I've had a change of heart...

I have decided I will not let other people make me not blog! If taking pictures off my blog makes certain people feel like they have a relationship with my family, then fine, so be it.

So I am back, no new blog, and no drama cause I do not need it, thankyouverymuch!

Do they ever stop growing so fast?

Lafreniere Park

Some photographs of the city

Read This Book! 'A Promise of Hope'

I read Amy Clipston's first book in the Kauffman Amish Bakery,A Gift of Grace: A Novel (Kauffman Amish Bakery Series) and loved it. When I was given the opportunity to read an advanced copy of the book not only was I honored, but excited to see what was going on with the Kauffman Family. I certainly suggest picking up a copy of ' A Gift of Grace' by Amy Clipston, but if you haven't read it, no worries, you can absolutely pick right up with this book.



'A Promise of Hope' is set in Bird-In-Hand, PA, the main character, Sarah, is a first time expectant mother who is grieving over the tragic loss of her husband. Sarah moves back in with her parents who are trying their best to love and support their grieving daughter, reassuring her that people will help her take care of her babies. Sarah is overwhelmed with grief and sadness. While working in the family bakery she meets a man who has come to Bird-In-Hand to learn more about her husband's death. This man, Luke, claims to be a relative. Sarah learns many things, some quite troubling, about her husband's past that she never knew, but she also learns quite a bit about herself as well.


You'll laugh, you'll cry and you'll definitely fall in love with the hero of the story, as I did. A MUST READ for anyone who is a fan of Amish Fiction. If you like Wanda Brunstetter and Beverly Lewis, well the Amy Clipston should be a new favorite author of yours as well! I personally, cannot wait until the 3rd book in the series becomes available.

Mississippi Gulf Coast

I'm a Jersey Girl, and a true Jersey Girls L O V E S the beach! Or said in true Jersey fashion, we love going down the shore. I went down the shore every single summer for two week with my family when we lived in New Jersey. Since moving down the bayou in '07 the only sand my feet have touched is sandbox sand and the sand they use to keep the houses from sinking down here! Yeah you heard me right, we sink constantly! So we decided to take our boy to the see some beach since he has been asking for a year, and sadly with the oil spill, we don't know when the beach will be enjoyable again.

Here is a few shots from our day in the sun. I wont mention that this trip was nearly a month ago and I am still peeling, because I definitely was not that pale when we arrived.

Beach Babe

Looking little in the big Gulf of Mexico

Diggin'

Trying to keep the oil away from the shores...

New Blog

Some recent events have made it so I will NO LONGER be posting on this blog and I will be starting a new blog. Unfortunately, I cannot give you the address to that blog on here. Please comment on this post or on facebook or email me jmxdk143@yahoo.com and I will provide you with the new address.


♥

Have your cake and eat it too!

Baking with

Mason is

always a

sweet

funny

treat.

Gardening...

Flowering the Cross on Easter

Mason singing....

Just an update...

I always say I am going to be better about blogging, and when I say it or type it, I really do mean it. But as I am sure many, many of your know, the days go by so fast and between being a wife, mother, employee, and an involved member of our church I am wiped. Most days after getting up to date with Facebook ( I know its pathetic Facebook is my biggest communication device, but its a very efficient way when most of your friend live about 1300 miles away,) and reading the blogs I follow, I have no choice but to step away from the computer and be a bit more productive, though if you saw my house, you might beg to differ that I am being productive at the moment.

So here is a little recap on whats been happening in our lives since 2010 begun.

It has been a unseasonably cold winter here in Southern Louisiana. The New Orleans Saints won the Superbowl and the entire city when crazy! It was impossible not to get swept up in the excitement that was Saints Fever! Still on a high from winning the big game, we headed right into Mardi Gras, my personal favorite time of year in NOLA. The below average temps and whipping winds did not keep this family from seeing EIGHT Parades, 3 of the 8 on Mardi Gras Day. We just bundled up New Jersey style, found a good spot at the beginning of the parade route, and yelled our best "Throw me somethin' Mister!'s" We saw tons of great marching bands, including the Marine Corps.

Top 3 Thursday

Found through Kimber's blog, brought to us by Confessions of a Working Mom

TOP 3 FAVORITE THINGS ABOUT SPRING

1. Opening the windows! I need fresh air in the house, or I feel completely suffocated. Living in the Deep South, my open window opportunities are much less then they were when we live in New Jersey. It almost seems like we go from heat to air conditioning, so I thoroughly enjoy the short spring season I can open 'em up!

2. BASEBALL!!!!!!!!! We are die hard Philadelphia Phillies PHANS in this house!!!!!! I miss going to see games in person. Louisiana has no MLB team (not that I would cheer for anyone but my boys in red and white pinstripes!) so this year we will go see some Zephyrs games for the ambiance of a baseball game.

3. Spring Forward! I just love changing the clocks forward. When it stays lighter outside later, I just feel like I have more of the day ahead of me even after the work day is over.