Finally...Mardi Gras!!!

Here's a few pictures from our Mardi Gras experiences so far...you can see more pictures here.

Matt & I went to see Cowboy Mouth at Family Gras

It was cold and wet but we still had fun

This is the truck to look for so you know the parade is coming!

Krewe of Sparta parade

Having fun in the cold!

I really liked this one b/c it looked like a street car (trolley)

Can you see all the beads in the tree?

"Throw me something, Mister!"

All the kids have ladders they sit on top of to catch the throws...next year Matt has already promised that Emma will have one (even though she will only be 8 months old...haha)

Finally, some sunshine at the Carrollton parade!

Matt loves parades!

And I do too!

Nomtoc parade

And of course Matt loves to be in the middle of the crowd

Mardi Gras Madness!

(This picture is one I found online, but it's of a parade we went to, Krewe of Carrollton).
Okay, I still haven't found our camera cord to upload our Mardi Gras pictures, and we will have lots more pictures to take and post in the next few days. We are hitting up two parades tomorrow (NomToc and Endymion), two on Sunday (Thoth which comes in front of our house! and Bacchus), two on Monday (Proteus and Orpheus) and at least two on Tuesday (Zulu and Rex)...oh man, we are going to be all paraded out! Here's a little funny to keep you until I get the pictures up...and yes, people are THIS serious about Mardi Gras!

You Know You are a Mardi Gras Addict When...

Your first priority for buying a house is if it's on a parade route or not.

You know your choice of a mate is correct if they live on a parade route.

You choose your friends based on if they live on a parade route or not.

You marry into a family with a house on a parade route.

You can tell the day of week by which parade is rolling that day.

You know how many floats are in a parade, and when to leave so that you can catch all the other parades in the area on that same day.

You catch 6 or 7 parades in less then a twelve hour period and then go home and watch the television coverage and then get up in six hours to repeat this process..

You sleep out under some type of make shift tent at midnight in the pouring rain so you can have a prime spot for a parade that won't be there until that next afternoon.

You know where all the clean bath rooms are on the parade routes.

You purchase vehicles that are large enough to haul everyone to the parade.

You have your own potty john in the back of a pickup truck.

You carry all type of rain gear, jackets, and change of clothes just in case the weather changes while out that day.

You have memorized all the back streets behind the parades so that you can get from one parade to another without missing a float..

You know where there are spots to park next to parade that no one else does making it easier to get to the next parade.

You have each one of your family members trained to know what to pick up and load onto and into van/truck with the efficiency of a pit crew at a car race; to minimize the time it take to get to all the other parades.

You can pack up and set up in under one minute for the next parade.

You own a complete wardrobe of purple, green and gold clothes to last the entire Mardi Gras. Plus making sure it is both for summer or winter weather

You own a Purple Green and Gold Bathing Suit.

You remember people's names on specific floats so the next time you see the parade you will go holler for that krewe member to get some beads.

You know what parades throw what.

You have a Christmas Tree Decorated in Purple Green and Gold

You have your tree up through Fat Tuesday.

You eat at a bad restaurant 2 hours before a parade just so that you have a place to park in their parking lot, which just happens to be on a parade route.

You get a job with a company that has a business on a parade route.

*And let me tell you, Matt and I do have a purple, green, and gold Christmas tree decorated in our apartment! :)

Pictures to come...

I know you all are anxiously awaiting Mardi Gras/Carnival parade pictures...they will be up as soon as I can find the camera cord. And I might add some new "belly pictures" too. :)

10 Things about Emma/Pregnancy

I was tagged by Amy to tell ten things about Emma/being pregnant (since she's still in the oven). So, here you are...

1. Emma loves to kick every two-three hours, but her most active time is between 9-11 pm.
2. Matt and I were touching my belly yesterday and felt Emma's hand move!!!
3. I am 22 weeks, 4 days and loving this time in my pregnancy!
4. My belly has gotten HUGE in the past two weeks.
5. Matt and I like to read and sing to Emma before we go to sleep every night.
6. We have been reading Emma a different children's book every night.
7. I absolutely cannot wait to put some big bows in my little girls hair!
8. Emma was very secretive in her ultrasound and it took the doctor quite a lot of poking and prodding to get her to show off for us.
9. We are convinced that Emma will have dark hair and big brown eyes like her mommy.
10. Only 116 days until Emma's due date!

Okay, I'm tagging Courtney for this one...I want to hear all about how Noah is growing up!

oh joy.

It is cold and raining hard and I am sitting outside on our front porch because they are painting the inside of our house and the fumes are AWFUL! What fun.

Strength On Us

²⁹ He gives strength to the weary
and increases the power of the weak.

³⁰ Even youths grow tired and weary,
and young men stumble and fall;

³¹ but those who hope in the LORD
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.
Isaiah 40:29-31

Thank you, Lord, for giving me a new strength today.

