Vacation Picture Overload!

Best vacation ever.

I know. I know.

I say that every time.

That's because we Soladays do it up right.

I have to say that there is no one I would rather travel with than Ryan.

There is nothing better than a man who is up for anything I suggest.

There is nothing better than a man up for an adventure.

That, my friends, is what NOLA was.

A straight up adventure.

I think I text Casey at the end of our first night there with one word.

WOW.

The city is out of control.

Full of culture, history, reckless abandon.

Love it.

Get ready for vacation picture overload.

The first pic I took after we dropped our bags at the hotel.

How appropriate.

 NOLA is serious about voodoo.

 Our first stop was Pat O'Brien's.

Architecturally awesome.

Historically awesome.

We noticed some spots were named on a whim.

Lots o'drinking imagination went into the name selection process at this location. 

Yes, they really were huge.

We also noticed an overall theme in NOLA.

The city wants you to drink.

Constantly.

Bourbon Street's nickname is "3 for 1".

Lord have mercy.

It did provide fantastic people watching.

Meet Dee Dee.

She is, although it might be hard to tell, only 6 years older than me.

She's a bar owner on Bourbon St.

She grew up on Bourbon St.

Enough said.

Great lady though.

Mi aime jou.

Would you like a snack?

Yum.

Shucked right there at the bar.

Are you feeling the love here?

I heart NOLA.

It's unlike anywhere else I have ever been.

The pride of the people that live there is incredible.

Canal St.:

Sushi NOLA style.

Remember the haunted pub crawl we took?

It started here at Lafitte's Blacksmith Shoppe.

It's the oldest bar in America.

The history in this place is bar none.

Google it.

It has been patroned by some of the greatest Americans ever,

Whitman and Kennedy to name a few.

What a fun night.

Monsieur Lafitte himself.

While on the tour, I snapped this pic.

I love the historical significance of the streets of the French Quarter.

Where else but Bourbon Street will you see a cross dresser directing traffic...just because he wants to.

And then 5 minutes later see this:

Wait for me!

Three inch heels are so not practical here.

I couldn't help but take this picture.

This sweet lady and her cats in her store on a Friday night in NOLA.

A few doors down was the very first pharmacy in our country.

And their liscence.

Really.

How cool is that.

Or what about the first brothel's liscence?

Nice.

Still historical though.

Now for a gag-worthy pic.

Just for you, Sass.

Some random person requested to take this pic of us because he said we looked "so in love".

We willingly oblidged.

Gag.

I know.

Don't ask me why I took this.

Because I don't know.

The street performers in NOLA are hysterical.

This guy stood forever like this.

We took pics with him, but I won't subject you to that mess.

Ummmm.....I have no idea.

Not sure about this one either.

It's a tradition.

We saw several wedding party parades.

They were awesome.

This pic doesn't do it justice.

I might have said this line a zillion times on our trip.

Because it was funny.

At the time.

Just for my friend because she knows who she is.

Good times.

Right after this picture, we went to the casino

where Ryan won a small fortune playing craps.
Impressive.

Just so you know, NOLA loves Bloody Mary's.

They don't play around.

The historic Jackson Square.

Beautiful.

On our last morning there, we took a picture holding our local newspaper.

Can't wait to see it in their next printing!

I am so glad we decided to travel somewhere new.

That's what life is all about.

Experience it.

Don't sit back and watch it go by.

Thank you, Ryan.

I love you, and I love NOLA!

And Off We Geaux!

Today is the big day!

As soon as all the kids are gone,

Ryan and I are off to the airport en route to The Big Easy!!!

Also known as NOLA!

Good times await.

Have a fabulous weekend, my friends!!

A Look Back & A Look Ahead!

A Look Back:

Lots of family time over the weekend.

Let's start with a Christmas craft why don't we?

How about some candy cane ornaments?

Annnnnndddddd DONE.

Even "The Teenager" made one.

Be still my heart.

Glad you got dressed for the occasion, Preston.

The final result!

 I was downloading pics on my camera and found this picture that Carter took...

He took it with his right hand while making
Joseph and a shepherd make out with his left.

Nice.

Should I be worried?

Also, while he was coloring yesterday, he was singing, "boobies, boobies, boo-bies."

I'm scared.

 Sunday the boys wanted to make the mini gingerbread houses my mother gave them.

Once again, "The Teenager" partook.

He had to go to his room midway through the fun for a short timeout

due to MAJOR hyper activity.

It's gets crazy when 4 boys all want to do the same thing at the same time.

Patience please.

 Remember I mentioned they were mini gingerbread houses?

Well, they were so MINI that it was nearly impossible to get them to stay together.

We decided to improvise, and the boys decorated gingerbread cookies instead.
Awesome.

Thanks, Mimi!

A friendly game of Candyland took place between Trysten and Carter.

Well, friendly until Carter got upset over having to move back 8 spaces.

It required a discussion about the importance of good sportsmanship.

All was well with the world after that.

Elfie "showed up" on the clock in the foyer early Friday morning.

He stayed there until Sunday night.

Because he liked it there.

For real.

No one forgot.

We set the alarm, Casey.

It's all good now.

