Halloween 2010

Halloween is one of my favorite holidays. I love being scared. I always have. So Chris indulges me with midnight scary movie premieres, lets me watch endless Sy-Fy channel movies (no matter how corny they may be), and even volunteers to take me to at least one haunted house. Is it his thing... not really, but I know that he is slowly starting to get into it.

No Halloween would be complete with out a pumpkin carving party.

I made a big pot of chili, had a warm pan of peach cobbler ready with a side of cool vanilla ice cream, and away we went bringing our pumpkins to life.

Chris is coming up with something good.

Even little Mya got in on the action. Although she was more interested in coloring the back of her pumpkin then she was in Dora.

Our completed pumpkins. So spooky.

Chris did a bunch of stuff on his pumpkin. Ghosts, a spooky tree, a moon, but the big show stopper was the Saints, Fleur-de-lis. GO SAINTS!!

I, on the other hand, kept it a little bit more traditional. Don't get scared.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!

Camping in Pensacola

Last weekend Chris took me on our annual camping trip. It's a strange thing going camping in the middle of October, but the weather couldn't have been more perfect. The site we camped on was actually where a house once stood on the banks of this river, but then when Hurricane Ivan came through it destroyed the house. All that's left is a foundation and the docks out on the water. The land belongs to a friend of a guy that works with Chris. They said its a great place to camp so we took them up on their offer to let us use the land.

When we got there the first thing we did was go take a look at the water to see if it was swimable. It was swimable... if you didn't mind getting your feet snapped off by an alligator. Well... I'm sure it wasn't that bad, but the water was jet black, and there was no way I could muster the courage to just jump in. So that was a little disappointing, but we still made the most out of our camping trip.

Chris and I set up camp and while he got the fire going, I prepared our tin foil dinners of baby red potatoes and salmon. It was delicious. We stayed up late that night, talked, made s'mores, and listened to the sounds of the wildlife around us. It was so loud. Raccoons getting into fights, something getting in the water and making splashing noises (an Alligator?), ducks quacking, and fishes jumping out of the water. Somehow, we slept good that night, huddled up in our sleeping bags, and managed to even sleep in till about 9:30. That's amazing, because when I camp I am usually up at the crack of dawn.

The next day my brother and his family came up to spend the day with us. It was hot that day so we tried to stay as far away from the fire as possible and just stared at the water that we couldn't get into. It was torture to be so close to water and not be able to get in. But we made our own fun. We played a couple rounds of this dice game called Toss Up, and then even brought our inner kids out and played a few games of hide and seek. So much fun! I must say that I am an amazing hider.

Then as night slowly started to fall we prepared another delicious tin foil dinner (Chris and I seriously have a talent for tin foil dinners) and sat around the campfire talking about ghosts. The scenery was fitting, the Spanish moss hung from the nearby oak trees creating a good backdrop for such a discussion.

Twinkee, our little camper, she hated all but about 10 minutes of the whole trip. She does not enjoy roughing it.

A lot of the animal noise we were hearing was coming from this area. This is all that's left of the dock the hurricane took.

It was a fun time, but I always look forward to getting back home and taking an actual shower and sleeping in my bed.

*** Something I forgot to mention... Chris and I got attacked by bugs. When I say attacked, I mean even bug repellent couldn't keep them at bay. We didn't realize how severe the damage was until we got back home. I fortunately wore pants the majority of the time, but Chris wore shorts and got the worst. He counted over 100 bites on his legs alone. I felt so bad for him. The itch was so irritating. I never want to experience that again and I couldn't even imagine how he was feeling.

A Little of This and A Little of That

I can't believe that it is fall already. It doesn't feel like fall here at all. While other parts of this country get to experience the leaves changing colors and significantly cooler temperatures and in some places even snow, us here in Southern Alabama get to experience nothing of the sort. The only indication that we have reached the fall season is the temperatures have decided to go down to a beautiful mid 80 degrees and that all the stores have decided to bring out their holiday decor. The weather has been perfect, but I have to admit that I do miss the transition from sweaters to jackets to coats.

