iPhone Photos

My dad received his 2nd stem cell transplant on January 6th so he and mom have been in Nashville.  Me and the boys went up this weekend for our second visit since they've been gone.  Dad is doing well, despite the normal symptoms that accompany the transplant.  He's lost quite a bit of weight since he has no appetite and he's very weak and tired but hasn't had the setbacks that he had back in August with the first transplant.  He has had a pretty bad cough, which any minor thing can turn into something scary when your immune system is wiped out.  They ran several tests to determine the cause of the cough but thankfully, everything came back normal. 

On Monday, we had unseasonably warm temperatures, so while Noah was at PT, Collier and I visited the park.  He loved every minute of it.  I can tell we are going to have a lot of fun together playing outside once spring arrives!

And here some pictures of my handsome big boy ready for church on Sunday, fresh with a new haircut.  I know I'm partial, but he really did look so cute! 

And lastly, a picture of my youngest with his newest obsession.  Technology.  He likes to stay very connected.  I do not condone this behavior but he always manages to find our iPhones and well, he hit the jackpot, getting his hands on both Jamie's iPhone and my iPad.  I snapped a picture before I took them both away (in which a bit of temper tantrum ensued.)

A Big Win in the Big Easy

Jamie and I spent the weekend with our good friends, Kenny and Shana in New Orleans, Louisiana.  We arrived late Saturday afternoon and Jamie and I were THRILLED to vacation in the Big Easy for the first time!  Our drive in took a little longer than expected (thanks to stopping no less than 5 times for bathroom breaks, breakfast, lunch, etc and a speeding ticket... BOO!) so as soon we arrived, we had to quickly freshen up and change to make it to our 6:30 dinner reservations at the Omni New Orleans' Rib Room.  Kenny's business partner, John, who has been to NOLA many times, was also in town with several friends and had made reservations months in advance for us to dine at some great New Orleans restaurants.  He was like our personal tour guide!  We stayed at the DoubleTree Hotel on Canal right next to Harrah's so we walked a couple blocks to the restaurant, which allowed us to get our first glimpse at the French Quarter.  Dinner was delicious and afterwards we set out to explore the French Quarter, and of course, Bourbon Street.  Our first stop was Pat O'Brien's where we tried New Orlean's signature drink, the Hurricane, which was just okay.  However I did score a cool Pat O'Brien's glass!  We then made our way down Bourbon Street taking in the craziness.  We ended up at a place, The Golden something? where we could dance... and that's just what we all did!  Kenny's sister, Nicki and her husband joined us and we all had a great time! 
The next morning we accidentally overslept so we hurriedly got ready because John had arranged for us all to attend the House of Blues Sunday Gospel Brunch.  We caught the tail end of the show but what we saw was great!  The breakfast buffet and mimosas were too shabby either.  We spent the rest of the morning and early afternoon walking around the French Quarter.  We visited the Allstate Fan Fest stage where they were having team pep rallys, special events and concerts (Ceelo Green).  We wound up in Jackson Square and watched some awesome street performers, The Dragon Master Showcase, who combine old school breakdancing, hip-hop, acrobatics, and improv comedy to provide quite an entertaining show.  They were on America's Got Talent but have been performing in New Orleans for years.  We took a horse and carriage tour around the streets of the French Quarter and learned a lot of the history behind the old buildings, churches and restaurants in the area.  It was so interesting and allowed us to see alot of the area in a short amount of time.  Plus, since the weather was so HOT, we were able to cool off!  After our tour, the guys stopped in at one of the bars to watch some football, while Shana and I went next door to have massages. 

