Mardi Gras 2014- Des Allemands parade

On Sunday we were able to enjoy the Des Allemands with some of our favorite friends! 

This is another small town parade that we really look forward to.

It is close to home and the kids have a ball!

The kids caught SO. MUCH. STUFF!

I am talking an insane amount of stuffed animals.

They were all too excited with every single catch!

Here is our krewe waiting on the parade.

I caught Griff in the middle of his "jam." 

Here I am with our little princess.  This girl is so loved...

2 Mommas and our little people.

Now this is more like it!

Unfortunately this was our last parade of the season.  Lundi Gras and Fat Tuesday was a cold and wet wash out.  Until next year...

Mardi Gras 2014- Lockport parade

Our family really enjoys Mardi Gras.

Our kids are still so little that we especially love small town parades.

The kids are able to run around and play in a relatively safe environment.

They also catch SO MUCH stuff. 

This spoils them.

When we hit the New Orleans parades they look around like, "one bead?!?"

I loved the Lockport parade as a kid.  

This is the little town that I grew up in.

We always make a special effort to take the boys to this parade.

Such sweet memories for me and starting a beautiful tradition for them. 

My little float chasers!

I love the perspective of this shot.

...and this one too.

Our beautiful family

I was able to sit with Cohen for 3.5 seconds!

Mardi Gras 2013

Our family tradition for Mardi Gras day is to head uptown,

catch Rex, enjoy the sights, eat Popeyes chicken (a once a year treat), and head home.

The year the weather forecast for Mardi Gras day was not pretty.

We decided to play the odds and headed out to the parade.

Some of our friends who are fairly new to NOLA joined us.

This was their first time experience St Charles avenue on Mardi Gras day.

Be afraid.

Be very afraid.

Doesn't this look like an intimidating bunch?

I so love this boy.

He marches to the beat of his own drum.

He is the grand Marshall of his own parade.

I love his spirit.

Our beautiful, witty, smart, and timid Baby Bear.

Cute and cuter...

Baby Bear did great during the parades.

I mean he did have VIP seating as I carried him in the baby carrier.

Life is grand...

You were probably expecting a little more action out of

(1) 5 year old

(3) 4 year olds and

(1) 2 year old.

Not so much...

Just siting and waiting on Rex.

Our annual Mardi Gras pic on the avenue.

Buddies.

After about an hour and a half our friends were cutting out.

Griff looked down and said,

"Mommy we have enough stuff. We can go."

Mardi Gras 2013 is a wrap.

We had a grand time and enjoyed the greatest free show on earth....

family style!

Side-by-side shot of boys enjoying their 1st Mardi Gras.

School Mardi Gras Parade

Yesterday we joined Griff at school for the kindergarten Mardi Gras parade.  The smile that greeted us from Griff was amazing.  He had the biggest smile on his face the entire time.  It was pure joy.  We are so proud of our guy.  He has a special gift to live in the moment.  

This is the smile that I am talking about.
He smiled with his entire face.

Roman in line with the preK-4 class.

Boys with MiMi

See all the kids sitting and watching the parade?  See the two in the front standing up with their hands up?  Yes the 2 float chasers in the front belong to me.  Griff had that arm up the entire time.  I guess you can say that my boys have reached "professional parade goer status."  Clearly this was not their first rodeo.

Looking forward to a super fun Carnival weekend with these boys!