Happy Mardi Gras!!

We went last weekend with our friends Cali and Jim and their two boys to the Tchefuncte boat parade....it was a little chilly but we had a good time. It was too fun watching Austin get into catching the beads and Luke and Austin trying to play some football together! Sorry some of these pics are posting backwards.....


One of Austin and Grampy's best catches of the day- a mardi gras umbrella!


Going thru all my loot when we got home.....


One of the decorated boats....


With Grammy on the way home....


Luke is too cool for school.....


Jim, Cali, and Luke....


The Bead Man....

Check me out!!!

Checking Out the Floats Upclose.....

Having fun running around, getting beads, and staring at the BIG floats!


This was Austin's favorite float because of all the footballs....geaux saints!


Having fun with grammy and grampy!

Yogurt for lunch....!


Ok, so you could go into this enclosure and feed these little colorful birds- there were probably 100 of them flying all around. Against my better judgement (birds freak me out a little) I went in to take pictures of Austin feeding them.....


So, here we are really not too sure about this.....


Well, maybe these birds are ok.....they liked landing on Austin's flip flops for some reason!


Look Mama! I want a bird! :)

This is the platform where you go up and feed the giraffes from.....


Check out that giraffe tongue! Austin thinks it's so funny....








Austin said this kangaroo wan going "night niight!"...did you ever know kangaroos actually laid down to sleep???

One of Austin's favorites animals...


He just loved watching these elephants.....





See Dad can make the face too!


Riding his gorilla on the merry-go-round.....

Most Recent Trip to the Zoo....

Since we haven't been able to really do anything fun for awhile since Austin has been sick, we thought we should head to the zoo for the day this past sunday so Austin could have some fun with his Dada before we leave him and head for New Orleans this week........


Austin had his eyes on these tropical birds following them around the enclosure...


You can't see it in this pic, but to the right of the mama tiger was a glass window that put you right at the tigers' level....we went down and Austin stood right up at the glass, and one of the baby tigers came right up to Austin and looked straight at us and put his paws up on the glass like he wanted to play with Austin! It was so cool!


Funny, grouchy old monkey....


Austin and John just love this penguin exhibit!

Dugout pic with Mom....is that a rotten face??!


A famous fan.....


Hanging out at the sting ray tank with Aunt Mandy....

Running the bases with Dad....


This was some crazy cowbell guy people were taking pictures with...Austin's crazy look says it all!


Look at that happy little man getting to take his picture with the cow!


Making important team phone calls from the dugout....


Hanging out in the dugout

Rays Fanfest

Valentine's Day we all headed out to to our baseball team's, the Rays, Fanfest. Needless to say it was our first big outing in what seems like forever! We had a great time and Austin really had a ball....we are ready for the season to start!





It was us and about 30,000 other fans at Tropicana Field....


They had a little Tball area set up for the kids and Austin loved hitting with John! Here he is is setting his ball up.....


And the big swing!


Who's that you see in the team celebration???

My Birthday and Our Little Valentine

My thirtysomething-ish birthday was this past week.....oh, another year! John cooked a great chicken picatta dinner for my sister and I, and the two of them got me cupcakes from this little cupcake bakery here instead of a cake & they were sooooo very good! John and Austin also got me a much needed massage for my gift- thank you and i love you so much!!


My little bear with and eye on those cupcakes!


My delicious cupcakes and wonderful flowers.....


I know, he looks like I am forcing him to take this pic...well, i was! for the grandparents' valentines!


Austin with his loot the valentine fairy left for him!

Been Sick.......

Austin has been sick with respiratory problems for, oooohhh, about a month now. we have spent about 80% of our time at the doctor's office, one trip to the ER and the remainder trapped inside! Anyone who knows Austin knows how the staying inside portion of that has been going! In the end the doctor diagnosed him with asthma- what a month it's been for mom and dad......!


Found mama's shoes in her closet....


There's that camera face again.....


I'm so happy with my paci!


Our little valentine!