I've moved

...my blog. I no longer use the email address connected with this blog so check out my new blog here or type in http://enduringtherace.blogspot.com/.

Curse you, traffic cameras!

I made it longer than I anticipated with all of the traffic cameras in New Orleans. I thought I knew all of the cameras and could avoid a ticket but I guess not. The camera that got me is labeled as a red light camera but apparently is a speed camera also. I am going to talk to a lawyer friend of mine to see about getting out of it since it isn't labeled as a speed camera. One judge in town ruled on October 1st that the cameras are against the city's charter and that tickets issued after then would be null and void.  If I don't get out of it, I have to pay $110. Yuck.

wAUnderful weekend

Friday I traveled to Auburn with a few friends and met up with an old roomie, Min Kyung. We stayed up until the wee hours of the morning talking and just hanging out then got up bright and early for tailgating Saturday. My dad met me in Auburn Saturday and the two of us got to go into the game together. It was nice getting to spend time just me and my daddy. PLUS...The game was amazing! War CAM Eagle! 

Toomer's Corner the morning after the game. It is the closest thing we get to seeing snow in Auburn--everything is covered in a white blanket of toilet paper. What a beautiful sight!

Sunday Min Kyung and I met up with one of my closest friends and our former roomie, Casey. It happened to be her one year wedding anniversary and her husband so graciously shared their time with me. We went to lunch then found an old covered bridge that we climbed down under and were able to enjoy a peaceful afternoon while catching up. It was so refreshing to get to talk with Casey and get an update on her life. I was encouraged to hear how God is working in her marriage and life in general. 


I have a tendency to idealize the next steps in life as if they are going to be the end to all of my struggles. Like "if I can just finish school and get a job, I won't be stressed anymore" or "if I could just get married, I won't be discontent with my life anymore". I don't always think like this but sometimes I need reminders that there are always going to be struggles in my life until the day that Christ returns. Talking with Casey reminded me of this. I love that I have wonderful friends who I can share my struggles with and who will share their struggles with me. I just wish we didn't live so far away!

Min Kyung

Casey

Bless you

To those of you who still check my blog for updates despite my inconsistency of blogging, bless you. I am in my final semester of graduate school and it has been a typical busy semester. My classes are enjoyable but I am so tired of being in school. The typical day for me consists of either babysitting or being in the office and always reading something for class (thus the picture below).

Sarah and I went to a local, old fashioned movie theater to see the premier of Cairo Time and got to sit in the front row beforehand to listen to Patricia Clarkson do a Q&A about the movie.

My family and I drove to Parris Island, SC to pick up Jordan from boot camp. I can't believe he is a Marine! I am so proud of him for accomplishing his goal. The picture below is of the motivational run at the crack of dawn. It was an emotional day as we were trying to pick his face out of the group and finally got to see him.

After we picked up Jordan we went to the Auburn-South Carolina game. War Eagle!

Jordan then came to visit me in New Orleans. We mostly played it low key-eating good food and going to the zoo. Jordan did manage to get phase 1 of his back tattoo plan done while he was in town. 

Jordan leaves for infantry training a week from today. He will be there (North Carolina) for about a month then go to 29 Palms, California for his specific job training for a year. Please keep him in your prayers!

Internet-less

We have now been without internet for TWO WHOLE WEEKS and I am barely surviving. I don't think I could do it without my smartphone though. It makes a difference still being able to get email and do other small things on my phone. Saturday we are getting internet AND cable, just in time for football season. Hooray!!! I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE football season and am excited that I can now enjoy NFL and SEC football. It was amazing experiencing all the hype of the Saints last season. The championship parade was bigger than the mardi gras parades and there is a season opener parade scheduled for September 9th. I am definitely going to have to watch the parade and concert then run to a bar so I can keep track of the Auburn game and the Saints game. I can't wait!!!

Why I LOVE my new home!

1. We all have our own rooms (love you Sarah but I know you're glad about this too)
2. I no longer have to walk through Kristina's room to get to mine.
3. I can get up and pee in the middle of the night without waking up Kristina meaning I can drink all the water I want before bedtime.
4. Sarah has studio space
5. We have a private front porch
6. We are located 5 blocks from the park and 1 block from the levy bike path/river
7. We have central heat and air!!!!
8. We have a washer and dryer!
9. No more flies infesting our trash (this was seriously uncontrollable at our last house)
10. New windows!!
11. We have 2.5 bathrooms (in case all 3 of us have to pee at the same time. haha)
12. No more leaking showers and mold in the bathroom
13. Several friends live on the same street as us

I think of new reasons every day. I LOVE IT!!

