Rob and I are finally headed back to New Orleans! We haven't been since Katrina, and I am very excited to be getting back. I have so many wonderful memories of the city...my engagement to Rob, many New Year's Eves on Bourbon St with girl friends, football games, basketball tournaments...all entrenched in the lights and sounds of The Big Easy.

We're staying at our favorite place, the Omni Royal Orleans, and I've already made reservations at Brennans and Antoines. I've even signed us up for a cooking class on Saturday. I can't wait!

My to-do list for the day:
*pick up contact lenses (they've been in now for over 3 weeks)
*find a tailgate recipe for Saturday's game
*take Little Jackson to soccer practice
*cancel gym membership
*dinner with friends


Looks like a full day... but I'm still trying to get back on track from last week. Saturday and Sunday were consumed in Birmingham with my last 15 hours of real estate post license CE.
Rob and I spent Monday in Hendersonville, TN attending a doctor appointment with Jackson. Luckily, the doctor said everything is fine, and while we where there, Jackson gave us a guided tour of his new town. It was also on this trip that I discovered that although Rob says he hates karaoke, he, like me, sings like a ROCK STAR in the car!

Tomato Gravy vs. Strawberry Birthday Cake

This past weekend was a whirl-wind. Rob and I both took off at noon on Friday to pick Jackson up in Athens. I've realized one good thing about the 2 hour drive- it gives Rob and I some extra time together. On the way home, we stopped in Birmingham for dinner and we let Jackson spend some time with his friends Jack and Neil.

Rob's family (yes, that is Ben in the background of the picture!) came over Saturday and we celebrated my birthday. Gifts included Alabama serving dishes, Wallflower refills, gift cards and tomato gravy. Yes, that's right, instead of a birthday cake, I got tomato gravy.

Strange you might say, but let me explain...

...It all started two years ago when Rob's family was coming over for Sunday lunch to celebrate my birthday. Momma Betty had brought what I thought was a homemade cake covered in white icing and fresh cut strawberries....just the site of it made my mouth water. After much anticipation throughout dinner, I finally got to cut the cake- only to find that it was the cruelest of jokes. It wasn't cake at all, but cornbread wrapped in plastic wrap and decorated to look like a strawberry cake! This year they made it up to me by bringing the only food that could be considered an equal- tomato gravy.

Ok, so back to the weekend. Saturday night we got some much needed rain, so we had movie night. We popped some corn and watched the movie "RV". You know the one with Robbin Williams about the family who rents an RV to drive to Colorado- very funny!

Sunday was church and then Jackson and the neighborhood kids played on the Banzai slide until it was time for us to head back to Athens. By 8:30 Sunday night, Rob I and were sitting on the back porch looking at each other wondering where all the time had gone.

My birthday was last Wednesday and I had the opportunity to celebrate with some of my favorite people. Kana and Richard came in from DC and met Ariane, Rob and I for dinner at Chuck's (which by the way, has become my new favorite restaurant!) It's a new seafood place downtown, and even though it doesn't have ocean-front dinning, the food is wonderful! I take customers there on a regular basis, but it was Rob's first time and he wasn't disappointed.

This past weekend was a little crazy- Friday was by far my favorite day. I took off at 11am and spent the day at the lake with Kana and friends. Rob came up for dinner after work. I had real estate CE all day Saturday and Sunday in Birmingham and poor Rob worked outside in the yard.

I'm also considering yoga- problem is, all the yoga classes at the gym are either ridiculously early in the am (I don't do mornings), or late in the evenings when I'd prefer to be spending time with my hubby. Maybe I'll buy the DVD- come to think of it, I bought the Pilates DVD and I saved myself from much public humiliation- yeah, I'll definitely buy the DVD.

Jackson is coming this weekend. It's been three long weeks.

We miss him.

Our life has changed-as I am sure it will continually do, but I think we're starting to find slivers of peace and acceptance in what has happened over the last month.

Jon's birthday party at the lake!