Southland in the springtime

Our new "midnight green" shutters for the house finally came in last weekend, so Lucy and I grabbed some toys and a blanket and enjoyed the springtime sunshine while Andrew expertly hung them up. Lucy and Evie together are quite the draw -- I think half the neighborhood stopped by to say hello to them (probably because of Lucy's cute little sun hat). She loves being outside and taking everything in -- literally. She managed to stick a few leaves and blades of grass in her mouth when I wasn't looking. :) We are ready for this schizophrenic weather to make up its mind and stay warm already!

Chillin' with the Chaneys

Lucy and I had a super fun afternoon getting to visit with our friends Candace, Zeke (2 yrs), and Anna Grace (4 yrs) during our recent visit to Shreveport. Despite the considerable age difference between Lucy and her older friends, they all got along pretty well and had a blast -- lots of banging on things and giggles! Anna Grace was an especially gracious host, bringing out all of her special toys for Lucy to play with and trying really hard to entertain her. I think it had a lot to do with the fact that she is plotting really hard for a baby sister. :) Thanks again for having us over -- we can't wait to do it again soon!

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Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence

CONGRATULATIONS SCOTT & KATIE! One of my most wonderful and sweet friends from high school finally decided to tie the knot with her fiance Scott, and I couldn't be happier for her. They had a small family ceremony and reception in Scott's hometown of Chicago in late December, so her parents threw them a party over Mardi Gras weekend to celebrate the joyous occasion. Katie is an extraordinary person -- so giving towards her friends and family, loyal, passionate about her work as a health-conscious chef, and a devoted pet mommy. I love her dearly and am so happy to see her follow her bliss! Thanks for including us in your merriment!

Make a Smilebox slideshow

The king and queen of Mardi Gras

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Yes, being residents of south Louisiana has some perks (great food among the biggest) and one of them is getting off of work/school for the Mardi Gras "holiday." We decided to head up to Shreveport this year during our break to catch up with many of our old friends. Our first stop was to a double birthday party to celebrate King Hank Richard and Queen Audrey Welch as they turned 1! Aunt Katie came with us (she and I got to enjoy a very entertaining stroll along the parade route while Lucy slept in the stroller) and we all got to enjoy some king cake, jambalaya, and good beer.

Later that night I met up with my friends from high school thanks to the social gathering skills of one Lisa Chesson Colquitt! She and Chloe Kilman are my two oldest friends (we date back to the 6th grade) and it was so great to see them and everyone else again. Every cliche about "old friends" is true -- it really does warm the heart and relax the soul to be with people that know your history and love you for who you are.

They make beautiful music together

We had a big day yesterday -- Andrew and I finally got a chance to get out and play some tennis together while Lucy slept in the stroller, we had a great lunch and Lucy got to sit in a high chair at the restaurant like a big girl, and then we came home to tackle a bit of a spring cleaning. While I sat on the floor of the office/spare room/music studio and updated our file cabinet with documents from the last year or so, Andrew and Lucy had a musical playdate. He entertained us with the trumpet and guitar while she rolled around and played with Christmas wrapping paper on the bed (also part of the cleaning bit), then she helped him "play" the piano keyboard for a while. This suited her just fine as we are highly into banging on things these days. :) Check out our future prodigy in all her shining glory below.

Rubber ducky, you're the one

Lucy has outgrown her baby bathtub, but is still too little (and too slippery!) for the "big tub", so inflatible ducky bathtub it is! She sits up in it beautifully and has a lot of fun playing with the bath toys and splashing around. And as an added bonus, the beak of the ducky quacks when you press it. Too cute! We love bath time.