Carnival Time

HAPPY MARDI GRAS Y'ALL!

Mardi Gras is my favorite holiday. If you don't know that, then you don't know me very well. Take my love for Christmas and multiply it x10 (maybe more!) and then you'll only begin to understand my love of this holiday. I've said it before, but living here in Texas really makes me love it even more since it makes it even better when we go home to participate in the carnival season.

Our house has been decorated for Carnival since before Twelfth night (yes I cheated a bit this year!) I put up our Mardi Gras decor when I took down Christmas. 

It's funny to think about, but Trey has never seen our house without some sort of garland and lights up! He is really going to miss looking at them once I have to take them down. Maybe I can find a way to incorporate lights into every holiday...

This year was especially fun because I got to dress Trey up in Mardi Gras onesies and he got to experience his first NOLA Mardi Gras (even though he won't remember!)

January 26th, we rode in the Krewe of Pontchartrain as we do yearly, in NOLA.

It was a beautiful day. The sun reminded me of Mardi Gras as a child, as the first parade of the season also usually coincided with my first sunburn of the year.... The crowds were HUGE. The biggest crowds I've ever seen. We started riding in Pontchartrain the year after Katrina (in 2006) and I have only missed one year (last year) so this marked my 7th year riding, 5th for Hubby and 8th for Mama and Pee!

Loading up our throws!

We had our usual throws of beads, cups, spears and moon pies, but this year we also added some peanuts, popcorn and chips, which were big hits! Seems many people get hungry along the parade route and were really excited to get some snacks! We also always have special throw bags for our friends we know will be down there. It's always fun to spot familiar faces in the crowd!

Hubby and I

We were unable to ride last year, as Hubby couldn't get off work. Our dues had already been paid by the time we realized we couldn't ride, so Mama and G'mama recruited Janie and Bub to ride in our places. Needless to say, they got hooked and rode again this year!

Bub, Jane, Pee, Mama 

Neutral ground side! (Uncle Bub, Aunt Janie, Pee, Mama, Jim and Me!)

                               

The Tolers came out to watch our parade as did the Moncerets and Adam, Angela, Craig, Taryn,   Katie, Phillip, Steve, Mike and John. It was fun finding them all along the route.

I spy the Tolers!

                                            

We had an amazing ride complete with our usual drink of screwdrivers. They were extra delicious this year, but maybe that was just to me since I have only had an occasional beer or glass of wine since Trey's birth.

Hubs

Love this view!

Hubby and I pre-ride.

Our route was extended this year by 5 blocks, so not only did we ride the traditional Uptown route, but we ended up in the Warehouse District at the Ugly Dog Saloon. Personally, I like our old route, where we ended at Tipitina's Downtown better, but unfortunately I don't make the rules :)

Here's to passing a good time at yet another wonderful Carnival Season and to a faith-filled start of Lent. One of our resolutions this year was to be more involved in church. Now that Trey has gotten his shots, we are planning on attending church a lot more. I was too nervous to bring him before he had gotten his first set of shots, with it being in the middle of flu season and all...

I am usually not very good with my Lenten penance, no matter how hard I try. This year, Les and I were talking about how we feel while "giving something up" IS a sacrifice, it doesn't really make us better people. With that being said, I decided this Lenten season, I would start some sort of daily devotional, whether it be a scripture reading, or just some extra prayers. (I actually got a Lent app- yup, there's an app for that- that has daily scripture readings for prayer and reflection during Lent). Hubby and I also decided we would attend church every weekend as a family. So far, we are 2/2 for church since Trey got his shots and we intend to keep it up (even after Lent).

What are you giving up or doing for Lent this year?