North Carolina

Day #7 of the Aiden road trip.  We are in Hamlet, North Carolina today visiting Eric's family.

On our way from Savannah, Georgia Eric wanted to take a detour to the coast. so we headed to Hilton Head, South Carolina.  Wow...I think we have another vacation spot to put on our "places to vacation" list.
It was sunny, breezy and the water was amazingly warm. 

On our way up to North Carolina, we drove into a monster storm!  There was thunder, lightning (which Eric and the girls swear was within a few miles from us) and pouring rain.  Cars and trucks were lined up on the side of the road with their hazard lights on...there was no driving through this storm.  Scary stuff...good thing I slept through most of it:)

Today was a visiting and spending time with aunts and uncles day.  it's nice to have the opportunity to slow down the pace and sit around the kitchen table most of the day and catch-up with each other.

I've been craving sweets the last few days, so Ollie is making a cake for tonight!  I can't wait.  My diet/healthy eating lifestyle is also on vacation.  Cravings, carbs and this morning I had coffee, biscuits and bacon for breakfast!  Back on the elliptical machine next week.

Savannah

Day #6 of our Aiden road trip and we are in Savannah, Georgia.  It is a beautiful city.  It's also super hot here, feel like it's in the 100's...we are sweating!

We explored the River Walk, Downtown, the Market Place and settled for lunch at the famous Paula Deen's restaurant, Lady and Son's.  It was over an hour wait for a table at the restaurant, but it was well worth the wait!

We also ventured over to Savannah State University, where my brother, Uncle Jason attended years ago. The University has changed dramatically.  Everything looks brand new, restored and bustling students.  This is an all-black university that has been around since 1890. I remember the campus being a little old and unkempt.  I had to call him to tell him how beautiful the campus looked!  We drove through the campus, hoping to peak Gabby's curiosity.

Our next stop is North Carolina!

Back on the Road

Day #5 of our Aiden road trip and we are off to Savannah, Georgia. 

We are driving along the coast on this trip and it is a beautiful day...hot, but gorgeous.  Every time we take this trip, Eric wakes us up when we get close to the battleships in Mobile, Alabama.  We always give a look and then go right back to sleep.  Today, we exited highway 10 and headed over to the Battleship Memorial Park to see the ships up close.  How could we deny Eric this little excursion, He's driving us all up and down the coast? 

Much to our surprise, we all enjoyed exploring the ships, submersibles and planes. 

There was a group of tourist that were taking pictures of each other, I offered to take a picture of all of them together.  After a few photos (they took our picture too) and some chatting, we discovered that they were from Illinois too!  It's such a small world.

A quick stop to the gift shop, a bathroom break and we're back on the road again!  Eric's a happy camper/driver!

Oh yeah, I can't resist...here is a photo of my all-time favorite Louisiana sign:

It' cracks me up every time I see it!



A Bad Habit!

I've picked up a bad habit on our trip.  Does anyone remember the candy cigarettes they used to sell when we were kids?  I used to love those candy sticks (and pretend that I was smoking).  We'll guess what I found at Stelly's Truck Stop and Casino in Palmetto, Louisiana?  CANDY CIGARETTES!!!!!

I bought a pack, I couldn't resist.  Back in the day, they we 10 cents, yesterday I dropped 59 cents for a pack of Luck Lights.  I brought them over to Eric and kids to share.  I handed them out:

"Yuck!"
"These taste like chalk!"
"Mom, you are so weird."

Well, that just meant more for me. They tasted just the way I remembered them:)  Throughout the day I grabbed my pack of cigarettes, offered one to everyone, "Would anyone like a cigarette?"(I knew they didn't want one, but of course I'm always trying to be cute and funny) and then happily munched all by myself.

I just munched my last cigarette.  I guess I've got a pack a day habit now.  Can't wait until we get to the next gas station...I'm running in to search for a few more packs!

This Is Where I'm From.

Day #4 and we are still in Louisiana.  Why are we in Louisiana for our family vacation?  This is where I am from...I bet you didn't know I was born in Louisiana! 

Both of my parents were born in Louisiana and my family roots are here.


Today is the 3rd anniversary of my dad's death.  There are times that it feels like he has been gone forever and then moments when it seems like it was just yesterday that he left us. It's hard to be here in Louisiana without him.  I sometimes expect to see him in the fields with his cows, there have been times that I believed that I did see him way out there.  There is no longer the smell of cigarettes in my mother's house, the adventurous road trips into the swamps and bayou and the festive parties that he would throw in our honor are not quite as grand as when he would throw a party.  There is a void in Louisiana without my dad here.  I feel it, my girls feel it and Eric feels it.  We are happy to be here with my mom and my brother, it has been a great visit, but I will always miss my dad when I come to Louisiana.

I was feeling very sentimental and nostalgic today.  I wanted to go visit the hospital where I was born, I bought an Opelousas t-shirt (the city where I was born), went to take pictures of my grandfather's church, which he founded and preached at for many years and visited 2 of my dad's sisters. 

I am thankful for my beautiful family today.  There are so many lessons about being a parent and raising a family that my dad taught me.  Many of those lessons, I paid absolutely no attention to when he was "preaching" them to me, but many of them I truly understand, respect and honor. 

