New Orleans Family Adventure

Wes and I took Will on a church "Family Adventure Day to New Orleans" on August 1st. Owen stayed with my parents. We weren't sure that New Orleans was ready for Owen just yet. :-) Will had a BALL, and Wes and I both had a good time too. The day started at 6:30am when we met the bus at the church. We weren't sure if we would know anyone going, but were SO excited when we saw Mason and Thomas, two of Will's buddies from church, along with their families. Along with meeting a few other families that we didn't know, we all had a ball and ended up hanging out together most of the day.
Here is Will with his best Sunday School buddy, Thomas.

First on the agenda was the Insectarium (bug museum). This was an interesting treat. There were all kinds of bugs to watch and see, touch and eat (yes, eat!). They even baked up a batch of some bug (beetle maybe?) that they swore tasted like pumpkin seeds, and baked a batch of pancakes with added crickets for protein. Yum! (j/k...none of the McCleese's dove into that. for once I was thankful for having a "picky eater" child)

Will and Mason waiting for a huge spider to jump out at them.

Will decided that he was absolutely having NOTHING to do with getting his picture taken. So this is the best family portrait we have.

Will and Thomas being silly

Mommy and Will with a dinosaur

One of the best things about the insect museum were these holes that said "do you dare?" (stick your hand in and feel. Will finally did, along with some buddies. I promise if I'd said "BOO"...they would have jumped a mile. Turned out it wasn't bugs in there after all...just wood chips. :-)

And there were seriously roaches and ants crawling around in this cabinet, they got an up close view. YUCK!

Next we ate lunch, took the kiddos to Cafe Du Monde, and went to the Aquarium. This was truly the highlight of Will's trip. He LOVES animals and got to see so many. It's a great aquarium. The ultimate highlight of his trip was petting a juvenile nurse shark. Here's a pic. He'd love to tell you about it any time!

And some other fun animal pics below.

The day ended with an IMAX movie...The Wild Ocean. It was our first IMAX movie and Will's first movie theater experience. GREAT movie to see in 3D. Overall, it was a great day. Definitely one to do again next year!!!

Just for Allie...

Allie Walker Sebesta is one of my life-long friends (well, since age 9 or so) that I can truly count as a soul-mate and one of those friends that I would do anything for. While we have never lived in very close physical proximity to each other (she lived in Hattiesburg), she did spend 2 weeks each summer at my house. Between summers we wrote countless letters, talked countless hours on the phone and have had some of the funnest memories of my childhood/young adult-hood together (Samuel L. Jackson in a lemon yellow suit, anyone?). We've loved, encouraged, supported, laughed, cried and giggled our way through growing up and becoming women and I'm so very grateful for her. She has been an "Ecclesiastes 4:9-10" friend...I hope you all have one like her. Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 reads...

"Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor. For if they fall, one will lift up his companion. But woe to him who is alone when he falls for he has no one to help him up." Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 New King James Version

Allie recently (well, not all that recently any more...I'm slow) made a request of me. She said that I never put pictures of me on my blog and she wants to see pics of me "in my life" on my blog. (she lives in Austin now, so we don't see each other much). Well, here ya go, Alliecat. Love you!

With Owen on Father's Day

With Will at Insect Museum in N.O. 2 weeks ago


With Wes at Green's wedding in April

Applauding Owen for something at a race this past weekend

Some of my Strong Woman friends...Allie, you'd fit right in!

With Karin

Taking pics of ourselves!

Trying to get Will to quit eating batter long enough for a pic!

There, got one!
(there were 5 other pics of him with a chocolate covered spoon in his mouth before this final product!)

With Wes at the race last weekend