Excessive heat warning

86°F

Feels Like: 101°

Details:

Oppressive humidity

Well said weather.com. I knew it felt freaking miserable on my run this morning. Yay for 101 degree weather at 7am.

sibling rivalries

I am so glad that I was able to come home for my mom's 50th birthday this weekend, but more about that later. It is always good to spend time with my siblings. However, sometimes it is hard for me to relate to them as they struggle with the frustrations of living with each other. They are constantly fighting, making snide remarks, or arguing. They have no patience with each other and show no grace to each other. It breaks my heart.
I guess it is so hard for me to see them act like this because I remember when I acted the same way with Rachael. After the accident I had a whole new perspective on what was important (not that I am perfect in my interactions with others now) and I just want them to enjoy being with each other. I know their behaviors are a normal part of growing up but I HATE it. I've tried communicating this to them but they don't seem to listen.

Falling into pieces

Today has been exhausting emotionally. I have been having a really hard time dealing with Jordan leaving and I was surprised that the rest of my siblings have too. I expected Katrina and Annika to cry because they are emotional like me but when Sarah and Corey started crying too, that was the end of any composure I had managed to maintain up to that point.
The entire drive back to New Orleans was like a series of emotional waves. I would be overwhelmed by emotions then just when I thought I had overcome them, another wave would hit. It has been really difficult to pick apart the reasons to why this has been emotionally trying but here is what I have so far:
1) A big part of it is that no other sibling has moved since I moved to college and now when I go home we won't all be together anymore. I'm worried that we won't all be together again (even though I know this isn't true, it won't be the same).
2) I think a lot of this has to do with losing Rachael and now that I am feeling like I am losing Jordan too, the old feelings of loss have resurfaced even though it is not the same situation.
3) Another reason is my lack of faith. I think that Jordan's time at boot camp is a critical point in his relationship with God and that this will either make him or break him. I am not fully trusting that God will use boot camp to draw Jordan to Him.
I know there is more lurking around inside me but I am too exhausted to probe any deeper. Off to bed and praying for deep, dreamless sleep...

Job update

So I had posted a while back about starting the job search and just wanted to provide you all with an update on how that is going. I applied to several schools and had two official interviews--one with a charter school and one with a catholic school. The charter school was a bust but I got a job offer from the catholic school. The salary that they offered me was too small for me to live off of so I told them what I would need and they said they could not meet my offer.
The school systems here are so different than what I was used to in Auburn. Here you have the public schools, recovery district schools, charter schools, private schools, and catholic schools. The public schools are unstable because of state budgets being cut. The recovery district is a mess. The charter schools are like boot camp for teachers and students--long hours, extremely rigid rules, extended school year, etc. And the catholic schools can't pay enough for me to live off of.
So, after going through this process I have decided to take the Graduate Assistant position at UNO for another semester. I will graduate in December and apply to work for Early Steps which is what I wanted to do anyways. My only hesitation about taking this position was that I will be an independent service provider working for the state so I will not have any benefits (health insurance, retirement, etc) but I will get paid $60/hour and I can decide how many hours/cases I want to work.

PG-13

This week has been soooo looong....I have learned some interesting things but I am past the point of exhaustion. Yesterday I was tested on putting in a catheter, feeding through a g-tube, and cleaning a trach. As I'm typing this, I am supposed to be listening to the powerpoint presentation on toileting skills. 

Sorry about the picture but I just had to share it after stumbling across it in one of our many handouts. Why would I ever need to see a sketch of an individual relieving themselves through a catheter?? 

couch to 5k

It's official! I'm training to run a 5K! No the world is not coming to an end. My mom just suggested that I start doing a program called "From Couch to 5K" so we started training when I went home to visit. I am in week 6 of 10 in the training program. It has been going well so far but I am starting to lose motivation now. This is partly due to exhaustion from my one week classes but also because this past week and a half I have been doing it on my own in the UNO gym. I am far more motivated to continue the training program when someone does it with me. So Sarah, if you're reading this, get ready because we are going to be running either in the mornings or afternoons because I need someone to kick my butt when I can't do it myself.

Sad, BP. Just sad.