He changed his resting spot late Sunday night.
He kind of creeps me out.

A Look Ahead:

Thursday morning Ryan and I will board a plane bound for

NEW ORLEANS, BABY!!

Cannot wait.

So much fun to be had.

Food to eat, people to watch, drinks to drink,

shops to shop, ghosts to haunt and much, much more.

Can't wait to see NOLA all decked out for the holidays!

Ryan and I decided not to pack any of our Razorback T-shirts.

Might not be a good idea to don that gear in the French Quarter

considering the beating we gave LSU on Saturday.

Maybe we're just switching off winning every other year.

LSU one year and UA the next.

Seems fair, right?

Have a great week, my friends!!

Thanksgiving 2010

I am thankful for so many things this year.

Life is so good for our little family.

We have been blessed with so much...

health and happiness just to name a few.

We celebrated turkey day with my extended family...

missing Ed and Carol every minnute.

Can't wait to see them in just a few short weeks!

It just doesn't seem right to celebrate holidays

without all family members present.

During lunch on Thursday,

my parents informed us they will

be on a cruise next Thanksgiving....in my almost 37 years of life,

I have never NOT eaten turkey with my parents

the 3rd Thursday in November.

It will be very strange.

Back to this year.

Another reason I love my husband.

He made the turkey.

Notice his conscious decision as to where to place the pineapples.

Nice.

Boys love boobies.

This is our dog Shelby.

She spent Thanksgiving wacked out of her mind on doggie valium.

Poor girl.

It made for lots of good laughs though.

 I put together some treats for the little ones.

 What's thanksgiving without silly string?

 And a silly string fight.

That's how we Soladays party.

My precious niece took over the veggies.

I could have eaten her for lunch.

Seriously.

 The Thankful tree.

Don't judge my artwork.

Lots to be thankful for this year.

 Ryan scored major points here:

 Considering the kids were running amuck most of the day, I didn't get any pics of the crazies.

I did however manage to get a couple of my handsome man and I courtesy of my SIL. 

 

That's it!

Thanksgiving 2010 has come and gone.

Elfie made his appearance overnight,

signaling the beginning of the Christmas season in our house.

We worked on Christmas decorations all day

in between watching the Auburn and Alabama game.

Here's a little sneak peek:

Have a great weekend friends!!!

Weekend Recap!

Ryan and I had such a great weekend.

It was full on newlywed bliss.

We might have even made a few people gag.

We ate sushi at RA,

saw Due Date at the Gold Class Cinema...awesome place,

shared a bottle of wine at Cru at the Christmas tree

lighting at the Shops of Legacy,

bought a few new lovelies for our Christmas tree,

watched the Razorbacks win in double overtime,

laughed 'til our sides hurt,

enjoyed Ryan's new ride with the top down,

strolled the shops in downtown McKinney followed by

authentic bruschetta at the winery,

finished Christmas shopping for 2 out of 4 boys

and laughed some more.

A few pics were taken...not one turned out...again.

WTH?

I might have said, "Annnnnnnnnnnd DONE!" a few times throughout the weekend.

If you were able to watch Carter's video from

my previous post, then you know what I'm talking about.

Good times fo sho.

Ryan and I still have another kid free night tonight

and will spend it celebrating my dad's birthday with family!

So much coming up this week.

We're hosting Thanksgiving again this year,

so we have lots to prepare for...including a thankful tree I am making.

Our Christmas lights are going up Wednesday

and the tree on Friday...along with Elfie the Elf's annual arrival.

The holiday season is upon us!!

On a side note, it was Grandparents Lunch Day at Carter and Preston's school this past Friday,

and my sweet parents joined  in the fun with the boys.

They were so excited to show Mimi and Grandaddy around.

It just so happened that their school was hosting a Scholastic Book Fair the same week.

Carter and Preston both came home with a few new reads.

Thank you, Mimi and Grandaddy!

Do you think it's any coincidence that their
school coordinated the 2 events at the same time.

I think not.

Smart.

Happy Monday, friends!!

It's Friday!

I am so excited it's Friday!

Ryan and I are kid free until Tuesday.

Lots of good times on the agenda.

Here are a few random things from this week:

1. I took the lamps back.

I know, I know.

I tried them out for a day and changed my mind.
I drive myself crazy like that.

2. Yesterday, Ryan and I went to Carter and Preston's

school for an awards assembly.

Preston received recognition for the all A's honor roll,

and Carter for perfect attendance.

They don't start taking grades in our district until 2nd grade.

We didn't tell them we were coming.
I wish I would've taken a picture of the look on Carter's face when he saw us.
Priceless.
I did take lots of pics of the actual assembly.
Not a single freaking one turned out.
Loser Mom.
They were all blurry.
Nice.

3. Austin played his first basketball game at his new school last night.
He loved it.

Being in a smaller district now,

the kids have to travel further...a lot further...for their away games,

and apparently he thought that was pretty cool.

He had fun, so that's all that matters.

4. It was time to trade in Ryan's car.

We took care of business on Wednesday,

and were able to cash in on a great deal in return.

Remember my post forever and a year ago about Ryan's dream car?

