Fabulous Fall

The NOLA area has been beautiful this week, and I have enjoyed opening my windows since we got home from vacation.  Since the house was closed up for almost 10 days, it really needed airing out.  Even though the lizards and geckos are not as visible, I am enjoying the cooler weather.

Fall in New Orleans also generally means an end to hurricane season. Ok, I know there are 6 more weeks, but the chances are really going down.  I have watched the National Hurricane Center website almost obsessively since June 1.  When I say obsessed, I mean that I have a bookmark saved on my laptop browser and my PDA, I'm friends with my favorite weatherman on Facebook, and I have been known to check the site as it is updated 4 times a day (at 1 a.m., 7 a.m., 1 p.m., and 8 p.m. Central Time). Yes, if I happened to wake up in the middle of the night, I've checked then, too. I am thankful to be gaining that part of my sanity back a whopping half of a year.

According to all the weathermen here, New Orleans is having an unseasonably cool start to fall.  Last winter was one of the coldest on record.  But on the flipside, this summer in Louisiana was miserably hot (I don’t think there are many summers here that aren’t).  Our A/C unit failing during one of the hottest weeks this summer made it even more sweltering.

Fall makes me very nostalgic, thinking of times spent back home in Tennessee.  I miss seeing the colors of the changing leaves on the maples, Bradford pears, and other deciduous trees.  Louisiana doesn’t have enough changing leaves for my taste.  

Fall in Tennessee is also a time when my seasonal allergies calm down. It’s dry, crisp, and cool in the mornings, and just warm enough not to freeze during the day.  I miss the crunching sound of the dried leaves under my feet. Sitting by the fireplace with the smell of spiced cider and seasoned wood burning where you can roast marshmallows for s’mores is a great way to spend an evening,

When people in Louisiana think of Tennessee, they often think of fall and the glorious colors in the Smoky Mountains.  The paint-splattered trees set on a rolling hillside is a stark contrast to the flat wetlands of Louisiana. East Tennessee is one of my favorite places to witness God’s creation, and fall reminds me that spring will begin life anew. 

What are your favorite memories and traditions of fall?

Ch-ch-ch-CHANGES!!

What a difference just a few weeks can make! It's not only the look of my blog that has changed. Our summer is in full swing, and though we didn't have concrete plans, a job offer has landed us in a whirlwind of newness. Not only will my husband be starting a new job with huge potential, but we will be moving to the New Orleans area very soon. Luckily, we know a few people in the area, so we won't be totally lost. We are looking forward to the amazing food we have heard about, along with the rich history of the area.

My children have had a season of firsts.

The boy celebrated his first birthday in May (his birthday party was outside in a monsoon, luckily we had the shelter of the pavillion).


My oldest is jumping off the diving board of the neighbor's pool and swimming the length of the pool (a huge feat).


My youngest daughter is swimming across the width of the pool (not bad for a kid with no formal swimming lessons). I was truly amazed.


The oldest went on her first overnight camp with our church without her mom or dad to watch her every move.

Ok, so when did my kids get this big? Madelynne's stay under our roof is half over, and we still have so much to teach her!

Soon I will be setting an academic example for our kids, as I am planning on starting graduate school soon.

As I posted before, I will get pictures of the workboxes up very soon, before they become packed and shipped to NOLA! The next two weeks will be very exciting and stressful for us as we look for a safe and affordable place to live.