Pack your bags, we're off to New Orleans!

Come along with me.... you don't need a thing.

Just sit back and I'll do the driving.

I should preface this by saying that I've never been to New Orleans.  But I've always wanted to go.

I didn't know how dirty of a city it would be.

I didn't know that Bourbon Street was lined with "Gentlemen's clubs" and hobos.

I thought that all the streets would have cute little cafes and men in seersucker suits tootin' their horns and kickin' up their feet.

I did. I really thought that.

So when we got to New Orleans, I was confused.  

There was alot of trash.

And unsavory characters.

But among the trash and unsavory characters, there was also the beauty that I was hoping to find.

It was in quiet places...

It was in architecture..

And in simple moments spent with this girl at the aquarium.

It was at Oak Alley Plantation

A place that was peaceful and beautiful, but also holds a history full of sadness.

The trees were over 300 years old

connecting past to present.

 When the tour was over,

we were offered mint juleps.

But since we had our little Southern Belle with us, we opted for ice cream

and a cruise around the Garden District on the St. Charles Streetcar

We ran right into Sandra Bullock's house.  She was moving in!

It's true.  Her mom was there helping her and the street was lined

with moving vans.

No sign of you know who... his name rhymes with Messy Mames.

Back to the hotel

to take in the scenery

and enjoy some R & R.

It was a great mini-roadtrip! 

I am oh so thankful.

On friday, right when I finished up my last post about my favorite finds, a really horrible thing happened.

My little Betsy was supposed to be napping, but instead, she was standing in her crib waiting for me to rescue her.  I could see her from our video monitor, and I knew that she needed to rest, so I avoided going upstairs until she got in a quick 20 minute nap.

But to my horror, she instead launched herself over the rails of her crib, and landed head first on the hardwood floor.  The sound was the worst thing I have ever heard in my entire life, and surely it will replay in my mind forever.  I rushed up the stairs to sounds of screams and scooped her up.

We sat in the rocking chair... her favorite...for a good few minutes until she calmed down.  Right about this time I noticed a huge goose egg forming on the top of her forehead and we quickly rushed off to the Emergency Room.

The Doctor sedated her and performed a CT scan.  My husband rushed over to meet us and we waited with a very sedated Betsy in our arms, to make sure that everything was ok.  Radiology called to tell us that she would be fine.  There was no bleeding on the brain, no fracture.  It was just a really bad fall, with a really big war wound.

Life is so precious.  It changed in just one minute on that afternoon.  Thank God for the outcome, but it was very, very scary.  For all the moments when I wished that she would nap just five minutes longer, and all the annoyance I felt when I wished she wouldn't throw her sippy cup across the table......  I am reminded that life is a precious gift than can be altered or taken away in an instant.  Hug your babies tight tonight!

Before I was a Mom;

I made and ate hot meals,

I had unstained clothing,

I brushed my hair every day,

I had quiet conversations on the phone,

I slept as late as I wanted and I slept all night long.

Before I was a Mom;

I cleaned my house each day,

I never tripped over toys or forgot lullabies,

I didn't worry whether or not my plants were poisonous,

I had never been puked on, pooped on, spit on, chewed on, peed on, or

pinched by tiny fingers.

Before I was a Mom;

I never thought about immunizations,

I never held a screaming child so the doctors could give shots,

I never looked into teary eyes and cried,

I never felt my heart break into pieces when I couldn't stop the hurt,

I never got gloriously happy over a simple grin.

Before I was a Mom;

I never held a sleeping baby just because I didn't want to put it down,

I never sat up late hours of the night watching a baby sleep,

I never got up in the middle of the night to make sure everything was okay,

I didn't know how special it could feel to feed a hungry baby.

Before I was a Mom;

I had complete control of my mind, my thoughts and my body,

I didn't know the feeling of having my heart outside of my body,

I didn't know that having something so small could make me feel so

important,

I had never known the warmth, the joy, the love, the heartache,

the wonderment, or the satisfaction of being a mom.

Before I was a Mom;

I never knew that something so small could effect my life so much,

I never knew that I could love someone so much,

I never knew I would love being a Mom,

I didn't know the bond between a Mother and her child,

I didn't know I was capable of feeling so much.

~anonymous

Friday finds!

I was driving home from tennis today when I spotted a sign for an estate sale out of the corner of my eye.  With just twenty minutes left to "beat the clock" and get home before the babysitter left, I made the executive decision. Drive quickly, look quickly, explain later.

Sho' nuff..... in the next ten minutes I found myself racing up the driveway of a great old Houston home, knowing that just beyond the next wall would be a couple of things that I couldn't live without.

Jackpot! 

Here's what I found.....  and what my hubby had to haul home for me on his lunch hour..... because he's just THAT great!!!!

These wrought iron chairs don't photograph well, but let me tell ya....
I love them!!! 

With a bit of dolling up (ie: shabby cushions), they will be just perfect.

Even more perfect?  the entire set, including table & ottoman~ $25

you can't get these kind of details without paying a fortune!  

Love these chairs.... and only $20 for the pair

Six new and unique bottles.. 

I've got to spruce them up with some flowers, but let's start with this and I'll update later.  

A whopping .50 each

Aside from the chairs, I also found this adorable little table.  

Never mind the tray on top.  I just threw these things in the bedroom until 

I can figure out what the heck I'm going to do with my new treasures.

table~ $15

Happy Friday everyone!! 

Have a great weekend!

Two Years of Sweet Betsy Jane

It's official! We've got ourselves a two year old.  

We had a wonderful Strawberry Shortcake inspired party on Saturday...

lots of cake, lots of friends, lots of fun!

It started with homemade invitations, in all different styles

and ended with plenty of sugar!

and in between, there were giggles & squeals

and smiles....

and wishes....

with all of our new Houston friends

I think she had fun! 

and after it was all over, I sat down and remembered those first days

and first vacations

first holidays

and some of those crummy tears

but mostly smiles

and lots of laughs...
because this girl has our sense of humor

and it made me feel very, very thankful to be her mommy. 

Giveaways, giveaways!

My very talented sister-in-law is doing a GREAT giveaway of one of her original watercolor paintings! Have a look and tell all your friends! Here's a little sample of her work and a link to her blog...

Cielo Azul Jewelry

Make sure to stop by her neck of the woods.  Aside from this giveaway, she's also got a wonderful line of jewelry and crafty cool crocheted brooches, among other things.  

Guess who else is having a giveaway?  My Sweet Savannah is offering up the hands of time! Check out her blog~ it's wonderful!  And Home and Harmony is giving you the chance to win some delightful drinking glasses~ they are the bees knees!!!!  

Good luck everyone!  

The big number 2...

The party committee of one (me!) is gearing up for a momentous occasion.  My sweet little Betsy Jane is turning two on Sat, April 10th.  It seems like just yesterday that she was born.  But now..... TWO!  Where has the time gone?  

It's gone to learning new words, like "alligator" and "vitamin"

It's gone to hours spent playing with baby dolls and puzzles

It's gone to middle of the night cries & mama rocking her back to sleep

It's gone to first giggles, first steps and first milestones

So this girl deserves something special for the big day.  Our theme has shifted from Rodeo to Strawberry Shortcake.  Turns out that a trip to the party store was all it took to remind her how awesome  that little redhead & her friends are.  So.... here we go.  

The party planner is going to be busy this week and next.  But it will be well worth it.  After all, you're only two once.  

All farm photos taken by my incredibly talented friend Jen Tsung, who definitely needs to turn this hobby into a career.