Scattered throughout the French Quarter, there were these pressure point massage storefronts set up.  The doors were wide open for anyone to walk right in to one huge room, minimally decorated, lined with reclining chairs.  The oriental people that were performing these massages spoke almost no English.  The thought of a massage sounded wonderful, especially after all the walking we had done.  I was skeptical... this definitely wasn't anything close to the warm and inviting appearance of the Marriott Spa, or any spa for that matter, but since there were 5 other people already in there getting massages (and they assured us it was worth it), we figured it would be okay.  The sign gave the prices, such as Foot Massage (20 min)... $22, Chair Massage (10 min)... $20, etc.  We chose 30 minutes for a total of $42.  Shana and I were seperated and each directed to our chosen chair, where they began the massage.  The manager (I guess thats what he was) spouts off something to the others and then tries to tell me my total.  I had NO CLUE what he was saying other than, "Lady..."  Finally the guy pulls out his calculator and punches in a total of $90!!! HOW in the world?!?  My calculations were $42 so I had no idea where this was coming from. I kept shaking my head and he gradually brought the figure down (after I rejected a few other prices)...finally I agreed on $60.  I eventually figured out that when it said Foot Massage... $22 it literally meant "FOOT" as in one foot!  So for a "FEET" massage it was $44.  Crazy.  After feeling like I had already been scammed, it was hard to relax and I felt the need to keep one eye open majority of the time!  I left that place paying $70 for a 40 minute massage.  I think.  I was so confused.  Shana and I left the guys and headed back to Canal Street for some retail therapy at the Shops of Canal Place.  Later on that evening, we met everyone for our 8:30 reservation at Bayona.  Bayona is Chef Susan Spicer's restaurant and is known as one of the top 5 restaurants in New Orleans for the past 15 years.  Shortly after we arrived, Jamie and Kenny strolled in wearing their fuzzy hats, beads, sunglasses and huge smiles on their faces!  Of course, they catch the attention of everyone in the upscale restaurant and all of the other tables found their stunt quite funny!  Shana and I were more embarrassed but the rest of our group found their stunt hysterical.  We have John to thank for the reservation at Bayona and the food was A-MAZING.  Later that evening, we found ourselves back on Bourbon Street.  A friend of one of the friends that John brought had a room right on Bourbon, with a balcony overlooking the street.  She welcomed us all up to her balcony and we spent the evening people-watching and throwing beads to those below.  And no, we didn't request that they raise their shirts in order to score a set of beads!  We ended our evening by making a stop at Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop and Bar.  It is said to be the oldest establishment used as a bar and was built somewhere between 1722 and 1732.  The entire place is lit up with candlelight since there is no electricity used in the building for lighting.  We thoroughly enjoyed the rustic, quaint atmosphere as well as amazing piano player.  It was all very cool and made us all feel like we had stepped back in time to the 18th century. Well, except for the cigarette machine plugged up in the corner. 

Since we knew Monday, game day, would be a long day, we slept in Monday morning and didn't get going until lunch.  We met Kenny's sister and brother-in-law at a restaurant, Drago, which is famous for their chargrilled oysters.  I opted for the stuffed lobster (delish) but did give the oysters a try.  I must say, they were pretty awesome (and I do not eat oysters.)  Following our late lunch, we headed down Canal and noticed the team buses outside of the Marriott, where the team was staying.  We decided to stop in and the Marriott lobby/bar was a MAD HOUSE.  We quickly found out that the team was expected to be coming down to load up on the buses.  We hung around hoping the catch a glimpse and cheer on our boys but after chatting with one team member's family, we found out it was going to be more like another hour or so.  We did however, see Javier Arenas come off the elevator, walk very quickly through the lobby and out the door.  He was literally a few feet away from us, however, it happened so quickly, no one bothered him for an autograph.  We decided to head on to a private party that John had gotten us into at the Ritz Carlton where we enjoyed unlimited gumbo, shrimp, as well as other typical New Orleans cuisine, desserts and drinks.  Finally around 5:30, we began the walk to the Superdome.  Everyone was fired up and the excitement was uncontainable!

