Hope you enjoy this classic family picture. After a long Christmas day, the kids enjoyed splashing and playing with the rubber ducks.
Life's been busy but fun for the Spaulding clan. During a week visiting our friends the Teels in North Carolina, Ollie and I drove to Asheville for a friend's wedding. We had a great time catching up with the Colorado crowd and taking in a little of the beauty that part of the world has to offer. It was painful to keep left instead of right as I drove back east to Goldsboro instead of heading west to Maryville. One day I'll make it back there for another visit.
Tim and I had the opportunity to get away for the weekend and drive down to the Big Easy. We had beignets, drinks at the famous Carousel Bar (which is in the hotel where our reception was), stood in Jackson Square where he proposed, and shopped at Tim's favorite used book store. If that wasn't enough fun, some of my cousins and an Aunt and Uncle came out to my Aunt B's house to spend some quality time with us. And last, but not least, we finished the night with a walk down Bourbon Street. This was my first visit back to New Orleans since Katrina and I will say that the French Quarter is alive and well. The city still has a long way to go, but there is no question that it will come back even better than before. After home-made Eggs Benedict, Tim and I drove back to Montgomery with a stop in Mobile to visit my cousin Miranda and her beautiful daughter Helen.
Two weeks to go until we're home again and we're soaking as much Americana in as we can. I put a limit on the Starbucks. Really, how many lattes does a girl need in one week? Ollie is doing really well and enjoys the playground that's right outside our doorway. There are lots of little people to keep him company and lots of Moms for me to hang with as well. I was really excited to learn that two of our friends from our time in Texas would be here. Both Sherri and Amy have two little girls, so there's rarely a dull moment. With all of the fun, we're ready to head back home to our own beds and our black dog. The Riz is loving life with our friends Chris and Jen and her doggie friend Tess. She might not want to come back to us after we've been gone so long! We're also excited to meet John and Kiernan. Don't grow too much more before we get there kids!
While six weeks is a big chunk of time to be away from home, its been amazing to catch up with so many friends and family. Its been a great reminder for us...people are the most important thing in life. The size of our house or the cost of our car are not what I want my child to care about as he grows into a man. To everyone that we've been able to visit this trip, thanks for your time and the chance to connect with you again. To those of you whom we weren't able to see, we hope to see you again soon. You're always welcome at Casa de Spaulding.
Hope everyone is doing well and we hope to see you soon. The Garden Suite is ready and waiting!
