Favorite Places

Leonard found his new favorite place to lounge all day long.

As soon as we put up the tree, before the tree shirt was even on,

there he was, under the christmas tree. What a wonderful present.

We just love this kitty! He really is the best cat EVER.

Merry Christmas

We are so thankful for this time of year, to celebrate the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ.

Danielle will be here with us for Christmas, we are so excited to see her!

We will return with great pictures of our Christmas celebrations.

We love our family and friends and are so thankful for you.

We wish all you a Merry Christmas.

Santa Clause!

I was surprised at how excited Jacque was that Santa would be at our church Christmas party. The night before she came and sat on my lap and made me pretend I was Santa. She went on, and on, with questions and her cute & long conversations. Josiah is getting a little wiser in his old age of ALMOST 6. He asks me questions like, "Is it the Real Santa?" and "How is he going to get to the church? Where will he put his sleigh?" Answer: His sleigh is invisible. Like on MEET THE ROBINSON'S movie, when the time machine is invisible. He can't let everyone know he is there. I didn't have the babies see Santa. They can't even handle all the "TWIN LOVERS" in the stores. I have experience with Josiah and Jacque when they were babies, and they all come out the same... screaming babies and a Jolly old St. Nick. Josiah and Jacque are really excited, and want to make sure he gets a snack when he comes by and that we leave some food outside for the Reindeer also.

New Orleans Phtography

I came upon an amazing blog spot,

called NEW ORLEANS DAILY PHOTO .

I truly enjoyed seeing the beautiful photography.

It also gives you a better idea of the culture and language in the area. So, if you have a few minutes, click, look, & read it.

I think you will enjoy!

Here is another site on 99.5 fm news radio

station in New Orleans, with a lot of pictures of the area,

less artistic and more of what the cities look like.

Mardi Gras Preview

After Thanksgiving, Paul asked me if there were any Christmas Parades in Metairie... I don't think so... They are already getting ready for Mardi Gras {Carnival Season} on Veterans Blvd here in Metairie, LA! These are kinds of stands/bleachers, for VIP's to be up high and out of the sun and watch the floats. They will have all the Mardi Gras colors wrapped around the stands when they are done with 'em.

In Metairie they are more family oriented. {no nudity} Thank goodness, or we would have to lock the kids up in the house for an entire month! They have one big weekend of FAMILY GRAS. It is already posted at all the bus stops. They put up a huge stage in the center of Metairie & celebrities & bands come {Disney, geared toward kids and family} & perform.

Mardi Gras {Carnival Season} is early & short this year.

January 6th-February 5th

Why is it so early? It all has to do with the moon, calendars, Easter, and other stuff... here is an explanation I found; on this informative website: http://www.mardigrasneworleans.com
"When you're ready for the big experience, you'll need to know when it will be! You'll find the big day can fall on any Tuesday between February 3 and March 9. Carnival celebration starts on January 6, the Twelfth Night (feast of Epiphany); and picks up speed until Midnight on Mardi Gras, the day before Ash Wednesday. How will you know which Tuesday it will be? Ash Wednesday is always 40 days before Easter (not including Sundays) and Fat Tuesday is always the day before Ash Wednesday. Easter can fall on any Sunday from March 23 to April 25 with the exact date to coincide with the first Sunday after the full moon following a Spring Equinox! There you have it! Voila! If you're still confused, get out that calendar with the printed holidays on it--it's the day before Ash Wednesday!"

More fun stuff about Mardi Gras coming soon!

Oh, Christmas Tree, how lovely are your branches!

Josiah made us a star for the top of the tree. It is very nice.

MMM CRACKERS

Where is Paul?

He is with a patient or in the lab. He is overwhelmed and extremely busy. Stressful is an understatement. He is currently working on his Board cases along with many other implant or esthetic cases. They are all in their final and most crucial stages. Everything has to go perfect to make these 3 years advantageous. He also has to study and prepare to take the written boards this spring. He gets his certificate at the end of June. He is preparing for his new job as a director that he will start at the school in June. Thank you Paul for always doing your best and making the most of your residency! We love you and we are proud of you!

