The Big 4-0

No, not me...my older sister, Tiffany. Back in June, she, my mom, and my sisters all headed down to New Orleans to celebrate. It was one of the funnest and funniest trips I have ever taken. That is saying a lot too, since I was about 8 months pregnant. We had wanted to fly down, but instead opted to drive down which resulted in more fun and wet your pants laughing.

We left early and arrived in Nola right around lunch time. We checked into the hotel and immediatly made our way to the French Quarter but not before grabbing a bite for one of the best po-boys ever at this little place...



We browsed the flea market first, and then went into every clothes store we could find. My other sister, Holley, has a trip to Miami coming up and wanted to find the latest trends. Although, this would usually be right up my alley, this was not so fun with a basketball for a belly. But I made due and gave my fashion advice when warranted. :) We kept shopping and then decided to get on a carriage ride to show us French Quarter. We saw all the sights we have seen a hundred times before, but learned a little more about the history of everything, although, I can't remember a single fact except that Bill & Hillary Clinton like to stay at the B&B with a corn fence and that Brangelina were in town! :) After the carriage ride we decided to trek back to the hotel in the rain to get ready for dinner, but made one last stop here...



This was the cutest little beneigh place in an old police horse stable. Food was delicious, but there was a tiny little bird in the place (I hate birds) that kept messing with me and there was a particular employee that STUNK! I am all for au naturel, but for goodness sakes, when you serve food you have got to cover the stench. We once again got the giggles over joking that we would clean up the tables around us and we could get our own cream and sugar as long as that one particular emplyee stayed away from our table. It sounds kind of mean, and maybe it is, but it was really funny at the time!

So my favorite part of the whole trip was our dinner at Brennen's. It was certainly not the best food but it was the best time I have ever had dining out. I was kind of shocked at the ambience or lack there of for such a landmark restaurant, but I do believe we made up for it with all of our laughing. I swear I was laughing so hard at times that I thought I might have gone into labor. And I was the one NOT drinking, so you can imagine the others. We were trying to get a perfect group shot and after 3 or 4 tries of someone blinking, or the fan blowing my hair in my face...



...or whatever it was, we were giving it one last shot. So we all held our heads high, chin down, smile (not too much or too little) and ended up with this.



She is going to kill me for outing her, but Mom was trying to "open" up her eyes and ended up with the craziest smile. :) This is when I thought for sure I was going to laugh my way into labor. We could NOT stop. And to make it worse, there was no overhead music, only one or two other tables in the entire place and we were so loud!! That's alright, because we were certainly enjoying ourselves and I'm sure entertaining everyone else. (Looking at the picture now, it's not as bad as I had thought, but then again we were zooming in on her face with the camera and I believe we were into the 3rd bottle of wine :))

We made our way out around 10 and decided to head to Bourbon Street. This is where the night kinda went downhill for me but got really fun for everyone else. I admit I felt very inappropraite in my 30 week pregnancy state in the middle of Bourbon Street, but I sucked it up for fun and we scooted into Cat's Meow, a karaoke bar on Bourbon.



My sisters really wanted to sing but would never sign up and were insisting that I get up there and sing "Oops, I Did it Again". I considered it and perhaps really wanted to myself but couldn't get the nerve to actually do it. :) I ended up taking a taxi back to the hotel around midnight and calling it a night...but I can tell you, I was the only one in that taxi. And apparantly, as soon as I left, the sisters and mom got brave! They finally called it a night in the wee hours of the morning!



The next morning, we grabbed a bite and made our way to Magazine Street....so much fun! I wish I had been a little more prepared for how fantastic the shopping would be from antiques, to linens, to clothes, furniture, art, sweets, shoes, etc. We met up with our oldest sister, who definitely had been there before and knew all the stops. After shopping we grabbed lunch at Maspero's, one of my favorites in New Orleans. The sky fell out while we were eating so we got to visit a little while longer. And that was that...our 24 hour birthday trip to New Orleans.



Happy Birthday Tiffany! You are one of my most favorite people and I am so blessed to not only call you my friend but my sister too!

Back in the Swing of Things

School started last Thursday, and life is back to early mornings, schedules, and general chaos.



Landon started 2nd grade, and I still have a hard time grasping that my sweet baby boy is no longer a baby in any way, shape, or form. He wouldn't even let us walk him into school the first day! (the peace sign is a 2 for second grade)



Did I mention that he started tackle football!? It is the cutest thing I have seen.(so cute it will get its own blog post) But between football and second grade I am constantly reminded that he is growing up in a blink of an eye. In turn, I am trying to constantly remind myself how quickly they grow up and to enjoy every minute of it; smiles, laughs, tantrums and all.