I miss you and love you forever daddy.

Part 2: You Know You're in Louisiana When...

• You see Sinobia driving!  Steer clear....

I Bet You Didn't Know That....

 

Gabby was once an equestrian! 

When she was little, she LOVED horses.  She loved them so much that she even subscribed to "The Pony Club" and would receive a package every month with horse books, games, toys and surprises in it.  When she was 8 years old, her papa bought her a horse, Ponderosa!  There was just one condition...she had to learn how to properly ride her horse.  So, she started taking horse back riding lessons.

Gabby took lessons, rode horses and competed in horse shows for 5 years.  In 6th grade she hung up her riding helmet and chaps, framed her horse show ribbons and retired.

Ponderosa still lives in Louisiana with Gabby's Nana and Uncle Jason.  Ponderosa gave birth to Cocoa, who became Sinobia's horse and cocoa gave birth to Billy, who I guess belongs to both of the girls. 

Today on day #3 of our vacation, the girls had an opportunity to feed their horses their favorite snacks, peppermints and pears and saddle them up for a ride.

Louisiana!

Day #2 of our road trip...we made to Louisiana today.  We knew we had made it to Louisiana almost instantly!

You know you're in Louisiana when:

• You start to see drive thru daiquiri joints off the highway
• You can buy boudin-balls and crackling at the gas stations
• Teenagers use French slang words.
• There are nothing but pick-up trucks on the road equipped with atv' s and mounted riffle racks
• The roads are littered with armadillo road-kill
• When every radio station is playing zydeco music
• When fine dining isn't at a restaurant, but at a truck stop
• When there is customer service with a smile and conversation, but it takes 15 minutes to get a cup of coffee
• You start to see crosses on the side of the highway
• There are casinos in all the gas stations
• Instead of selling watermelon out of the back of trucks, they sell golf shrimp and crayfish.
• The short-cut is a dusty, gravel road
• Everyone you drive by gives you a head nod and a hands on the steering wheel finger wave
• Oh yeah...the internet connections are aweful! It takes at least a half hour to upload photos to your blog!

Plus... you get to see Nana and Uncle Jason!

Road Trip!

We've got the lovely Ashley and the fearless Sean (Sean and his crew) house-sitting for us and looking after the fury and scaly part of the Aiden clan, so we're off on our Aiden Road Trip.

1st stop...Memphis, Tennessee!  It's 104 degrees here today.  We have settled into our hotel, jumped on the trolley to the famous Beale Street, grabbed some dinner, took in some music at a great little gallery and music venue and then walked back to our hotel (to walk off the dinner). 


There is no pool around that can go undiscovered if Sinobia is around, so off to the pool she headed for the last 45 minutes before the pool closed.

Eric is tired.  He is our prince, chauffeur, sugar daddy and super dad!  The computer system at ETHS was not kind to him on Friday!  Friday was supposed to be his off day, his laundry and pack for the trip day.  It didn't happen quite that way.  Eric ended up working ALL DAY on Friday and until 2:00 am Saturday morning.  He came home and worked another hour (via remote system) before going to bed and waking us up at 7:30 am to load up the car!  He was in good spirits all day and got us to our first stop safely. 


Us girls pretty much slept all the way there. I retreated to my designated spot...the 3rd row with pillow and blanket in hand.  Gabby and Sinobia...not one fight in the car, they were snoozing with their pillows and blankets as well.

The TV is on and everyone is dozing off under the great fluffy down comforters in the hotel room.  I'm off to bed!

 

Triple Trapeze

Over the past 5 weeks Gabby has been attending a "Summer Intensive Class" at the Actors Gymnasium.  During this class time the students are able to choreograph their own performances, choose their own music and costumes.  The culmination of this class is the "Intensives Show".  Thank you to all the family and friends that came out to support Gabby on Saturday at the Gym.  She was completely taken by surprise at everyone who showed up to see her perform.  I had not told her that anyone was coming, I didn't want to add any additional anxiety to whatever she may have already had (is there any anxiety around hanging so many feet off the ground up-side down?).

We'll in my opinion this was one of her best routines.  It may be because she totally owned it.  She and her trapeze-mates worked long and hard on this routine...it was their routine.  I could also see a maturity in Gabby, that was not there in her last performance at the gym.  She's growing up and doing it fast.  The past 9 years she has spent growing up at the Actors Gymnasium...perfecting her circus crafts, becoming fearless, confident and unique in her skills and abilities has been magical to watch.  We will forever be grateful to the AG for the mentoring, love, family and home-away-from-home they have given to Gabby.


Is it odd that one of my proud mamma's moment was my daughter performing in the circus?  If it is...too bad!  I was beaming with pride and of course her loudest cheerleader (as you will hear in the video).  I am confident that she will be able to do anything she puts her mind to. There is a wide open future out there waiting for Gabrielle Ollie Aiden!

Stay tuned for for information about the next show Gabby will be in (I'll let you know, when I know).  I believe we made some new circus lovers out of a few people on Saturday!

 GOOD JOB GABBY!