I think everyone knows how the game went... we DOMINATED the game the entire 4 quarters, winning 21-0, shutting out the LSU Tigers, the only shut-out in BCS National Championship history! It was amazing being there to witness the Tide win their 14th Championship title.  Definitely something Jamie and I will never forget.  Our seats were in the upper deck, however Kenny and Shana's were in the 200 section so with a couple of minutes left in the game, Jamie and I RAN as quickly as we could to join them at their seats so we could finish the game with them, as well as watch the Coach's Presentation.  It was a great moment singing Alabama's "Rammer Jammer" to the Tigers as the clock hit 0:00.  Jamie said witnessing the win was right up there, behind our wedding and the boys' births! :)  We hung around the Superdome for awhile and then walked back to (you guessed it) Bourbon Street for the largest, craziest post-win celebration I've ever seen.  The LSU fans were few and far between but the ones we did see were surprisingly very gracious and congratulatory. We saw several people from home, as well as Eric Curry and John Copeland from the '92 Championship Team.  On our walk back to our hotel, we passed Courtney Upshaw, Josh Chapman, Cyrus Kouandjio and a slew of others.  It was icing on the cake!  Oh and we saw Jay Barker and Sara Evans at the game.. they were sitting just a few seats down from Kenny and Shana.  Extra icing! :)

The next morning, we headed home bright and early.  We had an amazing time in New Orleans but were all ready to see our babies.  With just 2 1/2 days there, we didn't get to do and see all that we wanted to so, Jamie and I definitely have plans to return soon.  It was a beautiful city, rich with history, gorgeous buildings, a plethora of amazing restaurants, great shopping and loads of entertainment.  We loved being there and sharing the experience with some of our best friends.  And I'm not sure I've laughed that much in a long time.  Maybe all the laughing and walking helped burn some of calories from all the delicious Cajun food that was consumed!

Pat O'Brien's

 

 Bourbon Street

 Jamie and Kenny, best friends for 28 years, doing their Kid & Play dance in the street

The Gospel singer and me at the HOB

"In Blues We Trust"

Voodoo Dolls from the Jamie Hayes art gallery; Kenny and Shana on the Carriage Tour 

Jackson Square / St. Louis Cathedral 

On the Carriage Tour 



Guy's Day Out

 Dinner at Bayona

 Taking in the FULL New Orleans experience

Beads, Beads and more Beads 

 On the balcony overlooking Bourbon Street

The oldest bar in the United States

Me and Shan at Lafitte's

"Tailgating" at the Ritz Carlton

 

Outside the Superdome

 The view from our seats in section 608

14th National Championship Win in the books 

Goodbye 2011, you were... well?!

I sat and wondered for 4 days how I could write about 2011 without sounding like a Debbie Downer.  I have mixed emotions about this past year.  On one hand, it was one of the toughest years I've gone through in awhile.  My dad was diagnosed with a very serious form of cancer on 1/11/11.  We have sat back and watched him fight for freedom from this illness during the past 12 months.  And he's still not there yet.  The man I've looked up too all my life has been in a pretty vulnerable state, not knowing what lies ahead, having to rely on his team of doctors regarding his well-being and his life.  He's had to lean on my mom for support because he was too sick at times.  There have been times during this year where he'll call or randomly stop by the house and I can hear his voice cracking or see him fighting back tears.  He is a Christian but he is still scared.  It's not easy to see your big, strong, tough dad in such a vulnerable position.  But it's also been eye opening to see him remain so optimistic and fight through this.  It just confirms how tough he is and makes me so very proud of him.  In addition, Jamie, who has a very small family, lost 2 immediate family members, his only uncle and his grandfather.  So yeah, these past 12 months have been kinda tough!

But on the otherhand, it's been an amazing year!  I'm more in love with my family than ever and my love for my husband and these 2 boys continues to grow, if that's even physically possible, by leaps and bounds!  I'm so blessed to see how far Noah has progressed in these past 12 months.  He's walking more and more on his own and it's a miracle to witness.  He's doing amazingly well at pre-school and I can see growth and change in him almost weekly.  He's playing more with Collier, becoming a little more independent and coming out of his shell more.  I'm just so proud of my determined, hard-working little boy!  And I can't even begin to explain what I've learned from him.  I thought having a child would be all about teaching him about life but I never dreamed just how much he would actually teach me!  And then we have Collier, who has breathed life into our family.  We've been through so much with Noah and then with dad's diagnosis and Collier's happy and funny little personality makes it so easy to put all the bad stuff behind us.  He's so full of energy and spunk that he just adds so much to our family dynamic.  I hate making it sound as though Noah didn't bring these things to the table for us, but it was just a hard, worrisome time and Collier helped bring us out of that valley.  I'm just so very thankful for God's plan and how He knows just what we need, even before we know it. 