Livin' on Prayer

I made it through my first one week class slightly exhausted. My routine has been getting up at 6:20, driving to the campus gym to workout, showering, then heading to class until 5pm every day. I've been making myself go to bed by 10pm so I am getting plenty of sleep but I am still slightly exhausted.
Today I was able to go yard sale shopping which is one of my favorite things to do. I love finding awesome deals  on fun things! The rest of my day will be spent watching the US kick England's butt in soccer, napping, then babysitting. I just hope I can make it through my class next week then my summer will be a breeze.

Today marks the nine year anniversary of Rachael going to be with Jesus. I have so many emotions running through me right now--jealousy, sadness, joy, compassion.
I'm jealous that Rachael gets to experience the joys of heaven and the splendor of God's presence. The sadness is self-explanatory. The joy is because Katrina and I have become closer and have been able to share more with each other spiritually and emotionally. Tonight we drove out to the grave side and sat talking about how adjusting over the years has been and how it has changed our lives.
The compassion is for the driver who hit our car. I can't imagine how this has impacted his life and I wonder how often he thinks about us. So often, I want to contact him to make sure he knows that I have forgiven him and to share God's grace with him. I don't know anything about this man other than his name but I hope that if he wasn't a Christian before the accident, that God used the situation to draw him to Himself.

Today's program is made possible by....

Rainboots! My roomie and I woke this morning to a crazy storm with intense lightning and monsoon type showers. I looked outside after about 30 minutes into the storm and saw that our cars were about to be flooded so I ran to grab our keys (my roomie was showering so I said I would move both of them). I had to move them 4 blocks to an empty lot then trudge back through the river that was once our streets. 

Church was cancelled because you couldn't get around unless you had an air boat. I was praying the entire time that I was moving our cars that I would make it. If we had waited any longer, our cars would have been ruined.

It's a blur but this is me conquering the monsoon. I was too wet and cold to let my roommate try to get a clear picture.

In front of my house:

Then to add insult to injury, I was attacked by one of those damn stinging caterpillars that live in the tree in front of our house. Ugh! I'm taking benadryl and curling up in bed with a book. Let me know when the sun comes out again.

Christmas In May

Thanks Casey for my fabulous Christmas gift! It only took what, like 3 1/2 years to finish? Haha! I love it!

More Bugs! Eek!

So, if anyone knows me they know that I am not an outdoorsy kinda girl. I prefer my environment to be air conditioned and bug free (unless I am laying on the beech reading a book--then I'll tolerate the heat and bugs).

Last night my friend Sarah and I ventured to a nearby park that overlooks the Mississippi river to hang out and watch the sun set. The swarms of what I thought were flying ants had other plans and chased us back to the car. This morning I checked facebook and saw that my pastor had posted a note about termite swarms in New Orleans. Apparently they come out in swarms between 7 and 9pm in order to mate. They are harmless but very annoying and have no respect for your personal space. How rude!

A new beginning, a new mayor

My favorite part of current Mayor, Mitch Landrieu's speech: "The first step is to declare that we are no longer recovering no longer rebuilding. Now we are creating. Let's stop thinking about rebuilding the city we were and start dreaming about the city we want to become. The world deserves a better New Orleans.People of New Orleans hear this - today is a new day, today is a new time."

I can't wait to see what the future holds for New Orleans!

Bug Season

It is official! The bugs have invaded New Orleans! I walked out the door this morning to a swarm of pesky mosquitoes chasing me and stinging caterpillars dive bombing from the trees. Now, I have experience with mosquitoes (can we say 100% deet...) but these caterpillars are another story. Apparently they invade every year too. No lie---we have hundreds maybe as much as 1,000 of these stinging caterpillars in the tree in front of my house. They have also found their way onto our cars, porch, and fence. I make a mad dash to my car whenever I step out my front door. Yikes!

When I had free time....

I enjoy being creative by coming up with crafts for kiddos to do or by doing my own crafting. One of my favorite things is to take something that has been tossed aside and use it to make into something interesting or useful. Here are my latest works:

Shotgun house made from door panel, sliding lock, door hinge, and stained glass.

Lighthouses made from painted door hinges.

Shotgun house made from granite piece, wood scraps, old watch, and belt buckle.

Can't sleep....

I don't usually have this problem. When I am stressed my answer is usually to go to sleep then worry about it later but I haven't been able to turn my brain off the past couple of nights. Just this week I have decided that I am not going to get an Add-On degree in Deaf Education but will just get my Master's degree in Early Intervention. This means I will take 2 classes this summer and 2 in the Fall then graduate in December.

