Black Friday....kinda

After work, Tim and I had to run some errands and started our afternoon at Target. We had a few things to pick up and figured we could get in and out of there fairly quickly. On top of things, it was raining and I dressed the children as if it was a sunny spring day. After getting in the store and picking up some $1 items to keep the kids busy in the extra large cart I had, we made our way through and started to tackle our small list. Just as we hit the very back corner of the store, the power goes off.....lights and everything....in Target. It is completely pitch black; I can't even see my hand in front of me. Thank goodness I was fairly close to Tim and the kids so we were together during the blackout. It was the weirdest thing as nobody seemed to panic (except me) and it became extremely quiet when everything went dark, despite the fact there were many people in the store.

I'm a little nervous and tell the kids, "It's okay, just stay calm." To which Tim replied, "We are calm. YOU need to stay calm." We figured the generator would turn on and we'd be fine, but nope....we sat for a good five minutes and it was still pitch black dark in freaking Target. Before long, everyone had their cell phones out, using them as flashlights, and here I am leading the family with my iphone through the aisles of dark Target. Finally, I tell Tim we are leaving and abandon our cart.

As we are heading out, Tim and I notice there's some activity in the front of the store. I kid you not, somehow the cash registers are powered and working....AND PEOPLE ARE CHECKING OUT IN THE DARK. Seriously? You can't figure out how to turn on the generator or emergency lights in a totally unsafe situation, but you'll still find a way to take our money?! As we are heading out, the manager is yelling, "If you would like to purchase your items the cash registers are up and running!!" Thanks guy....thanks.

A photographer in the family!

While Grammy and Goppie were in town, Grammy took some amazing pictures of the kids. There's about 300 of them, so it was difficult to sort through and pick a few to share. All of them turned out incredible!! It makes me wonder why I pay so much for professional pictures! She's hired!

I love this one, except she's looking way too grown up!

Having fun with bubbles!

Watching her every move....

I love my little guy!

Time Flies!

It feels like Grammy and Goppie came and went within a day, but they stayed a whole week! The kids had a blast with them and absolutely loved every moment....it's going to be a tough realization getting them back to Mommy and Daddy's boring routine! Here's a picture of Goppie and Noah.

Here's Sophie laughing at Goppie's stories.

Grammy getting some picture time with the kids!

Hurricane Katrina: Never Forget

Tim and I definitely had a great time in New Orleans, but we also chose to spend an entire afternoon taking a tour of the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. I wasn't sure if I wanted to take pictures or just take it in. But then I thought it would be a great educational opportunity for my own children down the road. I ended up taking pictures for the last hour of our tour and I could have taken a million more. Of course, it's 3 1/2 years later, but the aftermath seems as though it happened just months ago. It was sad, devastating, eye-opening and maddening. As our tour guide said, it isn't about politics.....be your own judge and decide for yourself. Tim and I learned so much on this tour and it opened our eyes to the reality many Americans face on a daily basis. The above picture is just one example of many...an abandoned home with goals of returning.....but 3 1/2 years later, the owners have yet to return.

Tim and I saw way too many of these X's. If you remember seeing them in the news, it tells you which National Guard checked the home, what date (notice they were finally able to check this home 3 weeks later), and the number of survivors/dead found. It was shocking and real to see this in person. It was shocking to see how many dozens of these we saw. It was devastating to learn what the numbers meant.....and the many we came across where there were a number of bodies and no survivors....still there, 3 1/2 years later. Every once in a while you would see a home spray painted with a note on the side of the house....the one that choked me up the most was one that read, "Lisa and Donnie are OK."

One of many abandoned homes.....too many homes looking like this in what used to be nice neighborhoods.

They were able to fix the roof on this house, but as you can see, not much else.

Many homes are rebuilding and through the process, they are required to raise their home 3 feet. Here is a home that is going above the 3 feet requirement.

Here is a picture of a beautiful home restored after Hurricane Katrina. Some have the means to rebuild and this home was rebuilt completely. As you can see, it's gorgeous and appealing....but if you go just two doors down from this house, you find this:

The owners of this home have not returned and may never return at this point. But, just two doors over a mansion sits.....this neighborhood was like night and day.

Pray that you never get sick in the suburb of Jefferson Parish. These modular buildings are the one and only health center for a fairly large suburb. Sadly, it sits in an abandoned Wal Mart parking lot. During our entire tour of the city, we passed only three supermarkets and one lonely Wal Mart that survived the storm. If a Wal Mart didn't survive, they chose not to return and rebuild.

The rebuilding continues in New Orleans, as you can see here. FEMA trailers are pretty much gone due to the formaldehyde problems. But, occasionally you did find one.

Here in the Lower Ninth Ward (the hardest hit area), Brad Pitt has donated his time and money to rebuilding efforts. Here is one of his 180 homes he plans to build in the area. Our tour guide gave a special thanks to all the college students living in or near New Orleans. Still today, hundreds of college students give up their Spring Break and summers to help in the rebuilding efforts through Habitat for Humanity, Brad Pitt's restoration project, and other organizations. The people of New Orleans have not forgotten and will never forget the devastation of Hurricane Katrina. The constant reminders of lost loved ones and a changed city will continue to be their motivation to fight and move forward. Needless to say, they have a long way to go, but their spirits and hearts are stronger than ever.

New Orleans Fun

Tim and I had a great weekend in New Orleans. After Tim spent the week at the Golf Industry Show, I joined him and we explored the crescent city to its fullest. We had a fantastic time! Above is a picture of the famous Bourbon Street, during the day when it's nice and calm!

After the Krewe du Vieux parade, we hung out in the streets, trying to pretend we could hang with the young ones. Surprisingly, people twice our age were partying much harder than us!

A night picture of Jackson Square

Happy Birthday Auntie Michelle!

Thank you for being such an amazing auntie and sister! We hope you have a wonderful day and an even better year ahead of you! We love you very much!

I'm Not Complaining.....

....but Sophie has had several homework assignments in the last couple of weeks. Maybe I should also remind everyone that she is only in preschool. Yes, preschool. And let's be honest, it's really more like I have had homework to do in the past couple of weeks. Sure, Sophie can do it, but she needs assistance....which is where I get to participate. Don't get me wrong; I am a huge supporter of education as I am an educator myself and I love watching Sophie soak everything up like a sponge and enjoy the learning process......but come on!!! She typically has homework once a week, which I think is manageable and she enjoys it and it doesn't feel like "work".....for now anyways. But it's been a little stressful as Tim and I keep freaking out because we think we've forgotten something and are constantly checking the calendar, our email, and every other method of communication the school uses to make sure we stay on top of our child.

So, since I'm not complaining at all, I better get back to helping Sophie with her homework!

Peek-A-Boo!

Noah still prefers to use the dog door method to get back into the house. Sierra came running in just before him, so I got the camera ready knowing he would be soon to follow. As long as there are no head-on collisions between Sierra and him, I'm not going to worry about it....

Sophie the Photographer

Sophie found my camera once again and had a ball with it. I decided to download my pictures and found about 100 pictures similar to the one above.

Noah posing for Sophie.

Smiling nice and big for Sophie again!