So 2011 has been bittersweet and I'll be honest, when I daydream about what lies ahead for us in 2012, I am anxious.  I do worry about my dad.  It's hard to not be afraid.  But I have a much greater faith in the Lord and I KNOW that he won't bring us to anything that we can't handle, so I give all my anxiety and worries to Him.  I hope and pray that 2012 will bring my dad into remission!  I look forward to seeing my boys grow up even more during this upcoming year.  So even with my worries and anxieties, I go into 2012 willingly because I know God has my back!  How awesome to know that even though I fail Him daily, He'll never fail me and I will always be able to rely on Him?  So 2012, bring it on... because we're ready!

Here Comes Santa Claus...

Christmas has come and gone... and what a wonderful Christmas holiday it was!  The best Christmas morning I've had since we became parents, assuming the role of Santa.  Our holiday began Friday, on Christmas Eve Eve when I woke up that morning.  Jamie and I have always exchanged our gifts to one another on this particular day, since Christmas Eve and morning are so busy.  I was very surprised to be the recipient of any gifts from him since we had agreed that instead of buying gifts for one another, we would try to purchase tickets for the National Championship game and take a trip to New Orleans after the New Year.  But Jamie enjoys surprising me with gifts just as much as I love being the recipient of a surprise!  He definitely accomplished his goal and I was thrilled to receive an iPad and a gift certificate to the Spa at the Marriott.  That evening we went to my parents house to exchange gifts with my family.  This was something new that we don't normally do but decided to do since Christmas fell on Sunday and we would be pushed for time trying to get ready for church (as well as eat a family breakfast and let the boys play with their gifts).  It was fun extending the holiday into one extra day than normal!

Saturday morning, Christmas Eve, we were at my grandmother's house at 9am for a delicious, although slightly chaotic breakfast with all 40 members of my immediate family.  My dad has 5 brothers and sisters, who are all married, with kids of their own (my 11 cousins, plus me and Lindsay), 6 out of the 13 cousins are now married and combined we have 7 kids (my grandmother's great grandchildren).  And yes, that's 40 people in one rather small house.  However, I wouldn't have it any other way.  I enjoy all the commotion, conversations, and laughter.  Plus there's so many people to help entertain and love on my boys that I can enjoy family time as well!  Following breakfast, the kids opened their gifts.  It was quite a sight, with the 7 great grandchildren excitedly ripping through the bows and wrapping paper to get the presents inside.  My boys equally racked up with plenty of toys to last us for the next year.  After the kids were finished, the adults playing a rousing rendition of Dirty Santa and a yummy lunch of appetizers and dips was served.  One of my very favorite childhood memories is spending Christmas Eve at my MawMaw Powell's house with all of my cousins, aunts and uncles.  Of course, our already large family has grown considerable since I was a kid, but that just creates for more fun! We left shortly after noon so that the boys could get in a good nap before our next stop in the Christmas Eve rounds.