Look what Daddy drove off the lot:

I told the boys that Ryan was coming home with a big surprise.

When the garage opened and Ryan pulled in...they were just a tad psyched.

Just a tad.
Or a whole lot.
Austin seems to think he gets to drive it when he turns 16.

We are going to have some fun times in this little beauty.

We picked Trysten up from school in it on Thursday.

He and Carter insisted we put the top down.

Love it.

5. So I was downloading pics from my camera

when I found this video Carter filmed.

Hysterical.

I love that kid.

For real.

Happy Friday, friends!!!
Have a great weekend!!

More Pics!

We received the DVD with the rest of the family pics on Monday.

I couldn't happier with the way they turned out.

Chrissy did such an awesome job capturing our family through her lens.

These four boys make me so happy.

Carter's face in this picture...well...in most pictures...cracks me up.

Our boys

Sweet boy.

There was never a moment that one of the boys wasn't climbing on something.

Boys will be boys for sure.

 Our family.

What a crew.

 Look at that smile.

 How quickly they grow up.

 All of this because of this.

Who would've thought.

Happy Wednesday, friends!

My Day in a Nutshell

I know you're dying to know what I did today.

I know. I know.

Try to control your excitement.

My SIL, Jennifer, and I did some shopping after

fabric hunting for a few projects I'm working on for her.
We had a blast.
Jennifer stuffed her baskets to the rim.
She actually had to carry some of her choices at Hobby Lobby because
she ran out of room in the metal rolling cart of goodness.

I was in search of Christmas wrapping paper.

I found it.

A lot of it.

I have no idea why I felt the need to show you, but I did.

I just love all the colors and guess I am getting excited about Christmas.

Christmas cards and address labels have been ordered

and will be mailed out the first week of December.

Back to the paper.

I love the "No peeking!" paper.

It came from Target.

Later, I made a stop in Sample House

and picked up this little sign.
Subway art is everywhere right now, and I love it.

I am on a quest to lighten up the family room/kitchen.

The lamps on either side of our sofa are dark, the sofa is dark, the side tables are dark.

You get the picture.

I have been coveting these lamps from Potterybarn

but refused to pay their price tag when I knew I could find something

MUCH cheaper with the same feel.

The shapes of the iron bases are timeless/classic, and I love the burlap drum shades.

Here's my solution via Home Goods:

Picture the cabinets in the background painted a creamy white,

and the back splash replaced with some glazed subway tile...

or maybe some glass tile like we had in our old house.

Not exactly the same, but similar enough...and a whole LOT cheaper!

 I love the black trim on the burlap shade and the iron base.

The next phase of "Operation Light" is removing the dark wool rug,

and replacing it with a canvas bound seagrass rug:

I think our zebra ottoman will look great on top of it.

That's it.

That was my day in a nutshell.

You like?

A Few Things

Just thought I'd share a few things.

Thanks for reading.

* Remember when I mentioned taking a haunted tour

when Ryan and I go to NOLA next month?

Well, our tour has officially been booked.

We are going on a haunted pub crawl.

Awesome.

If you're really intrigued and have nothing else to do,

you can checkout the details of our selection

HERE.

The website describes the haunted adventure in these words:

"A Phantasmic cocktail tour detailing all the kinds of spirits that influence New Orleans to overflow her old world charm deep into your very soul. On this scandalous tour we will walk through 2 haunted courtyards, 3 haunted bars, spirit filled restaurants and historic hotels -even a brothel all with shocking tales to tell! Even the ghosts are scandalous."

* "The Teenager" requested that we make a

gingerbread house again this year during the holiday season.

Uh......ya.
I tried to pretend like I was not
completely excited that he still wants to be a kid sometimes.

* Trysten asked us for a "werewolf jacket" for Christmas.
Whuuuuuuut?
Do you know what a werewolf jacket is?
I don't.
Should I google it?

* I'm about to go into full Christmas shopping mode.
I want to get it all done ASAP.
I would like to do most of it via the Internet
because I can barely stand huge crowds and standing
in line to pay when the stores turn the heat up to insane levels
to counteract the frigid temps outside during December.

* Have you seen the show Downsized?
It's my newest addition to our DVR.
It's about a blended family that used money
to ease the transition of combining 2 families together.
Crazy spending.
Irresponsible spending.
When the husband's contracting business goes south with economy,
the family loses their home along with their lavish lifestyle.
The family is forced to live VERY sparingly,
and the children, mostly teenagers, are exposed to the realities of their parent's financial conditions.
The couple refuses help from their families, verbalizing the mantra
"We got ourselves in this position...we'll get ourselves out."
It reminds me a lot of where Ryan and I were when we first married.
Both of us suffered the monetary effects of divorce which
meant living VERY modestly.
Our children had to give up some of the luxuries they previously had,
but our decision to live modestly, paying off debt,
saving for a home, not buying things we really wanted
when we had the money to do so,
made a lasting impression on the kids,
mostly "The Teenager" since he was the oldest,
but also on Ryan and I.
It got us where we are now.
We made a plan, stuck to it and made it happen.
Makes me happy.

I'm outta here.
I have Christmas cards to order.
That's all she wrote.
Have a great week, friends!!