A Birthday Party and Some Football

   Ha!  Reindeer noses were gifts for the kids at Christmas!  We were off to a birthday party for Baylon Brees!  

The party was at the zoo!  Spectacular zoo!

Lots of animal pictures on this post!  Animals and kids playing.  Life is good!

Milly and PJ.  PJ is River's cousin!

Couldn't pass up this opportunity!  Thanks to Drew for posing with me.  He didn't even mention my Seahawks shirt.  He does have a Boston hat on so I guess we were even.  Neither of us were sporting Saints!

This young man was up on this forever.  He must have been copying the flamingos.  Every time I looked over he was in that pose.  A long time really!  He did put his foot down now and then!

Michel's sister in law and the cousins!

We are headed into a special spot in the zoo to feed the elephants and check out a lion!

Wanna hear a lion roar?  He was not happy having visitors I guess!  We were harmless but I suppose he didn't know that!  Click below!

Rivers got to feed the elephants!

So did Milly!

And so did I!

A snake!  I touched it but I don't like them.  I hope I didn't send any negative vibes to the snake!

Kids playing on the playground!

Cake cutting time!

After the cake we explored the zoo.  Part of it anyway!  Animals are amazingly beautiful!

This guy just stared at us and didn't move at all!  He was a bit intimidating!

This baby grabbed some leaves and scurried up a rope.  He was fast.  Could be a she I guess!

This is where the baby decided to land and eat!  In this blue tub way up high.

Still staring!

Don't know what happened to the mouth on this guy but it was deformed.

Sea lions!

The pelicans were roaming free.  I thought they were supposed to be so I got close and got some pictures.  Then I zoo guy came and asked us to clear a path so he could get the pelicans back in their home.  I guess they escaped!  They bite but I was spared that adventure.

Michel and Milly climbing up a rope web!

PJ.

We were able to get pretty close to the giraffes! They were confined but they came right up to us.

See!

One big rhino!

Game time.  Wish the results would have been better but I had to show everyone I finally got a Seahawks shirt!

Rivers always wants outside.  He is a nature boy like his parents!

Jill and Paul, Michel's parents, came over and brought dinner and watched the football game with us.  They brought a Kings Cake.  A baby is cooked in the cake and whoever gets the baby had to bring the cake to the next get together.  A baby is cooked in every Kings cake.  The baby is Baby Jesus if I understand correctly.  This tradition starts on Jan. 6, King's day and continues until Mardi Gras in Feb.  I hope I got that right. 

Stephen got the baby this time.

Rivers and Stephen have a unique way of playing.  Check it out on the videos below!

Grandma Jill and Rivers!  Nicest woman ever!

The grandmas with Rivers!

Grandpa and Rivers!

It was raining hard on Sunday.  Rivers wanted to go outside and Mike took him out.  He brought Rivers back in and out a couple of times.  Soft hearted Mike couldn't really tell him NO Outside!  Steve followed them out the last time they were out.  Steve said let him get in the water!  The first couple of times outside in the rain Rivers got a little wet in the puddle by the front of the house.  The last time he got totally soaked with Steve's permission.  He loved it!

This video is dark but you can sort of tell what is going on.  Rivers stood right under the water pouring off the roof! To a warm bath afterwards and some dry jammies!               

                             

                               

Rebirth in New Orleans

So is this the most adorable little boy ever?  

His cap reads My First Saints Cap!

Rivers loves to explore.  Everything is a curiosity.  He checks ever single thing out.  Never stops and protests when he has to come back in the house.

The neighbors had a birthday party and they had horses for the children to ride.  A first I got to see...Rivers first horse ride!

After the party we went to the Superdome to see the statue that was erected of Stephen's blocked punt.  I got teary as we walked up to it.  I was overwhelmed by how important that blocked punt was to the city and Stephen was it.  He did it.