Once the boys were good and rested, we all headed to my in-laws house for our annual Christmas Eve dinner.  One fun thing that my mother-in-law Debbie still does, despite the fact that we are all in our late twenties and early thirties is "The Mouse" game. Its a calendar with a pocket for each day during leading up to Christmas, that hangs on her kitchen wall during December.  Each day  of the month, the little stuffed mouse makes his way towards the pocket with 25 on it (Christmas Day).  Debbie slips money in the pocket that corresponds with each day and the boys will all race to their parent's house each morning to see who wins "the mouse".  Some mornings it may just be a $1, sometimes $10.  On Christmas Eve and Christmas Morning, the money in the mouse is a larger bill, such as a $20 and they frequently replenish the money throughout those two days.  It's become a pretty competitive game that we all enjoy on Christmas Eve and whoever wins the mouse, wins bragging rights, as well.  Yes, we sound like kids, but it is fun, and who refuses money?!  When we pulled up to their house on Saturday afternoon, it hit me immediately that we were the first to arrive! I didn't say a word and as soon as Jamie put the car in park, I JUMPED out and ran in the house, winning the first $20 of the night!  Everyone thought it was hilarious, that I literally jumped out of the car and ditched Jamie and the kids to win a $20 bill!  Throughout the evening, Jamie won $15 and Haley and Wes won $20 a piece.  See what I mean, it's quite a nice bit of money at stake.  And there's no rule that you can only win one time (a couple of years ago, I scored $60!)  It doesn't necessarily go with the significance of what Christmas is all about, but it is pretty funny to see 6 adults run towards that calendar trying to be the first to get to th money.  It's a Brink tradition that provides us with alot of laughs... like when Jamie whispered to Haley, "you should go check the mouse" and she takes off running only to find that he had put a whooping 35 cents in there!

We enjoyed delicious steaks, along with a few casseroles and side dishes to compliment.  And WHO can forget all of the desserts and candies? YUM.  Following dinner, we all exchanged gifts with one another and took our slew of pictures around the tree.  The kids had fun playing together and running wild but after the busy past few days, they wore down quickly.  Around 8 we packed everything up and headed home to put our boys to bed.

In the past we have tried to read The Night Before Christmas as well as the story of Jesus's birth to the kids before they settled in to bed, however we stayed out too late to do so this year.  The kids had fallen asleep in the car so we took them straight to bed, assembled Santa's goodies, and settled in for our long winter's nap.  The following morning, Jamie and I woke at 7:45am since my parents, Lindsay and Derrick were coming over to see the boys' reactions to their gifts from the jolly 'ol guy.  We ended up having to wake them up at 9.  I brought Collier in, while Jamie helped Noah.  The looks of excitement on their faces was priceless.  Noah was thrilled to see his brand new realistic choo choo train circling it's track and blowing it's horn. Collier seemed taken back by it all but loved waking up to the whole family in the den.  He would check out a gift, then crawl up on the couch to sit with my dad or Derrick.  Then a while later, get back down to check something else out.  After both boys played for a little bit, we enjoyed Coffee Cake and a breakfast casserole, then my parents, Lindsay and Derrick left for church.  We decided to stay at home so the kids could play and nap before we had to be back at my parents later that afternoon. 

We met back up with my family at my mom and dad's house for our traditional Christmas lunch of turkey and dressing, gravy, broccoli cheese casserole, squash casserole, sweet potato casserole, green beans, rolls.  It was delicious.  We ate so much that not a single one of us cut a slice of the Spice Cake we had all requested my mom to make!  Fortunately, I remembered to take some home because Spice Cake is delicious for breakfast in the morning.  We spent the rest of the day relaxing at my parents house and enjoying each other's company until well in the evening as our Christmas Day was coming to an end.  We had a wonderful Christmas spending time with the ones we love, enjoying food, conversation and each other's company, but what's even better is to experience the wonderment of Christmas through the eyes of your children.  There's nothing like that magic and excitement!  It was a breath of fresh air after the difficult past year we've had in watching my dad fight his battle with cancer, losing Jamie's uncle Freddie in April, then his grandfather Papa Jim in July.  Circumstances such as those really makes you grateful and appreciative of these treasured times together as a family.  The memories from our Christmas of 2011 will last me a lifetime.

Opening gifts at my parents on Christmas Eve Eve

Noah, Dad and Collier (with his "bubba" teeth paci that my uncle bought him as a joke!)

 Tickling the ivories with his cousin, Lynley

Collier and my grandmother, MawMaw

 Christmas Eve at the Brinks

Me and Jamie with the boys, Madelyn and Eastlon

Madelyn, Wes and Haley

sweet cousins in their matching pj's

 the older 3 Brink grandkids

Noah helped his little brother by pushing the 4-wheeler...

until Collier figured out how to make it go on it's on

sweet :)

Oh, how I LOVE this picture

Our family of girls has been outnumbered by boys!

Collier loving on his Mimi