This time of year my husband and I try and get our traveling done before our busy seasons hit.  Lucky us, a lot of our family live in the south where you best visit in the winter months.  This trip brought us to Louisiana to see my hubby’s grandfather, aunts and uncles and cousins.  This cast of characters greeted us with warmth and put icy beverages in our hands all along the way.  Because he is 93 and no longer ventures far beyond his parish, this was the first time I met my grandfather-in-law.  We got along great and he charmed me to no end.  He opens doors for the ladies, he listens and looks you in the eyes when you talk.  He walked with me and asked me questions about my life and my family.  We went to lunch and came back to his house for ice cream he  served on a silver platter.  I could have spent many afternoons with this man, I am proud to have married into his family tree.

We also went to New Orleans and took in the French Quarter festival with a good friend.  We met his dog Jolene and saw the rebuilding of this city first hand.  This was only my second time to the big easy and since I was there in 2008, so much has changed.  There is new paint, new windows, cranes, cement trucks and endless signs up progress.  Woot woot, go New Orleans!