Lucy will be starting PDO in a couple of weeks, so in a addition to my prayers for a fun second grade year, I hope Lucy will have smooth transition to her school year and her new sister who will arrive shortly before or after PDO begins! And then let the fun begin!! :)

Online Shopping!!

I am so excited to now offer online shopping through our website. We have a ton of fall items on sale now, so hurry over and take a look. We are offering FREE shipping on all items and for the rest of the month of August, get an extra 10% when you type in BLOG in the coupon box. We are adding items daily so make sure to check back for more cute clothes. And let me know what you think...I love to hear feedback! Here's a peek at a few of the items on sale.












http://www.bodaciouskids.com

Catching Up

It has been forever since I have posted, but without a camera, I find there is not much to blog about...I am not a big fan of a blog without pics. But, I have borrowed my mom's camera and other pictures from this summer so I am ready to play some catch up. We have had a whirlwind summer with trips galore. We have cooked out more than you can imagine. And as the heat has risen hear in the deep south so has my discomfort in this pregnancy! I haven't really blogged about this sweet baby I have been carrying for the past 8 months, so I think I will dedicate this post to her.



I generally dislike ultrasound pictures, as I find them a little creepy. But, I had a third ultrasound later in this pregnancy and found this particular ultrasound picture kinda cool with a profile shot of her face. Now, I feel like I should give a little disclaimer on this pregnancy. One, this is my third pregnancy, two, I have a 19 month old I chase around all day and three I have a 7 year old to make sure was entertained all summer. So, to say this pregnancy has flown under the radar is an understatement. And in case you missed it, we are having another little girl! We are beyond thrilled to have 2 little girls so close in age. I am not sure if Lucy will feel the same way, but we are keeping our fingers crossed that she will love this baby as much as she loves her babydoll aka "bebe".



Ashley and I hadn't even talked names until I reached about 30 weeks and decided we had better at least start talking about it. We had several contenders, some that started with "L" and others that did not. But ultimately, we went with another "L" name to add to our brood. I had thought we had also decided on a middle name, and have even had several things monogrammed, but we may have changed our minds on that one, so for now, we can only say with certainty that her first name is



The girls will be sharing a room so not much will need or has been done in that area. In fact the only thing that I really had to do was order another crib and that wasn't done until a few weeks ago. Unfortunately, it takes 6-8 weeks for delivery and as of yesterday I am 3 weeks out. So more than likely, Miss Lynlee will come home without a crib...thats a third child for you. Lucy's crib converts to a double bed and I LOVE it, so of course I ordered the same one for Lynlee.



I have also been in a "nesting" frenzy. I had a slight melt down last weekend when I realized that I was 36 weeks and nothing had been prepared for the baby. So, I have been in overdrive since, washing bottles, going through baby clothes and getting them "Drefted", organizing the nursery closet, and every other closet in the house etc, etc. I must say, I feel much better now. It is somewhat ironic that the "nesting" hits towards the end of your pregnancy. The mear thought of doing anything wears me out, much less actually doing it. :)

Despite a somewhat lax pregnancy, I love this little one more than you can imagine. I am so excited and ready to meet her and we can't wait to see who she looks like and what her personality will be! We just scheduled the c-section for September 8th, but I have a feeling she will be making an earlier arrival or at least hoping she will!

French Toast Casserole

So, my camera broke right after our camping trip at the beginning of the month and I have been lost without it. I have been eyeing one of these for a while now, but I just don't know if I can fork over that kind of money at this time. Plus, Ashley's dad and his wife, Sue, just gave us a new Flip video recorder, so maybe that will do in the meantime...we will see. Anyhow, for Father's Day, I made a French Toast Casserole, courtesy of Ms. Paula Dean and wanted to share it with you. It was pretty easy and quick to make and was delicious! Not only did Ash and I devour it, but my kids loved it too. Enjoy!

Baked French Toast Casserole
Ingredients:
dash salt
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoon sugar
1 cup milk
8 large eggs
2 cup half-and-half
Butter, for pan
1 loaf French bread (13 to 16 ounces)
Praline Topping, recipe follows
Raspberry Syrup, recipe follows

Praline Topping:
1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup chopped pecans
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2-teaspoon ground nutmeg

Raspberry Syrup:
1 cup raspberry preserves
3 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons raspberry liqueur (recommended: Framboise)

Directions:
Slice French bread into 20 slices, 1-inch thick each. (Use any extra bread for garlic toast or bread crumbs). Arrange slices in a generously buttered 9X13 casserole dish in 2 rows, overlapping the slices.