Rivers was taking a ride with Stephen.  You can tell by River's hair this was not a slow ride on the wheelchair.  Wheeeeeee! The computer in front of Stephen is how he types with his eyes.  When his eyes focus on a letter it is typed.  It is amazing.

Here it is!  Wow!

Of course I wanted to climb up on it.  I had to get a boost up from Mike and Milly.  No White Flags!

This is the engraving on the plaque in front.  The rebirth of a city.  Amazing!

Here is the family!  Good looking group don't you think!

Just thought I would give Stephen a little help blocking the punt.

Relaxing with the players!

The girl with Stephen, Michel and Rivers is Milly.  She lives across the street and spends lots of time with the Gleason's!  She is a wonderful young girl!  Helpful with Rivers and very kind!

Rivers sporting the sunglasses.  Very stylish Mr. Rivers!

When we got back Steve and Rick took a ride on the bike.  Rick lives across the street from the Gleasons.  He helps them a ton.  The whole family helps them.  Rick comes over daily to help Steve.  He and his family are a blessing to them.  We are grateful for them too.  Very loving and kind this family is.  Milly is one of their children.  Steve, Michel, and Rivers are in good hands for sure.

Off they go!

They had a tire blowout on this ride but it wasn't far from home thankfully!

A New Orleans Visit

We left for New Orleans at 7 AM on a Friday morning anxious to see Stephen, Michel and Rivers!  The camera came out right away and of course Rivers was the star.  He had grown so much and he is jabbering a lot, talking a little, and he is full of energy! Walking now too!

Here they are!  I was so darn excited to see them and so was Mike!

Rivers got a couple of new toys from the neighbor and I showed him how to talk into the microphone.

A great beginning to a trip that was memorable!

My Christmas Present

Mike got me a wonderful Christmas present this year.  We both enjoyed it so much!  Dinner and a night at the Davenport.  It was so relaxing and fun.

I can't remember the name of the place we ate dinner but we were blessed by seeing one of my former students who works there.  Cassie.  She is 21 now. AHHHH. She had not seen me since my event!  I got a huge hug and she said she had goosebumps and had been praying for me.  Thank you Cassie for the prayers.  She also told me I am the best teacher she ever had.  She wrote a letter for the news channel that does teacher of the month.  She is going to mail me a copy of the letter.  So nice to hear those things.  Thank you so much for the compliments Cassie and you look beautiful.  She was hesitant to get her picture taken because she didn't think she looked very good.  What? She is college for nursing now.  I am so proud of her!

Oh Christmas tree Oh Christmas tree!

This is a picture of the lobby at the Davenport Hotel by someone who takes pictures and writes for a job.  Thanks for sharing James!

There were still a few gingerbread houses left as displays in the lobby of the hotel.  Creative for sure! The clock tower in the park.

Super heroes maybe?

Gingerbread reindeer!

Gotham City.

Another tree!  I got some tips how to get the orange out of the picture.  I will use the tips next time.

A little hot chocolate and some conversation! Priceless!

Breakfast at the Davenport Tower.  Pancakes and scrambled eggs for me.

We always make new friends when we go some place.  This is our waitress Mary Ellen.  She was funny.  She works during the week for the school district and here on the weekends.  Busy lady with lots of energy.

Mike went and got the car and I went up to the room to get our things.  I pushed the button for the elevator.  When it opened I saw about 5 people riding the elevator.  I smiled and said hello.  No one said a thing!  I think that there is something in an elevator that forces people to look straight ahead and freezes their vocal chords.  I was outside the elevator when I said hello.  That is why mine still worked.  People say hello please!
Mike and I had a great and fabulous time.  Thanks for the Christmas gift Mike.  A wonderful gift spending time with Mike!

49 Degrees North Skiing Girls

These two precious little ones are going to ski like their mom before we know it!  Layne and Lucy are already tearing it up.  Their parents are expert + skiers!  Love you all!

Go Seahawks Doolittle Style

 The Doolittle Family loves their football!  Keri needs to get a picture taken to add to this blog!  Go Hawks!