The second decision I made this week is the one that is stressing me out.....drum roll please.......I have decided that I am going to look for a teaching job for the Fall. I know this does not sound that big but I have now been preparing for this moment for FIVE YEARS and it is time. There is a new charter school opening in the Fall and I REALLY want to work there. So now I am working like a crazy person to put together/revise my portfolio (lesson plans, behavior plans, intervention plans, classroom environment, resume, references, research, cover letter, teaching philosophy, etc.) as well as trying to prepare for what questions I may be asked to answer in an interview (God willing, I make it that far).

On top of it all, we have a girl from Teach for America staying with us and telling me about all these people who are in town interviewing for teaching jobs and all I can think of is "they better back off my school". Not to mention that I have two weeks of classes left and am trying to finish papers and projects before finals start.

Eek! No going out this weekend...or sleeping

French Quarter Festival

The French Quarter Festival is Louisiana's largest free music event, a three-day local music showcase scattered throughout the French Quarter in New Orleans, Louisiana. There are music performances on 17 stages which feature every genre from gospel to jazz, from funk to classical, from Cajun & zydeco to brass band. The community festival also features the "World's Largest Jazz Brunch," which are the festival food booths operated by nearly 70 local chefs and restaurants throughout the festival weekend. Here are some of the highlights:

Mary Anna and I sitting at one of the Riverwalk stages on Sunday.

Mardi Gras Indians. Really neat tradition and history. They only dress out three times a year--Mardi Gras day, St Joseph's day, and Super Sunday (and for concerts). This tribe is called the Wild Magnolias. 

Saturday I spent some time at the festival with a family from church. These are their two adorable kiddos making funny faces after I asked the to smile. Haha! 

Not a Morning Person

Is it wrong that I want to hurt the Mission's team that began working on replacing the tin roof next door at 7 this morning???? So thankful these guys are here but 7am... Really?? Let's start with something that doesn't require tearing out loud tin sheets and the use of hammers only 10 feet away from my room. I'm going to need an extra cup of coffee this morning.

March Madness

The month of March was crazy! I went to a good friend's wedding, Jordan came to visit, I went to visit my mom's family, the rest of my family came to visit, then spring break, and another good friend came to visit. Whew!! I can't believe it is April already.

My friend Alicia got married! Alicia was one of the girls in my program at Auburn and we all developed a bond as we experienced the trials of earning our degree. The night before her wedding another one of the special ed girls got engaged. Hooray!

Jordan and I at the St Patty's day block party near my house. My little brother is so big!

St Louis Cathedral in the French Quarter

Beignets at Cafe du Monde. Part of the whole Beignet experience is wiping off the powdered sugar all over you. :)

Sunset on the Mississippi river

Katrina and Sarah snuggled together on a deflating air mattress

Please pray

My friend Sam's roommate, also named Sam, was critically injured last night when a drunk driver ran a stop sign and hit Sam while he was riding his motorcycle. I don't know Sam's roommate but it breaks my heart that he is paying for someone else's bad decision and it angers me that the driver was previously arrested for drunk driving but, after pleading not guilty, was not convicted. I can't imagine what emotions his friends and family are experiencing right now. Please keep them all in your prayers.

Instant Cash Sweepstakes

The poet

Here is another poem that Katrina wrote--this one is about me:


Older, smarter, funnier you are
My bigger sister who likes cigars
I look up to you all the time
Even though we're like partners in crime
The good times we've had
Including the bad and the sad
And the memories we make
And those mistakes
You're here for me now, that's what matters
I understand your past with all the shatters
There were hardships that you had to overcome
I know those things made you numb
You hid away for so long
After things all went wrong
We lost a sibling which was hard on us all
Then you put up that bearing wall
It's almost like i lost you too
With everything that you went through
There was pain and hurt, too much to bare
And of that i was aware
But you were strong and got through it
Day by day, Bit by bit

Apparently there is no age limit

My 75 year old grandmother is on Facebook! The world is coming to an end!! I feel a facebook tutoring session coming on when I go visit this weekend. Some things we are going to have to talk about is how facebook relationships are not necessarily real relationships. Look her up if you want: Maud van Eysbergen.

