Home again, home again, jiggity jig.

St. Peter's Cathedral, Jackson Square - the oldest cathedral in the United States, declared a "mini basilica" by Pope John Paul II in the 60's.

Well, we had a wonderful time, but am I glad to be home! I am one of those people who really don't like being away from home. I always had friends spend the night with me, I had a really hard time adjusting to college when I moved away to Mississippi State, and don't even get me started on my 2 week living in Guatemala last summer, I cried every night when I called my husband. I missed my pets, my bed, my home. The only time I am not homesick is when we go to the beach every summer with my entire family ;)

The city of New Orleans has so much to offer, it is such a shame there is unfortunately also so much debauchery. Don't get me wrong, Blake and I enjoyed our fair share of brews and wine, especially Saturday night (we skipped dinner and went dancing which is SO OUT OF CHARACTER for my husband!) We haven't done that since our honeymoon 1 1/2 years ago. We had such a fun evening, until we stopped for pizza on the way home. We started talking about what a horribly hard year we have had and how your first year of marriage should be happiness and bliss. He started crying so hard, which I hated to see, but also was relieved to see as well! I feel like for the most part, I have done the grieving and the sadness, while he has hidden it from me. In actuality, he told me he had to be strong for me or we both would have fallen apart. He has been hurting just as much as me, he has just had his grieving away from me so I would see the strong side and feel supported when I grieved. Bless his heart, I just thought he didn't feel the loss as strongly as I did. We left the pizza place and stopped on the way home at a little convenience store where I beared my entire heart and feelings to the poor worker. She ended up telling me she suffered 2 m/cs 2 years ago but now has her daughter, walked around the counter, and hugged me so tightly, soothing me in that beautiful creole accent. We were in bed by 10:30 and feel asleep with swollen eyes.

The next morning, we woke up to room service breakfast which was delicious and included chocolate covered strawberries. Even though I gave up chocolate for lent, I succumbed and fell into the tempation. I do feel after all this pain, I got a special dispensation :) We walked to mass at St. Peter's Cathedral, and I heard the most beautiful choir in my life. The church was PACKED - I am sure alot of tourists. The most wonderful thing about the Catholic Church is the ability to go anywhere in the world, and know you are hearing the same gospel and sharing the same Eucharist as your family in another part of the world. The Archbishop of New Orleans presided over the mass which was pretty cool, I have only heard one other mass said by an Archbishop. We went to Central Grocery to have a muffaletta sandwich and THEY WERE CLOSED ! I was so upset, that is the one thing on my list that was not negociable, eating a muffaletta and buying bottles of the olive salad spread. So we walked to Acme and had raw oysters (mmmmmmmmmmm) and po'boys which were delicious. We talked to the oyster shucker/waiter about Katrina and how the city has changed since then. The last time I was in New Orleans was actually the weekend Katrina hit. My best friend had won a trip through work and took me as her guest. We flew in and stayed at the ultra luxe Ritz Carlton. We woke up Saturday to a town that was shutting down, including the airports. We packed, took a cab to Hertz, and got ONE OF THE LAST RENTAL CARS IN THE CITY! It was the scariest thing I have been through, we barely made it out of town. By the time I got home it was noon, and we fell into bed. We woke up and couldn't believe our eyes when we saw what was going on there on the tv. I could not believe it, and was so thankful God delievered us outta there in time. Some of my friend's co workers didn't make it out until 2 weeks later.

We walked no lie for about 5 hours straight. My husband is so not into exercise. He owns a lawn/landscape company and get plenty of exercise throughout the day. The only time he exercises is when I am pregnant, and that is only because he doesn't want me doing spinning, aerobics, or pilates at the gym. He was such a trouper. He went into all the shops I wanted, and never complained about the incessant walking. Sunday afternoon we fell into bed and rested for about an hour then walked to Mister B's where we had the very best food in our lives. Blake had BBQ shrimp, which in not like regular BBQ but a sauce of butter, garlic, worcheshire, and spices with french bread for dipping. I had shrimp and grits and wanted to lick the bowl clean. We literally waddled home and were in bed at 9. We watched Nancy Grace tear apart the story of Caylee Anthony, and it was so upsetting. How could this mother kill her precious daughter? I was so tired from all the walking but riveted to the tv. I wonder what sentence that mother will end up with.

We walked to Cafe Du Monde yesterday morning for beignets and cafe au lait, and it was the perfect way to culminate our trip. So delicious and we got there at just the right time. We had very little wait, but when we left, I swear there were at least 200 people in line to eat. We walked back to the hotel, checked out, and I recieved a text from the wife of a friend of Blake's. We were closer a couple of years ago, but have not been since I started losing babies. I think some people just don't know what to say, so they stay away and say nothing. Also when Blake moved here from Memphis, we don't see them much anymore, maybe a couple times a year. We mainly just stay around our cove with my sister, and one of my best friends :) So she sends me a text, "IT'S A GIRL!" I felt all the endorphins, excitement, and good feelings from the trip start to drain away.........I cannot believe the nerve of some people. How this girl who knows I JUST LOST ANOTHER BABY LAST WEEK was sending me this text. Surely to God above, she send a mass text and did not realize I was on the list, right? I calmly erased the message even though I wanted to scream and throw the phone out the window. I didn't say anything to Blake, because he had just read the same text out loud to me sent by her husband. He doesn't understand my jealousy of pregnant people. I try so hard to keep it in check, but he doesn't understand. Last week we found out my neighbor is getting married "really quick like" and I said I guarantee you she is pregnant. I said it upset-like, and Blake was like, "Why are you being like that? Be happy for her, she hasn't had such a great life so far." Although I know he is right, it doesn't mean it doesn't hurt and I don't get jealous. Instead of praying for a baby and a healthy full term pregnancy, I have to get my jealousy in check first.

I loved this statue below. It is at the world's largest bar, Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop and the statue is over 300 years old. How beautiful?

Blake and I at our hotel before the night of dancing, fun, and ultimately sadness too. We ran the whole gamut of emotions that night!