Life has been so good for Chris and I. The last couple months we have really pushed ourselves to work harder than we have ever worked and we are finally starting to see the fruits of our labors. Its been exhausting but so rewarding and we have finally started to reach that point to where we feel like we can start breathing a little easier. I love my husband so much. I admire his hard work and perseverance. No matter how difficult things may have gotten, he has always remained optimistic in achieving his goals and has never wavered from them. He is such an example to me to never give up on hopes and dreams no matter how hard things may get. He has taught me so much and I fall more in love with him everyday. He is truly an amazing man and I am thankful that he is all mine. (Just thought I'd share :))

But with all the mushy stuff aside now... I mean, don't get me wrong... Yeah, Chris and I have been working hard, but we have also embraced those opportunities to go out and have a little fun too.

The beaches finally reopened after the oil got cleaned up and was deemed clean enough to swim in. We didn't waste anytime going back. We missed it so much. The day was going perfect... Perfect weather, perfect water, perfect company, but as we were playing in the waves and splashing around I suddenly had a little voice in my head tell me to look down. At first I couldn't tell what my eyes were trying to focus in on. Then all of a sudden the slimy, clear, bluish, purplish blob sharpened and I screamed out loud, JELLYFISH!!!! It was terrifying. It wasn't even a foot away from me! I have never ran out of water so fast in my life and the feeling of sand beneath my feet has never been more welcomed. So... Yeah... I may have overreacted, because it wasn't like a swarm of jellyfish, it was just one about the size of a basketball. But I partially blame my reaction to the fact that maybe a week before I watched the documentary on the Discovery Channel about "Killer Jellyfish" and it may have had a bigger impact on me than I originally thought. So anyway, as I'm on land yelling at Chris to get out of the water he's in there TOUCHING the slimy thing! I couldn't believe it! He was actually disappointed that I didn't let it sting me! He said it would have made an awesome story, and then I said, "No thanks, but please, help yourself." I eventually did get back in the water, but I was a little more cautious of my surroundings. Ugh, I just gave myself chills again.

Next up... The "GULF SHORES ANNUAL SHRIMP FESTIVAL!!!!" I was so excited for this. I talked about it for weeks, and didn't leave it up for discussion, we were going. It was so much fun. We ate:

Alligator on a Stick

Shark-Ka-Bobs

Crawfish Pies

Jumbo Grilled Shrimp

Fried Shrimp

Hushpuppies

and Cajun Pistols

Weirdly, the Shrimp dishes were a little disappointing, but the Cajun Pistols made up for all that. This delicious little concoction was a mixture of shrimp, crawfish, and crab in a sort of cheese sauce all baked into these little rolls. They were absolutely scrumptious. My mouth is watering just thinking about them. Totally worth the trip alone.

Well, that's it. Our last couple months in a nutshell. We have just been living life and loving every minute of it.

Our First Visitor

Over a month ago my Mom blessed us with her presence and was officially crowned our very first visitor. She has taken a "vacation" of sorts in almost every place that we have lived so we knew it was only a matter of time before she came knocking on our door here in the dirty south.

She flew into New Orleans, on the 4th of July, and Chris and I couldn't have been more excited to play tour guide in one of our favorite cities. So off we went to explore the city that we love oh so much...

You can't start your day off without breakfast, so we took her to the famous Cafe Du Monde for some authentic beignets.

From the horse drawn carriages lining the streets, to the jazz duo on the corner playing some upbeat patriotic music on their tuba and trumpet, the atmosphere couldn't have been more perfect while we ate our little french donuts. While we were sitting there we started to experience some sporadic rain showers and figured that our best bet was to head over to the aquarium to escape the rain and the impending heat. So off we set for a nice little walk along the Mississippi River when out of no where buckets of rain starting pouring out of the sky. So we had no choice but to sprint in a desperate search to find shelter. When we finally came to a covered awning we were all laughing so hard... I love moments like that. So there we stayed until the rain slowly let up and we decided to continue our journey on the banks of the Mississippi towards our destination.

Next stop...

Captivating.

I cannot remember what was so intriguing about this small exhibit. It must have been good to draw in this crowd.