Hemangioma

Prognosis
Hemangiomas go through three stages of development and decay:
1-In the proliferation stage, a hemangioma grows very quickly.

This stage can last up to twelve months.
2-In the rest stage, there is very little change in a hemangioma's appearance.

This usually lasts until the infant is one to two years old.
3-In the involution phase, a hemangioma finally begins to diminish in size.

Fifty percent of lesions will have disappeared by age five with the vast majority gone by puberty.

Jacque & Hannah finally had their appointment with a new doctor about their hamangiomas. It took us 6 months to get this appointment and we are very upbeat about what the doctor has planned for the girls.

*Jacque's hemangioma on her ear is looking great. It has been shrinking like a balloon slowly loosing air. It is in the involution stage and is very reassuring. Jacque has been seeing numerous doctors since she was an infant and we always get the same advice. {WAIT} until she is 2, then until she is 4, then 5 or 6. Finally we got the answers we were searching for. Next month the DR wants to have multiple specialist diagnose her ear to find the best way to remove the hemangioma and reconstruct her earlobe. Most likely surgery will happen within the next 9 months to a year.

*Hannah has 2 hemangiomas; her pinky toe & on her chest. The one on her chest is a lot like the one on Jacque's ear. Since it is still in the proliferation stage, the DR doesn't want to do surgery on it until it is a rest stage, {after a year or sooner}. She will also be examined with Jacque next month to get a plan in place for removal. Hannah's toe is more superficial, on the surface, and mpst likley wont get huge. She is going to get some laser treatment to stop the growth, and may have steroid injections to shrink it. She gets her first laser treatment next week.

It is such a relief to find a doctor that will actually be proactive and help our sweet girls. We are confident in this doctors experience and his colleagues will take very good care of them. He told us something we had never heard before. That most hemangios eventually go away on their own, but some, some will shrink yet stay forever. His philosophy is that if the patient is going to have to get surgery eventually to fix the area where the hemangioma used to be, then might as well do it now, and not let it cause self-esteem issues while they are young.

We will keep you updated as we have more appointments.

All I can say is that prayer works. Thank you!

Cajun Christmas in New Orleans

I do miss the snow during Christmastime, yet these Cajuns sure do know how to get festive. I got really excited remembering all the unique things we get to experience again this year.

Crawfish,

Cajun accordions, Santa and his 8 Gators pulling him on a Pirogue (pee-row).
This is a Pirogue: Here are some great YOU TUBE clips that I'd like to share.

Grandma, these are for you! You'll love the french twist of the Cajun's.

This is just some Cajun Christmas music I found on You Tube. I love it.

This is the light show of "The Cajun Night Before Christmas" at the Botanical Gardens in City Park. It is a little blurry.

This is a picture of the little shack and the gators.

This is the story of "Cajun Night before Christmas" another version, its interesting to actually here someone tell it.

Merry Christmas!
I love it, love it, love it!!!

Is It Really December?

IN THE NEW ORLEANS NEWS TODAY

"Is it Really December?"

"More heat and humidity for mid December in Southeast Louisiana. The National Weather Service is calling for a high near 80 degrees today. The record high at the airport is 82 degrees for this date. The unusually warm weather continues for the next few days before a
forecast cool down for the weekend. Fog remains a threat."

I have been putting the kids in shorts & we have had our a/c on all weekend long. I love it!

Nicole, why does the house smell?

This is what happens when I try to cook . . . ever since the babies were born. I wanted to make chicken enchiladas. I was boiling the chicken . . . later, the water was gone and chicken was charred. Look at the pan! There was 2 ft of smoke covering the ceilings of the whole house. Jacque was crawling around on the floor, remembering the fire safety things we taught her. I had to open all the doors and windows and turn on all the ceiling fans, it even got into the cabinets, and went upstairs. Paul got home late that night, wondering what I did. {Just a usual Nicole incident} The following day he bought 10 air fresheners that are oder killers, set them all over in kitchen. We had to keep the windows open & fans on for 3 days. I don't even want to try to explain how or why it happened or I will embarrass myself even more. I'll stick to the oven, crock pot, & microwave. I am just so thankful that nothing worse happened that night. I ended up using the chicken, I cut off the {well done} parts and dinner was yummy!