A child's perspective

I love that my siblings are growing up and I am able to see God work in their lives and I can get to know them on a deeper level. Katrina and I have been talking more and more and I am finding out that we have more in common than I thought... Katrina is good at hiding her emotions like me and putting on a happy face but we have recently gotten to talk about the pain that we share from losing our sister. We have never talked about this before but it was eye opening to hear what that day was like from her perspective. She was only 8 but remembers more than I expected. The topic came up because she has had to write a series of poems for school and I asked her to read them to me. She said I could share a couple of them so here is her "experience" poem:
Water was splashing as we jumped in the pool
Summer it was, as we had no worries
Up the hill to the familar house we walk
Through the door to see loved ones who dare not talk
Confused with the faces all around
Eyes red filled with tears only staring at the ground

Sobs are heard and pain can be seen
Searching for the reason around the room
Someone stands and begins to speak
The news has made it, crashing in like a wave
A car wreck with three but only two were saved
The impact gets worse throughout the day

A happy family of nine is what we would make
If we weren't one less to make us break
We are here for each other
To comfort no matter what
But there is nothing anyone could say
To make the nightmares go away

Friends!

My childhood friend, Dane, ended up coming to New Orleans for a few days and his fiance, Brinkley, was able to come too. Dane is a brother to me and I could not be any more excited that he is getting married. I am especially excited that he is marrying Brinkley!! She is an amazing person and will continue to have a positive impact on Dane's life. Congrats you two!!

Move over People of Walmart

There's a new time killer in town....

I can't figure out how to make it so you can see the whole thing  but it goes like this:
Joshua: passed the guitar midterm :D

Beatrice: The grade needs to go up! You really don't want to mess with mother nature, now do you. D is not exceptable in your grades. You are a very smart guy. Get motivated

Joshua: Mom thats a smiley face not a d i got an a on the midterm...learn how to freakin read.

Me: And mom....spelling acceptable as "exceptable" is not acceptable. How old are you? Facebook even spell checks for you now. No excuses.

Check out more here.

I survived!

Well, I officially made it through my first Mardi Gras and I am pooped. Over the course of 2 weeks, I went to 19 parades (including the Saints parade) and biked to the French Quarter with friends on Mardi Gras day. We stayed at least a block away from Bourbon St at all times and it was surprisingly PG to PG-13 rated everywhere we went.

Mary Anna and I pulled together an awesome, homemade peacock costume in a week but realized that we need to start planning ahead now for next year. We're thinking lemon wedge, oyster, hot sauce, and beer. :)

Me and my friend Ashley watching the Thoth parade with church family. I love that I am getting to know new friends on deeper levels now.

And SO GLAD to get to experience new things with old friends.

Lombardi Gras

I was seriously offended yesterday by Andrew Perloff, a writer for Sports Illustrated, when he wrote the following ignorant comment in one of his articles:

“Brees and the Saints have bought into this emotional wave and it gave them an edge. But to honestly believe a sports team's success can have a sustainable positive effect on a community seems naïve. Not to dampen the party, but Brees efficiently running the Saints' offense has nothing to do with real urban renewal. How many people's lives is this really going to affect in a meaningful way for more than a few weeks?”

First of all, who do you think you are to shoot down the excitement and emotions that this brings to the people all along the gulf coast? This is the team they have been rooting for and dedicated to for 43 years despite them never having won a championship game. This momentous victory not only comes after a long awaited time and a period of devastation but also on a weekend where the city (black and white alike) have united to elect a new mayor who we hope will bring positive changes and during the first big weekend of Mardi Gras. It brings tears to my eyes when I remember how far things have come in 4 ½ years—from a place of utter devastation to this.

The Saints winning is so much more than just winning the Super Bowl, it symbolizes hope and pride and gives a sense of unity as we are all part of the “Who Dat Nation”. This unity is critical to the city’s continuing recovery. For example, I received this email today from school:

Faculty, Staff & Students,

With the Super Bowl victory in hand, New Orleans has reached this momentous point in its history and recovery. As a key part of this community UNO encourages you to participate in the celebration that has brought us all together like none before. For this reason, the University will be closing at 1PM today. All classes at all locations are cancelled and all are encouraged to go to the parade and take part by supporting the Saints in their victory that symbolizes how far New Orleans has come!

Check out this article for more details of the impact this is having on daily life here. Only in New Orleans can you call your boss to tell him you are not coming in to work and he replies with "Duh". Haha. The culture and atmosphere down here is like no other.

