The French Quarter

The weather was "nice" (cold, but not raining anymore) so we decided to take a trip across the river to the French Quarter so Jack could get out, have some fresh air, and do a little people watching.

Don't mind me looking 10 months pregnant (and not pregnant at all in fact). Here we are in front of Jackson Square looking at the horses/donkeys/carriages.

Masperos had a long line (nothing unusual) and reports of not being up to par (taste that is, health code has probably never been up to par-prefer not to know) so we tried The Riverfront Cafe across the street from Cafe du Monde.

Mr. Jack strutting his stuff in Jackson Square.

Enjoying a little Jazz outside the Cathedral.

Taking a tour of the beautiful Cathedral.

Jackson Square.

We walked down the Moon Walk to look at the River and Jack enjoyed listening to the organ music from the Natchez Riverboat.

After walking on the river it was cold and time for some hot beignets. The lines were long-but totally worth the wait. Jack didn't really eat much of the beignet...but did do some damage eating the mounds of powdered sugar off the plate. All washed down with Chocolate Milk-He now understands why it's called Sin City.

What can you even say for this?!?

Jack was very unsure of The Gold Man...even more so when Gramps gave him a dollar to put in the bucket and he moved to thank him. Good times!

A Jack first...and a state that his Mom has been close to many times leaving the French Quarter-passed out on the way back to the car. A sign of a good time in the Quarter. Thanks Nana and Gramps for coming with us.

Christmas on the West Bank

After my trip to the Lake After Hours we loaded up in the Pathfinder leaving our Santa and Baton Rouge goodies behind to the West Bank to visit and celebrate Christmas with the Relles.

Jack napped on the way but Nana and Blake didn't make him wait long before he opened his presents. Although like previously he wasn't too interested in unwrapping gifts or playing with new ones-he preferred the boxes or the old toys that were already there for him to play with.
Jack and Blake played around the entire time we were there...this was a common scene when entering a room where there was squealing.

Tons of people stopped by to visit with Jack (& us by default). Christopher and Jack built some ramps with books and Lincoln Logs. Good times!

We even got to meet the newest to the group....baby Joey Cargol who joined the world in November.

And you know Uncle Greg is always so much fun!

And this is what we looked like after many visitors stopped by, much sugar was consumed, and staying up very late. And my non-stop itching aids in my looking like a Holiday Rockstar, not really.

Sunday Uncle Eric and Brittany came by to watch the Saints and exchange gifts. Jack loved, loved the Spiderman Three Wheeler from Uncle Eric....it was the most played with toy and third loved activity in comparison to the cardboard house and Mini M&Ms from Nana's stocking.

Brittany gave him a Gears Movin' Monkey toy. Wish we could have hung out with Eric and Brittany longer but they had to head back to Baton Rouge after the Saints game (which we lost-boo!)

A few more cousins came by to play...which Jack enjoyed as you can tell by the evidence on his shirt.

And after another hard day of play...quiet time with Gramps before calling it a night on the West Bank (PS- Lion King-not so much of a hit this time around....understanding makes things harder to watch sometimes).

Conclusion of Christmas Day

Just realized that I left off pictures of the lucky lottery winner of the night...

EVERYONE!
Children celebrated, adults enjoyed, and fun was had by...

ALL- In the New Fridge Box House.

The best gift of Christmas by FAR!

Merry Christmas!

Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve for us started like usual....sickly. Nick headed to Lake After Hours to get antibiotics for his ear ache, Jack was taking breathing treatments to help his coughing, and I...

had what the Lake After Hours (separate trip from Nick's) believes was an allergic reaction to the iodine IV that was administered Monday at my annual heart CT angiogram. Results to come tomorrow morning. Rash has gone down but I am still on the steroids and itch medicine as it diminishes.
While Nick was at the doctor we headed to the Prescotts for their Christmas Eve party. Jimbo followed through with his promise to Jack that he could turn the lights to the giant Christmas tree in his yard on. How cool is that?!

Sweets-a pattern this holiday (for us all).

Jack couldn't get enough off Jimbo this trip. Here they are "honking" and "yelping" each other.

"Let's do it again Jimbo!"

Papa had to do a little engineering work to get the Disney Cast Members upright in their Christmas Train. This was another pattern that repeated itself often this holiday-but well worth the hassle because the train was a hit. Yes Mom and Dad-you were right...the grand kids LOVE it!

