the victims of Katrina. It was all over grown and we couldn't even find an entrance that didn't have 3 foot high grass blocking it.


These are the Brad Pitt houses. They look absolutely ridiculous and out of place. Yes they're new. Yes they're "green". But they are hideous. They do not fit in. I can see where you can interpret New Orleans as being an "artsy" place but this is the Lower 9th Ward. This is the ghetto. Literally. People in the ghetto do not live in houses that look like this.


I am not saying that new houses shouldn't be built here, I'm just saying why couldn't he build a practical house. Why do they all have to be so weird?




Where the levies failed and the walls broke.




Seriously, I would have to be absolutely running on fumes to get out and fill up gas in this neighborhood.


I felt like a sardine driving down this street. These houses are so close together I don't think a person could walk between them.

The chaos known as Christmas morning

I lovingly refer to this as the mountain. I am convinced that no matter how large the mountain gets, Lana will forever want the mountain to be bigger.







This was a fantastic moment. The one gift she really wanted from Santa was a purple unicorn Pillow Pet. We wrapped it up in a computer box and when she took off the paper she said, "A computer? We already have a computer! Ugh!"


Then she opened it and found her new favorite toy.


Earlier this year the kids broke their toy stroller that we've had since Lana was 2. I was bound and determined not to get another one since I continuously tripped over the old one. Well, a couple of months a go a neighborhood friend brought her stroller to the play ground and Tanner completely hijacked it and played with it the whole time. (Thankfully the little girl loves Tanner and let him play) So for Christmas we bought him a stroller. I tried to find a "manly" stroller but this was a good as it was getting. He honestly doesn't care about the color anyway. He loves to take Lightning McQueen on walks all over the house.




As sad as I am about not having lots of family close by during the holidays, I really enjoyed Christmas Day. We sat around playing with toys and playing our new Wii games. Unfortunately Lana came down with a fever that night and Tanner a fever the next night. Thankfully by the time Grandpa Jerry showed up on Tuesday we were almost all better!

The red neck Christmas lights

Every year since we've been here, we've come to see the Lewis lights and every year we laugh and make fun and call them the Red Neck Lights. But know that it's all in jest and we'll still come, laugh and make fun for however many years we'll be here because they're great and the kids love it. And let's face it, when you live in a small town, you're limited in your holiday activities.



The weather this year was a little on the chilly side. The last two times we've gone the weather was more on the mild side and we could get away with wearing jackets.


I never really liked Yogi Bear.








Match making at its finest. Tanner and Ella


Dark, but a cute picture of Tanner.




Lana posing with Snow White.