Get Ready Miami

This article is funny but true: read it here. It is somewhat of a warning to Miami and Colts fans of what to expect from their New Orleans visitors. :)

Celebrate Good Times!

As many of you may know, New Orleans has experienced an amazing victory with the Saints going to the Superbowl for their first time EVER--over 40 years without a winning season. It has been incredible to see how something like a winning football season can transform a city. It truly is a picture of heaven.
The night after the Saints won the championship game I went down to Bourbon St to celebrate with my fellow New Orlinians. We drove down Canal st with our hands out the window giving high fives to Saints fans and Vikings fans. Everyone was going crazy! Even with all of the madness, cops noted the following morning that there were no crimes, vandalisms, fights, etc called in that night. Wow! Even today I read an article about how the homicide rate has declined after the Saints started the playoffs. It is speculated that this common purpose of rooting for the Saints and celebrating their victories has had something to do with this but who knows. It is so hard to put into words how this winning has changed New Orleans but I truly believe that it has given the city a goal and a purpose, no matter how cheasy that may sound.

Go Saints! Who Dat!

She would have been 21 today.

Not every year is this emotionally painful but for some reason it is now. I don't know if it is because I am so far away from my family or because Jordan will soon be joining the Marines and I am terrified of losing another sibling and friend.

In all my sadness I am trying to stay thankful for the blessings God has given me. I am thankful that I got to have Rachael as my best friend, sister, and roommate for 12 years. I am thankful that we fought like sisters and I can now look back and laugh at it. I am thankful that even though I cannot be with my family right now, God has put me in a community and a city that knows my pain and loss. I am thankful for new friends here and old friends. I am thankful for the deeper relationships with my other siblings that are growing as they get older.

God is good all the time.

The city of Indulgence

At community group this week we were talking about living in New Orleans and how we can be "resident aliens". I wasn't exactly sure how to verbalize the difficulties of living in this city and yet standing apart from non-believers until someone else in the group mentioned that NOLA is a "city of indulgence". It takes what is beautiful and meant to be celebrated and turns it into gluttony.
The pastor at my church has said that New Orleans is one of the best pictures of heaven...and hell. We are always celebrating, enjoying the company of others, eating, drinking, enjoying music, art, and the other cultural gifts of this city and yet these things can be taken to the extreme--not to mention the politics and general poverty and crime of the city.
I have mixed emotions about living here as it is one of the most unique and culturally rich places I have ever been, but it is also a broken place where you cannot hide from the constant reminder that this world is not our home. I am encouraged and exhausted by this reminder. There is so much work that needs to be done to restore this city and it is easy to get caught up in thinking that the redemption of this city relies on me when I know that anything I do will be a minor drop in the bucket. God is mighty! PRAISE the Lord that he is our salvation--not me.

Freezing like a popsicle

Yes....that is an icicle IN my house! We left the faucets dripping so the pipes wouldn't freeze but with the combination of an old house and no central heat/air with below freezing temperatures, we ended up with iciles indoors and frozen pipes throughout. My landlord, being the wonderful person that she is, got my roommate and I hotel rooms for the next 3 days so I am now enjoying warm temperatures and running water. It is like a little "staycation"--the hotel has a heated pool, workout room, is located on St Charles Ave (so I can hop right on the streetcar and ride to church in the morning), and a little thing called rooooom service! AND cable television so I can watch plenty of football and law and order. Hehe.

Life Update

My Mormor (meaning "mother's mother" in swedish) making cookies. I was able to visit with her for a few days before going to see my family.

After visiting Mormor, I met my family and cousins in Florida and we spent a day at Disney's Magic Kingdom.

Most of the cousins at DisneyMy FAVORITE part was the castle. It was georgeous!!!!While we were at my cousins in Jacksonville, FL we got to meet Quentin Groves!! For you non-Auburn people, he was a defensive end for Auburn while I was in college and now plays for the Jacksonville Jaguars. Him and his wife were driving by my uncle's house and gave us a "War Eagle" after seeing our Auburn tags. They were looking for a house in the neighborhood and my uncle invited them in to see their's because there was one just like it down the street. They stayed about an hour just talking with us.

For Christmas all of the girls got boots. :)

I gave everyone a New Orleans themed gift--the girls got butterfly shaped Mardi Gras masks, the boys got juju dolls (meant for good luck), mom got a set of earrings made locally, and dad got beignet mix and community coffee.