Jack got to open his present from Nick and I on Christmas Eve~Christmas pajamas (that will fit him til he is 18-too bad Nick's barely fit now-more on that later).

We hooked Santa up with some Christmas tree cookies, milk, and carrot midgets for the reindeer on the super cute Cookies and Milk plate/mug that I bought from Learning Express when they were going out of business in Allen-SCORE (til we have a complete family to make a platter with love).

The Relle Clan

Daddy and Mommy both took turns reading the traditional (same book read to me as a child), Twas the Night Before Christmas, to Jack. Papa had been reading it to him nightly via the Hallmark book he recorded on and mailed to Jack. I think Jack nearly has it memorized like I do...still working on Dad...he'll get there.

This was an alternate provided by Dad in case Nick was uncomfortable in his size small woman's fleece pj pants I apparently purchased for him. Dad tried on his plaid pants too but they were capri's....should have been a wake up call to stop the sweets pattern over the holiday...nope, resulted in an inappropriate photo shoot and no worries...this is the only one being posted and he returned to his Christmas pjs before dreaming of sugar plums.

Santa Claus came to town!

He ate most of the cookies, drank most of the milk, and the reindeer handled up on the carrots...but apparently not enough to not hurt Jack's feeling the next morning...when he responded, head down and shaking, "Santa didn't eat my cookies!" OK....lesson learned. Sorry Jack that Santa disappointed you.

The reaction wasn't what I expected, but hey-we aren't all the Folgers commercials-and in the end he was very please with his "lots of toys and books" that he asked Santa for.

And the best part for him...the stocking goodies. Look, another pack of crayons for the bathtub...doesn't take much does it?!?

My Christmas Angel

Christmas Morning Breakfast- scrambled/fried eggs, pan fried bacon, and Nina's cinnamon rolls.

The Saias arrived around lunchtime and before trying to get the kids down for a nap we decided to open up presents before the crowds arrived. Neither were into a bunch since they had been up late the night before, but enjoyed their gifts none the less.

Papa Joe's traditional Christmas Day steak dinner....YUMMY!
The kid table (with Nick and Travis). PS- Gabriella had spilt water all on her shirt during dinner....she didn't run around topless all day...that was Nick pants less the night before. Don't you just love Jack gazing on her?!?
Bebe's stocking was another favorite...but I think that the candy from the adults stockings was the true favorite for both Jack and Gabriella.

What a wonderful Christmas....on to New Orleans.

I plan to finish these up tomorrow and then I'll change the post date to January after the New Year so that they show up once the month changes over for those that haven't been waiting since the 25th for the holiday updates-Lucky you huh?! I aim to please (working on this)!

Holiday in Baton Rouge

Tuesday afternoon Nick and I picked Jack up from school (interrupting his karate class-but he didn't mind at ALL) to head to Baton Rouge for the holidays.

Before we got far down the road Nick and I were already hungry for dinner so we pulled off to get Chick-Fil-A...Jack was VERY UPSET about this delay demanding that we wait til we got to Baton Rouge to have dinner with them.

Luckily the peppermint, chocolate chip milkshake helped to calm his dinner stress....but the other two stops were not so easy. Things such as, "But we've already stopped for dinner once...we need to get to Papa and Bebe's." He even made it the whole drive without having an accident in the Pull Up that we had to persuade him to put on "just in case."
Jack was so excited to see Papa, Bebe, and all their Disney themed Christmas decorations. We were up pretty late but the next morning Jack was wide awake to help Papa make the coffee. The coffee that he used to dip his finger in or take sips...now, he had his own coffee mug. That can be a treat he has when at Papa's...we don't need anymore energy here without back up troops.

After making coffee it wasn't long before the icing was ready to pour on the homemade cinnamon rolls that Bebe made. I'm pretty sure Jack kept wanting to know where the can was to put in the recycle and the icing bag to lick (Yep-Market Street brand's icing comes in a squeeze bag, not a silver can like Pillsbury).

Around lunchtime the Danneman family came over so that we could FINALLY meet baby Dylan.

So glad to finally get to meet him and to hang out with Deborah and Adam.

Dylan and Nick got along GREAT! Look at those cheeks!!!

Jack and Adam "played" well together as well!

And of course Deb and I did the, "It's been too long~pick up where we left off" thing. Hate that is has to be this way with few and far between personal visits, but we've managed to make it work since first grade...LOVE YA DEB!

9 loaves of bread...is that normal?!? For Bebe's kitchen it is. :)