The aquarium doesn't necessarily have the cultural aspects that you would expect to find in New Orleans, but when the weather isn't being so friendly it's a great retreat.

So once we left the aquarium we all grabbed a quick bite to eat for lunch, and then decided to split up. My Aunt Robin was in New Orleans at the same time we were for a work conference, and sadly she was tied up in meetings the majority of the day we were there but she kindly gave us a key to her hotel room, and while my brother and Ashley went back to put their daughter down for a nap, Chris, my Mom, and myself decided to explore the streets of the Big Easy.

We walked the beautiful grounds of the St. Louis Cathedral,

strolled through the French Market,

and this is where we talked my Mom into trying alligator. It was in sausage form so it hid a lot of the texture and flavor of the meat, but I was still proud of her.

And then we wandered through the streets of the French Quarter.

A short time later after the rain clouds had moved on and the heat of the day started taking its toll on us, we too decided to head back to the hotel for a little rest before dinner.

That night my Mom treated us to a spectacular dinner at a restaurant, that was recommended by my Aunt, in the French Quarter. It was so authentic and good, that it has had Chris and I dreaming of it ever since. After dinner, we were finally able to meet up with my Aunt and her friend Sherry and get ready for the firework show over the Mississippi. Her hotel opened up its top floor and allowed people to watch the show from there.

Now just imagine that darkness has descended and the lights of the French Quarter below are all aglow, and that two barges slowly make there way down the Mighty Mississippi and stop, and suddenly your eyes are feasting upon two spectacular and simultaneous firework shows. That is the way we celebrated our Country's Birthday. It was incredible.

A little while later we had to say goodbye to my Aunt and head back home so that we could be refreshed for the activities that awaited us the next day.

The next day we decided to take my Mom to see the ocean. The key word there being "see." With the oil having washed up on the shores about a month back the water wasn't safe to swim in. That was the first time that Chris and I had been back in a while and we were amazed to see that the cleaning crews had cleaned the oil off the sand, but there were still chemicals in the water that could be very harmful to your health, so "No Swimming!" It's always a relaxing experience to just sit on the beach or play in the sand so we still enjoyed ourselves.

Over the course of the next few days I had to return to work, so my brother and his wife took over as tour guide and showed her some of our favorite spots. But when night fell and after dinner all our game faces came on. We had many laughs over our games of Uno, Skipbo, and Life.

There are two things I have to comment on about this picture. (1) Ashley has a scary game face. And (2) I think I caught Chris cheating.

The last night that my Mom was going to be in Alabama we treated her to our favorite local BBQ joint down by the bay. Moe's.

And after dinner we went down the street and caught a beautiful sunset over the Bay. It was a perfect sunset on her last night there.

The next night we had to say our goodbyes to her, but since she was flying out of New Orleans we had one more dinner and enjoyed dessert at Cafe Du Monde.

We had so much fun with her here and enjoyed showing her the new place we get to call home. If I know her I'm sure she's already planning her next visit, and we already have some new things to show her.

Thanks for the visit and come back anytime. Love you Mom!

White Sand and Blue Water

The white sandy beaches and clear blue water gently lured Chris and I to a little beach town on Alabama's coast line called Gulf Shores.  Every Saturday, through the months of April and May, you could find us at this beach, laying in the sun, frolicking in the water, or combing the beaches for seashells.  It was our perfect little weekend getaway that was just a short 45 minute drive from our house.     

Gulf Shores, AL

Me and my handsome hubbs at Gulf Shores State Park.

The sand felt like powdered sugar under your feet and the water was so clear that you could see the wildlife that swam with you.  It became a regular occurence that as you played in the waves you were joined by a few stingray that wanted to play with you.  At one point when Chris and I were swimming we looked around us and there were at least 8 stingrays swimming with us.  It honestly made me a little uneasy and occasionally I would scream really loud when one would swim right up to me, but I stayed strong and never ran out of the water.  Chris on the other hand was in love.  He is fascinated by the ocean and all that dwells in it, and while I was nervously giggling and shrieking, I would find him chasing after these things trying to catch one and holding his hands out trying to pet one.  The funny thing was I think they enjoyed playing with him because he would swim after it, the stingray would swim away, but then come right back up to him like it wanted to be chased again.  It was amazing.  He was totally in his element and I loved seeing him so happy.  He had the biggest smile on his face and spent quite a bit of time swimming with his aquatic friends.  

