Fleur de Aleta

Greg and I saved a penny. Oops, I should say saved a Penny. We went to the Animal Shelter. There were a couple of medium sized dogs there. Penny was the only one not barking up a storm. The animal shelter employee took Penny (they called her Spot, but really, that’s not a girl dog’s name!) outside and Greg asked me what I thought. The dog was zipping all over the yard. I replied, “If you can catch her, we can take her home.” I have to admit though, I was nervous. I’m not the Alpha Dog personality. Greg has had dogs all his life, so he knows how to handle and train them well. I feel like I’m in training too, on how to handle being Alpha. We went through a couple of different name options, considering Cinnamon for a little while, but thought it might be too long. Penny has some copper coloring (caramel as I like to say), so hence the name Penny. I think it’s a sweet name and though hyper, she’s a sweet dog. Penny was brought to the Animal Shelter after a car hit her. The per

I’m late in writing about Mardi Gras, but this is the earliest I could do so. My parents booked 3 rooms at the Ritz on Canal Street in New Orleans. Picture below was taken at the Ritz. Funny thing is, the "lobby" is on the third floor and the garden courtyard is also on the third floor (which is where this picture was taken). The building looks small from the outside, but it's huge. The parades go down Canal Street, but instead of going in front of the hotel to see them, Dad bought tickets for us to be on the stands right above the restaurant Luke’s on St Charles. We ate at Luke’s for supper. Greg and I split a hamburger and oh my gosh – I’m so glad that we did! It was huge! Mom said, “I’m spoiled to the stands now. I don’t think I’d ever want to do another Mardi Gras without being in one.” It was nice being above the crowds and close to the floats! Lundi Gras (Monday night parades) was a blast. It was the first time I saw the flambeaus. Not only where they great

This was the first time I've attended a Breakfast Birthday surprise and it was so much fun! (Secretly, I was surprised with how many people were there, considering I'm sure I'm not the only one who isn't a morning person. That's love for you though, it doesn't matter the time of day, you're going to be there to celebrate!) The Breakfast Birthday was for Mary Ann, my mother-in-law, celebrating 75 years young - she looks great! It was a surprise party for her. Everyone cooked the breakfast from eggs, hash browns, fruits, bacon, French toast, mimosas and a pretty fruit cake! The food was either cooked at Greg's parents house or cooked at our homes and brought to his parents' home. Ok, I have to add at this point... Greg and I were responsible for the meats (i.e. bacon, sausage) and also the orange juice (for the Mimosas).... Before we got into the car, I was sure to pack the gifts, then went back for the food. As we were driving to his parents'

My sister-in-law, Greg's younger sister, sent me the following message and thought I'd share because I thought it was lovely :) 'A woman's heart should be so hidden in Christ that a man should have to seek Him first to find her . ' When I say that 'I am a Christian', I am not shouting that 'I am clean living. I'm whispering 'I was lost, but now I'm found and forgiven.' When I say 'I am a Christian' I don't speak of this with pride. I'm confessing that I stumble and need Christ to be my guide. When I say 'I am a Christian' I'm not trying to be strong. I'm professing that I'm weak and need His strength to carry on. When I say 'I am a Christian' I'm not bragging of success. I'm admitting I have failed and need God to clean my mess. When I say 'I am a Christian' I'm not claiming to be perfect. My flaws are far too visible, but God believes I am worth it.