Macbook Air

Have you guys heard about the new Macbook Air? Oh man, my technology loving self is drooling over this! I want one. But I'll keep loving on my Macbook Pro for a while longer. :)

Belly pictures!

Many of you have been patiently waiting to see some "belly pictures". I am now 22 weeks and can't fit into any of my regular pants anymore. I am so glad that Target has cute maternity clothes (I bought an entire outfit on clearance for $9 yesterday)!

The never-ending story (of sickness)

Yes, Matt and I are still sick. Matt gets a little more grief than I do though, because his doctor told him today that he still has severe bronchitis, an upper respiratory infection, and a sinus infection. What does that mean? My poor little hubby got more penicillin shots in his butt and another antibiotic. And the doctor said if this doesn't work he has to go to the hospital and get a shot in his spinal cord! Ouch! Let's hope that doesn't have to happen.

And me, well, I just have a sinus infection. Doesn't seem too bad compared to my husband, but I'm a wimp. And I can't take antibiotics, so I'm stuck with Claritin and nasal spray. Let's hope that does the trick.

So, we'll just lay in bed and hack up our lungs for a while longer.

Babies, work, and Mardi Gras!

It's been a while since I've done a real update on our lives...

First, our sweet little Emma. She has been kicking a lot lately. I first felt her kick on December 27th (the same day as the ultrasound) but this past week she has been kicking every 2-3 hours. Right now it is such a fun, wonderful feeling to know that she is kicking inside of me. I know the uncomfortable jabbing is coming though. :) I went to my OB on Wednesday and all is going well. I measured at 21 1/2 weeks, which is good since I was 21 weeks 1 day. Matt & I love hearing her heart beat. And Matt has felt her kick a few times and loves it. Right now it all seems so wonderful and surreal. I can't imagine that in 4 1/2 more months, I will be a mother. How crazy is that?!

Work is going well. I think things really do get better after the six month mark (we are at seven months now). We are just chugging along day by day but enjoying the fun moments we have with the girls (which have seemed to be more lately). Sure we will have our bad days, but the good ones now outweigh the bad ones.

Matt is still getting over his "holiday illnesses". He is now having a really hard time sleeping at night. He has not been able to get a good nights rest at all the past couple weeks. And then he is just so exhausted during the day that he crashes. Hopefully he will get better soon and if not I'm going to force him to go back to the doctor.

Hope you all are recovering from the holidays and getting back into the routine of things. Here in New Orleans, we are getting geared up for Mardi Gras. People take down their Christmas decorations and immediately put up Mardi Gras decorations. Parades have already started and Mardi Gras isn't until February 5th. Matt and I are extremely excited to be "locals" during this Mardi Gras season and be experiencing all the fun things that go on. Most of the world doesn't realize that Mardi Gras is more than beads and boobs on Bourbon Street. Most locals don't even head down in that area for Mardi Gras. All the real fun is Uptown (where we live)! I will be sure to post pictures and update when we begin to experience all the excitement.

Cutesy baby stuff

I have just discovered some great websites with the cutest baby stuff...yes, I'm fully in baby mode and it's not going to stop! Check these websites out.

Tender Cargo
Bambini Bliss
Bazzle Baby
Trendy and Little

Nursery bedding!

Matt & I caved in and bought the nursery bedding for Emma. I found this set (Tropical Punch by Cocalo) online last week and fell in love with it (partly because it is pink and orange and partly because it has cute animals), but the only downfall was that Target and Babies R Us only carried it online. Well, Matt and I stopped in Burlington Coat Factory yesterday to see what baby stuff they had and guess what we saw?! The bedding! It was just as beautiful as I imagined it to be! We were excited but left Burlington and continued on our day. Well, last night Matt & I ate at Applebee's and I was paying and found a coupon in my wallet for 20% off at Burlington! And the coupon expired January 6th! So what did Matt and I do? We went right over to Burlington and bought the bedding set and saved about $35. Holla! Don't be too disappointed though, there are still plenty of accessories that you all can add to Emma's nursery! :) Right now I'm registered at Target and Babies R Us, but plan to register at Burlington soon. Here is what the bedding set looks like. Isn't it just precious?!

A New Year

It is hard to believe that it is 2008. 2007 held many changes for Matt and I. 2007 is the year that Matt and I picked up and left every ounce of security we had behind. We left our comfortable lives, our family, our friends, and moved to New Orleans. We have moved to a new country--a new culture, new food, new ways of speaking, new ways of dealing with life. While 2007 was a very difficult year for Matt and I, I am thankful that through the fire and trials, I know that God has been molding us into the people He created us to be.

I am looking forward to 2008. Mostly I am looking forward to our family growing and sharing in the joys and trials of parenthood. May 2008 cannot come soon enough! I am also looking forward to reading more this year. I have so many books sitting on my shelf that I would love to read but just don't take the time to. This morning I picked up Desiring God (John Piper) and began to read it. This is a book that I have been wanting to read for a long time, but never got around to. I have only read the preface and the first chapter, but am so glad to have begun this book. One of the main themes in this book is finding joy in God. This is something that I want to pursue this year. The past six months have been so rough that I have forgotten to find that true joy in God and His sovereignty. I thirst for that joy.