At one point though Chris won the chase game.

Chris and his new friend.

 Ooh La La!  Sorry ladies... This boy is all mine ;)

This is at the next beach over called Orange Beach.  As you can see I was a little obsessed with this board walk there.  It was the longest one I have ever seen and I love how it glided over the sand dunes.

Us two love birds at Orange Beach.

Aww... Sand love letters.  Now that's cute.

Are You Feeling Hot Hot Hot?

Well... we are.

Sweet Home Alabama

Hi Everybody!  Miss me?... Well I have sure missed all of you.  Sorry it has taken so long, but I am finally here and ready to give you that sweet little taste of the place that Chris and I now get to call home.  Chris and I have lived in so many amazing places, Philadelphia, Sacramento, San Jose, New York (both the City and Long Island), Kansas City (Missouri), Louisiana (him), Texas (me), and of course Idaho.  Besides from Idaho none has truly felt like home to us (New York was the closest), mostly this is due to the simple fact that the majority of these places were never meant to be long term and the lives that we led there were always cut short when the summer selling season came to a close.  But now for the last 2 1/2 months we have been living our life together in Alabama and I can truly say that it feels so much like home to us.  Maybe it's knowing that we will be here for more than a few months, but I think it goes even beyond that.  Most places that we have lived we always had a period of adjustment, where we had to get used to our new surroundings.  There was none of that here.  We immediately felt in our hearts that this was home and we love it here.  Not many people can say that they love where they live, especially when all your family and friends are in another part of the country, but Chris and I do love it here and we say it quite often to each other and to anybody else that will listen.

Here are just a few things that we love about Alabama:

You always hear about Southern hospitality and the people of Lower Alabama (or LA like the locals like to call it) have taken that phrase to heart.  From strangers on the street, to the people of our ward, to my coworkers, they all have embraced Chris and I into their little tight-knit community and we have never felt so welcomed in like this before.  They are a huge part of what makes this place feel like home and for that we will forever be grateful.

Most questions here are answered with a simple response of either Yes/ No Ma'am or Yes/ No Sir in a strong Southern tongue.  Chris and I have quickly adapted to this (minus the Southern accent) and even in conversations just between us, have found ourselves responding with Yes Ma'am and No Sir.  So don't be surprised when I talk to you and that is my answer, it has already become a habit and I love it.  It's really only a matter of time before we pick up on the Southern drawl.  It's just too strong here and I had it once when I was little and I have caught myself already on the verge of letting it almost slip off my tongue before I reeled it back in.  

We love that we are surrounded by water.  We live right on the Mobile Bay, have areas in our town that have swamp and marsh land, and are just a short 45 minute drive to the ocean.  And when your not by water you are then usually in the presence of huge old oak trees.  On my way to and from work I have to drive through downtown Mobile and they have oak trees lining the streets for miles that are so big that they have overtime created a canopy of sorts over the road and it is so beautiful to pass through.  It is almost dreamlike.   

And lets not forget the food.  Oh my goodness, the food here is a little bit of heaven it is so good.  Between the seafood, that is always local and fresh, to the BBQ, that is beyond words to describe, lets just say that Chris and I are always torn between where to go on our weekly date night.  There is so much that we haven't even tried yet, but just give us time.  We are so spoiled when it comes to the local cuisine.

I can't even begin to describe the enormous Southern style mansions that line the streets of downtown Mobile or the way french culture has influenced not only the food, but also the spelling of words like go to geaux.  And honestly this list could go on and on, but I think you have gotten the point.  Alabama is fantastic, and Chris and I couldn't be happier.  But if you find that you would like to experience all that Alabama has to offer,  just know that our doors are always open (you know... that whole Southern Hospitality thing ;).