In a large bowl, combine the eggs, half-and-half, milk, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt and beat with a rotary beater or whisk until blended but not too bubbly. Pour mixture over the bread slices, making sure all are covered evenly with the milk-egg mixture. Spoon some of the mixture in between the slices. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight.

The next day, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spread Praline Topping evenly over the bread and bake for 45 minutes, until puffed and lightly golden. Serve with Raspberry Syrup.

Praline Topping:
Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and blend well. Spread over bread as directed above.

Raspberry Syrup:
Combine ingredients in a small saucepan and place over medium heat. Stir until warm and thinned out like syrup.

Servings: 6-8 servings
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 8 hours 45 minutes

{I made the casserole exactly as it is written, the only modification I made was to skip the raspberry liquor in the sauce, and that is only because I was too lazy to make an extra trip to the liquor store! :) However, I'm sure it is worth it!}

Where My Motherfathers At!?

I am probably behind the ball on this one and everyone has already seen this, but just in case you haven't, hear you go. I saw this video a week ago on my friend Jordan's blog. With a third baby on the way, I have waited as long as I can to accept the fact that a 'swagger wagon' is in my very near future. And no matter how much I protest and pitch my own little fit, I do believe it is inevitable. But after seeing this video...maybe it won't be so bad after all! :) Where my mother fathers at!!!???

On Top of Old Smoky

Summer is in full force and I have been the biggest blog slacker. We have been out of town since school let out and I am just now getting a second to post about our trips. I am hoping it hasn't been to long and I can still remember some details....so here is my best attempt. Over Memorial Day weekend we made our annual camping trip to the Smoky Mountains. And yes, we really camp in tents, with sleeping bags, and a campfire. This is real deal camping or as real as it will ever get for me. Granted we are in a campground and there are bathroom facilities...but no showers mind you! :) And yes, I willingly went this year, pregnant and all. We made the long trip up Friday morning and arrived at our site around 4:30 that afternoon and spent most of the afternoon and evening setting up camp.

You may notice, that there are more coolers than tents and that is because we eat better camping than any other time all year....seriously! I don't know what it is (maybe the sticks of butter, cream and salt) but campfire food cannot be beat. And the other great thing about it was that Sue and Ash usually did the cooking. I tended to be the sous chef or clean up crew.
















Landon and his cousin, Jackson aka 'the boys' decided they wanted to camp by themselves this year, or sleep in their own tent. We all abided and helped them pitch their tent. But we all thought they would give in and be in ours our grandaddy's tent by morning. They were so excited!








I had a fit that night, when I heard an unfamiliar sound. I woke Ashley up to ask him what animal it was and he replied an owl and I believed him. But then it kept on and on and I could hear it moving all around the campground and proceeded to pitch a fit knowing that Ash was lying and then I went on to crying. I could not calm down and Ash got somewhat irritated with me. But I quickly reminded him that I was a pregnant woman camping in a tent! To top it all off, I needed to use the bathroom and was scared to death to leave the tent. But when nature calls (no pun intended) you have to buck up and do what you got to do. In my case, I grabbed both flashlights and a lantern and had Ash walk me over to the bathrooms! :) When we finally made it back to the tent, I was so worked up, I felt sick and spent the remainder of the night trying not to throw up. It was only 3:30 am.




I was awakened at the crack of dawn not only by birds, but by the boys too. We were all wrong...they made it through both nights, sleeping in their own tent. And they were oblivious to the drama from that night. (Mom, I know your having a fit, but our tent was mere inches from theres...they were safe) And that was that. The coyote did not return for the rest of the weekend.

The boys had a blast doing what boys do...exporing,






looking for water creatures,






finding crawfish,






climbing trees,






and finding snakes, (I was too chicken to go over and take a pic)


We drove over to Cades Cove and saw a coyote (they are rather small and not at all what I thought they would look like, in fact had we not been in Cades Cove and had someone not told me it was a coyote, I may have thought it was a stray dog) We got stuck in a traffic jam in the middle of Cades Cove...







...and Landon proceede to tell us they "needed to add some more animals" But in all honesty, they had more fun riding on the back of a pick up than seeing any animal.






Two days/nights of camping, sleeping in tents, smelling like campfire and no shower is my limit. I am ALWAYS ready to go the minute we wake up on that third day and this trip was no exception. Since it was a long weekend, we left the campground and went into Townsend, a small town at the entrance of the park and got a hotel for another night. I have no pictures from our hotel stay but it was just as much fun. The boys swam, adults showered and rested, and we all got a good nights sleep in a bed! This was our 4th year of camping and just as fun as the rest of the trip.s I couldn't help but look back over the past 4 years to see how much Landon and the other kids have grown up. I love this tradition and know Landon will look back and treasure his annual camping trip with the Neese clan.