While I am looking forward to this year, I am also fearful. Matt and I honestly do not know what our future holds. Will we continue on in this stressful job? Will I go to seminary? Should we move back to the Carolinas? If not, how can we afford to live in New Orleans? There are many, many questions that I would love to know the answers to. Right now, only God knows the answer to these questions. And we have to trust in Him that He will continue to hold us in His hand and protect us and guide us. Please Lord, continue to watch over us and guide us in Your ways.

2008, here I come!

It's a...

GIRL!

Yes, we are having a girl! Emma Grace Parks will be here name. We are SO excited!

my sickly husband.

Matt has been sick for over a week and a half now and finally, I convinced him to go to the doctor (only because it got so bad he thought he was going to die). Turns out he has a sinus infection, upper respiratory infection, and bronchitis. Poor, poor Matt.

Make It Right 9

How many of you have heard about Brad Pitt's "Make It Right 9" efforts? I watched the special on CNN with Larry King the other day and was intrigued by this campaign. Basically Brad Pitt is making huge efforts to rebuild the Lower 9th Ward in New Orleans (one of the hardest hit areas by Katrina). His efforts are to build economic, green, affordable housing and incorporate innovative design into these homes. Brad Pitt has donated millions of dollars towards this effort and is asking others to donate as well. To publicize this effort, pink tents have been put up in the area to be rebuilt to draw people to come see what this effort is all about. Each tent represents a home that will be rebuilt. All of the tents are made with economic friendly materials (some even have solar panels) and the materials will be reused in building the homes. Matt & I drove down there the other day and got a look at it all. No words can describe what we saw. Each time I visit the Lower 9th, my heart becomes burdened in a new way. To see the devastation and destruction that still exists hurts my heart. There is such a dramatic difference between where we live (uptown) and the Lower 9th. It honestly is like traveling to a different country. My heart is burdened for those who lost their homes, family members, and basically their entire lives in this tragedy. I urge you to continue to pray for those affected by Katrina. And don't just pray, come make a difference in this city. It has been almost 2 1/2 years since Katrina hit, yet many are still suffering and in pain. Think about coming to this city and joining the rebuilding efforts. As my pastor says, "We are called to move toward the pain". This city is in great pain.

Here are some pictures from the Make It Right 9 project. You can get more information by going to their website www.makeitrightnola.org

Pure excitement!

Today I found out that V-Day, a global movement to stop violence against women and girls, is having their 10th anniversary in New Orleans in April! This includes a performance of the Vagina Monologues with Calpernia Addams, Rosario Dawson, Ellen DeGeneres, Eve Ensler, Jane Fonda, Salma Hayek, Jennifer Hudson, Ashley Judd, Julia Stiles, Marisa Tomei, Kerry Washington, Oprah Winfrey and musicians Common, Eve, Charmaine Neville, and Joss Stone. And tickets start at $25! Of course I (well, Matt) hopped right on the internet and bought two tickets! I am hoping to bring a friend of mine and make it a "girls night". I am SO excited! Oh man, how can I stand this excitement for four more months?!

Christmas

I love Christmas. And I love the season of Advent. This season reminds me of what life is all about. It is all about that baby boy that came so many years ago, to rescue His people. So many times we get so busy and wrapped up in parties, programs, shopping and such, that we forget the true meaning of Christmas. I pray that each of you will take the time to look back and remember. Remember that baby boy so humble and perfect that He came for you and me. I will leave you with a few quotes and some Scripture to emphasize this truth.

"...in this child, in the man he grew up to be, there is the power of God to bring light into our darkness, to make us whole, to give us a new kind of life to anybody who turns toward him in faith, even to such as you and me.

This is what Matthew and Luke are trying to say in their stories about how he was born, and this is the truth that matters, and the wise men, the shepards, the star, are important only as ways of pointing to this truth. So what is left to us then is the greatest question of them all. How do we know whether or not this truth is true? How do we find out for ourselves whether in this child born so long ago there really is the power to give us a new kind of life in which both suffering and joy are immeasurably deepened, a new kind of life in which little by little we begin to be able to love even our friends, at moments maybe even our enemies, maybe at last even ourselves, even God?

Adeste fidelis. That is the only answer that I know for people who want to find out whether or not this is true. Come all ye faithful, and all ye who would like to be faithful if only you could, all ye who walk in darkness and hunger for light. Have faith enough, hope enough, despair enough, foolishness enough, at least to draw near to see for yourselves." ~Frederick Buechner, The Hungering Dark

"And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High; for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him, to give his people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins, because of the tender mercy of our God, by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace." ~Luke 1:76-80

Just felt like sharing...

I am sixteen weeks today. :)