Maybe Next Time New Orleans

Last September while living in Houston for a month we thought about traveling to New Orleans and seeing the city we've both have heard great things about.

Jazz

       French Quarter

                               Bourbon Street

                                                       Restaurants

                                                                          Gelato

                                                                                     Pastries

                                                                                                    Parks

                                                                                                             Trolley Rides

                                                                                                                                   Plantations

Southern Cultural

Seafood and great food: I was really looking forward to gaining a few pounds and enjoying every bite!

The timing wasn't right and so we headed to our new home in San Antonio. Before we knew we would be in South Carolina for the summer we talked about taking a road trip to New Orleans to celebrate our anniversary.

So I went to the library and gathered every book I could find on New Orleans. For three months I slowly did research on the places we should see.

So when Al made the decision to work in South Carolina we decided New Orleans could be on our way to get to our summer destination.

Then I discovered the same weekend we would be in New Orleans the city was having it's annual weekend Jazz Festival. Many great artists on the list for example:  B.B. King...

The day before we were suppose to go I got sick with strep throat. Al ended up driving the whole way because I was so sick. We had also been having car problems and when we got to our hotel the hotel couldn't figure out our hotel reservations. We had decided to book with hotels.com for the first time and we encountered some problems. They couldn't find our reservation even though we had pre-paid. They wanted us to pay for an additional night. I sat on the couch, I was tired, exhausted and just began to to slowly cry. This was not what I was picturing months before for our anniversary trip.

Our whole trip a HUGE rainstrom followed us. So when we woke up the next morning I had never seen such big raindrops hit our windows.

I knew we would not be seeing New Orleans the way I had invisioned but that's what makes a true adventure. My husband looked at me and said

 

"we'll come back"

 

My husband drove us around to the different streets and I took pictures from my side of the passenger seat.

 

 

 

 

Henderson Pass

Just wanted to give everyone a glimpse of what we saw.

Really Beautiful



Lake Shore Drive: All of these photos I took in the car. I was just amazed that we drove for miles and miles on bridges to cross the massive swamps and rivers on our way to New Orleans.

I love first time experiences, really in aww, of all the swamps and the amount of rain that came down!

 

Going over the pass

 

 

More photos of our little adventure over the bridges.

 

 

Whiskey Bay

 

 

 

Can it really be? Why yes I think sooo...

Seven Years

 

One of our first photos together.

Don't we look so young and slim???

 

 

I can hardly believe we've been married seven years.

Al had just gotten his car, we've had some great adventures and memories in that car.
Just wanted to take a stroll down memory lane...
Most of these photos are the fifteen months that we dated.

Not sure who got Al to laugh but I love his smile.

Our first road trip together.

Dream come true to see a Dodger's game.

Stewart Falls, in Utah

Met up with Al's parents in Salt Lake City.
I have the best Father in law who took us for a ride
around the city. I was so excited I think I was the
first one to get on.

First time meeting Al's brother and his family.

Getting our first Christmas Tree.

Our first Christmas Together.

My grandma made Al a birthday cake.

My grandparents invited us to a church dinner.

Aren't they so cute together?

My grandpa and "us"


We've had our joys, laughter and even sadness.

The night we got engaged, a night full of joy and surprise! 

 

I remember we had only been married eighteen months

 

and had met our new neighbors who had been married

 

for seven years and I remember them being so sweet together

 

who had no children.

 

Here, we are in a similar situtaion.

 

I've been thinking about marriage lately and how you go in with faith

 

and have hope that you've picked a spouse that will always be by your side

 

especially when the thunderstorms come because they will come.

 

Will you have picked someone who will leave you feeling

alone in the drenching rain?

 

or have you done good and picked someone who will hold

your hand and guide you out of the storm and help dry you off.

 

Will they be there when the sunshine comes out?

 Be that special someday to enjoy the rainbows with.

 

As each year goes by I realize how blessed

I am to share my life experiences

with this great man I've been given.

He continues to show me time after time

that he is by my side

and that we are a TEAM

 

We don't have a perfect marriage

I've come to the conclusion that doesn't exist 

 I'm not perfect and have many many flaws

but in these years I've grown so much as a person

beyond what I thought was possible

 

We are two opposites with all our

strengths and weaknessess

to become one unit.

 

 

Looking forward to what the future brings

with many more years of adventures together.