Goodbye, Day Camp!

Day Camp ended this past Friday. Our last day was wonderfully exhausting. The kids enjoyed Fun Jumps in the gym, and the 4th grade counselors threw a party for our campers. It was the perfect way to end a great summer!

Dad turned 50!

Last Thursday, July 22, my dad turned 50. To recognize this significant milestone, we made our way up to Bossier City on Saturday to celebrate with the McComics. Nicky showed the grill who was boss, Jenni showed the cakes who was boss, I showed the dominoes who was boss, Papaw showed the french fries who was boss, and then, of course, Granny just showed everyone who was boss. :) It was awesome to fellowship with the family, and we had a really great time.

Papaw's french-fry-maker.

Three generations + Nicky. :)

Granny and Jenni working their magic in the kitchen.

He's just so hot. :)

He just couldn't wait...

The brothers.

Brotherly love :)

Precious.
Playing on Dad's new iPad.

I'd be smiling like that, too, if I had three birthday cakes. (Jenni, yours beat the pants off of the store-bought.)

50 one-dollar bills pinned together = 1 great birthday present :)

We capped of the night with an intense game of dominoes. I dominated.

Houma

Let the packing commence...










I lived in Lafayette most of my life. I couldn't wait to move to Baton Rouge after our wedding and settle into a new town. I had no problem finding my way around "the big city", and Nicky and I have made wonderful friends through each of our jobs and church. BR has been so much fun and it has truly felt like home for the past 3 months. I could see us putting down roots and being here for a long time, but that's not what God had in mind for us. About a month ago, Nicky was offered a new position within his company. This position would move us to Houma.

At first I was apprehensive. I struggled with the realization that our life (that I had so prettily planned in my mind) was no longer going to be in Baton Rouge, the town I had really grown to love. I shed a couple of tears, but God comforted me and reassured me that He had it all under control. I know that if He is bringing us to Houma, then He is preparing a life for us down there. That is all I need to know.

So, as we approach our move date and pack up the apartment where we've spent our first 3 months as husband and wife, I contiune to grow more and more excited. Excited about the possibilities that await us. Excited about the adventures we will have in a new town. Excited about how we will grow closer to one another (since we don't know anyone else) :). And more than anything, excited about the ways we will see God unfold His plans for us.

The Weekend

This weekend consisted of:

1. Art Melt in downtown BR. Nicky and I discovered how amazing the Louisiana State Museum is! If you get a chance, you need to go... and it's free!

2. Lunch with my precious childhood friends, Lauren Lopez and Jenny Gautreaux Gilbert. California Pizza Kitchen was delicious, but the company made it so special.

3. Date night at home. Nicky cooked up a delicious meal of steak and shrimp, and I made my famous mashed potatoes.

4. Zack (Nicky's twin) came to visit and brought Nicky a shirt from the Libertarian conference that he attended in Las Vegas.


5. We saw Inception (amazing...and it made my brain hurt.)


6. The boys went to play with their toys...guns.

My Summer Job

This summer I worked as a counselor for a local church's Summer Day Camp program. I, along with my partner Jamie, was in charge of a group of students who had completed the 4th grade. This summer has been full of challenges, and I have learned even more about adolescence than I thought I knew after student teaching 6th graders. I loved working in an environment in which God was not a taboo subject. The counselors were constantly called and challenged to love kids like Christ loves us, and I know that my Christian walk was made stronger over these past 8 weeks. We took a field trip each week, and some of these included laser tag, bowling, skating, and a trip to see Toy Story 3 (I cried like a baby). Our last field trip of the summer was to the BREC Zoo, where we got to see the incredible new tiger exhibit. I hope you enjoy these snapshots!

So magnificent.

The elephants are my favorite!

This is Jamie. They put her in charge of children... :)

We just couldn't help ourselves.

Seth McComic: Baseball Player

My brother, Seth, loves baseball. He plays for Acadiana High School as a middle in-fielder (mostly 2nd base, though). His team made it to the high school playoffs, and they got the chance to play at Tulane University. I enjoyed watching him from the stands and cheering him on as they battled Lafayette High to move forward in the playoffs. Unfortunately, LHS took the win, but Seth will be a senior next year, and they will undoubtedly go all the way.

My parents are his biggest "fans"! :)

You know you're cool when someone else paints your name on their back. :)

Houston

These are our friends.

Katie and Joe (front) live in Houston. Two weeks after Nicky and I got married, we decided to take a road trip. Pac and Cori (back) met us in Baton Rouge, we loaded up in my Corolla and we embarked on a voyage of fun! Our amazing hosts took us to a crawfish boil for St. Jude's at this great little bar called The Armadillo (I know it's Texas, but the crawfish were AMAZING!). We then went to the Houston Zoo, where we rode the train and played in meerkat bubbles. Later, we went out to eat at Truluck's...you can't go wrong at a restaurant that is known for it's steak and stone crab - YUM!

We're looking forward to our next trip!

Honeymoon: New Orleans

Nicky and I went to New Orleans for our honeymoon. It was the PERFECT getaway! We did all the "touristy" things that we've never had the chance to do when we've gone in the past. We fell in love with the city and can't wait to go back!

We toured the Aquarium, Insectarium, and World War II Museum. This is my favorite picture from the amazing butterfly room at the Insectarium.

And then there was the FOOD!!! We ate at Paul Prudhomme's restaurant (K-Paul's Louisiana Kitchen), John Besh's restaurant (Restaurant August), and Emeril Lagasse's restaurant (Emeril's). We also ate at Mother's (world famous Po-boys), and a precious little hole-in-the-wall place called Bayona. We basically took a food tour of the "Big Easy"... and we easily got bigger. :)

And we didn't forget Cafe du Monde...YUM!

Newlyweds

Nicky and I got married on April 10, 2010 in Lafayette, LA. The planning was stressful, but the day was amazing. The ceremony and the reception reflected each of us so well, and we were thrilled to share it all with family and close friends. Here are a few photos (thank you Daren Broussard) from our special day...

Beginner Blogger

I just got home after having lunch with my friends Jenny and Lauren. Jenny is an avid blogger and convinced me that I should start one. I had been toying with the idea of doing this for a while, so I decided now was as good a time as any. So...here we go!