Happy Birthday Jacquelyn!

Our sweet, tough, sensitive, funny, sweetie pie!

She is our "Jacque-cheerleader-princess-beautiful-girly-girl".

Her favorite color is blue & she loves CareBears.

When she grows up she wants to be a "Cheerleader-Mommy" Lately her sense of smell is very sensitive and hates it when the babies have dirty diapers. So, now she decided she doesn't want to be a Mommy anymore, just a Cheerleader.

Yes, we can't believe she is already 4, but on the other hand sometimes she acts like she is 24!

Jacque was so funny at church on Sunday (her real birthday). She laughed at Sister Liddle in the Primary when she told everyone it was Jacque's birthday & that she was 4 years old. Jacque said, "I'm not 4 I'm 3!" She said she wasn't 4 until she had her party at school on Monday. She wanted to bring BLUE rice crispy treats for her celebration. So here they are! Yum! After school I asked her if she was 4 yet and she was so excited and said "YES!" Josiah gave Jacque the CUTEST little Cheerleader doll. She loves cheerleader everything. But this doll is just so adorable!
Her cheers are so, so cute!
~ Munchkins say, Howdy Doo, We are here to Cheer for you! Hee Haw! Whoo Hoo! ~
~ Riding on a donkey, sitting on a catus, we think your team needs a little practice, jump in the tub, pull out the plug - there goes your team, Chug, Chug, Chug! ~
~ We're number one, we can't be number two, cause we're gonna beat the woopsies outta you, the woopsies outta you! ~
~ I stomp my feet, I boogie to the beat, I turn around, I touch the ground, I wiggle it, just a little bit! ~
~ Cookies, cookies, cookies and cream, what's the matter with the other team? Nothing, nothing, nothing at all - they just - can't play ball! ~

2 for 1 Birthday Party

2 December birthdays . . . lets get it done all at once! I couldn't have another birthday party at my house this year, and with the up & down weather here, I couldn't have it at a park; {it ended up being nice enough for the park that day & it was 80 degrees Sunday. Then last night & tonight we have freeze warnings on the North Shore...{40 degrees where we are on the south shore} it is always like this in the winter.} Anyways, I looked and found a great little place to have a party! I needed to do this with the least amount of stress & work & time & $$ possible.The invitations. I made 2 sets. One for Josiah's friends, & the other set said

"Jacque's turning 4!" to give to her friends.

Info on the back. They both helped me make them, we had fun.

How do you decorate a pizza parlor? What do you do with all these kids???

I made sugar cookies {from the pre-made/pre-rolled out dough, thanks Pillsbury!} and I decorated them to look like a pizza. I put them in party bags & tied balloons to them as decoration. I also let the kids take them home as their party favors.

Here is the table all decorated. We had to take the cookie bags/balloons off the tables though, it was way too much fun for the kids!

Instead of using tables cloths to decorate with, we put brown kraft paper on the tables and set out crayons as an activity to keep the kids busy.

They got chef hats to wear...

These are the pizza-kits... dough on a small pan, sauce, cheese, pepperoni, & a flag.
I am so relieved some parents stayed. The "make-your-own-pizza" part was the craziest part. {to me at least}
Then the children wrote their names on a little flag, and put it on their pizza and it is ready to go into the oven. While the pizzas cooked, they were given little balls of dough to play with. {they are then to have their creation cooked also, but they were throwing the dough, putting it all over themselves, and even eating it, so we thought it was a better idea to just throw the dough away once their pizzas were cooked.

Here is a SNOWFLAKE cake. {all they had that was unisex}

It had rings on it too we gave to the kids to take home.

We put 6 candles on Josiah's side and 4 on Jacque's side.

mmmm... cake! The kraft paper table cloth was great for clean up.

We just rolled it up and threw it away. The table was already for present time.

They REALLY liked the gifts from their friends. Here is the proof!

A picture speaks a thousand words.

They even had this "PIZZA DUDE" visit & pose with the birthday kids. How nice!

It was so much fun. I am so glad everyone came & had fun. We are so blessed to have wonderful friends to celebrate with. Thank you so much for a great party! {we have a ton of cute pics of all the kids too! but way too many to post}