LAX

Hip hip hooray for lacrosse in New Orleans! Here's a little Wikipedia lesson for those who don't even know what lacrosse is...

"Lacrosse is a team sport of Native American origin played using a small rubber ball and a long-handled stick called a crosse or lacrosse stick, mainly played in the United States and Canada. It is a contact sport which requires padding. The head of the lacrosse stick is strung with loose mesh designed to catch and hold the lacrosse ball."

The LSU club lacrosse team played the Ole Miss club lacrosse team this past Saturday right here in NOLA at the City Park Pan Am Stadium. Of course I had to go! In Maryland and all up and down the East coast, lacrosse is pretty serious business. My Dad played growing up and later went on to coach, my brothers played, I played, our cousins played, my friends played, and so on. I have great memories of my Dad taking me and my brothers to the NCAA Men's Lacrosse Championships at the University of Maryland's Byrd Stadium. This past Saturday didn't draw quite the same crowd but it was fun nonetheless. The game ended up being very exciting. It was tied 11-11 at the end so it headed into overtime. The Rebels ended up winning in the last 20 something seconds of overtime. J was happy :) You'll get 'em next time Tigers!

LSU Lacrosse Team - February 25, 2012

GEAUX TIGERS!

Jenna, Lauren, Me - February 25, 2012

Thanks for coming girls.  This was their first lacrosse game ever!

J - February 25, 2012

Don't let that face fool ya!  J got into the game and actually enjoyed himself.

Professional photos from the game thanks to www.LAXAllStars.com...

Can you spot Jenna, Lauren, me, & J in the crowd?

WINDY CITY

Okay. This was my Chicago to-do list:

- pictures in front of cloud gate (aka "the bean")
- a jumbo hot dog from Portillo's
- catch a Bull's game
- stuffed pizza from Giordanos
- go to the top of the John Hancock Center
- have a run-in with Oprah

Oh no :(  2 out of 6!  That's only a 33%.  I failed.  I'm going to make it a 3 out of 6 because even though we didn't have pizza from Giordanos we did have Chicago style pizza from a little place called Barones.  That brings us to 50%.  Still failing but I feel better.  I don't know about y'all, but this happens EVERY time I go on vacation.  I have a list of things I want to see and do but the trip goes by so quickly and there are always a few things that don't get accomplished.  J and I will have to check off the other items on our next trip up to Chicago.  We really and truly had such a wonderful time filled with lots of laughter and lots of good food.  It was hard to leave and come back to New Orleans.  Thank you Mom and Daddy for such a nice visit!  Here are a few (29) pictures from the vacation.  There were too many (58) to put on the blog so I tried to pick the highlights.  Enjoy! :)

"Spirit of the American Doughboy" statue at Soldier Field

February 17, 2012

Soldier Field

February 17, 2012

Soldier Field

February 17, 2012

J playing injured & Mom playing nurse in a Soldier Field locker room

February 17, 2012

Me & Mom are not Brett Favre fans :(

February 17, 2012

Sigh.  J & I are constantly asked for our autographs.  It can be a bit much at times.

February 17, 2012

What a view! - Soldier Field

February 17, 2012

I <3 J & I <3 Hester!  Geaux Tigers! - Soldier Field

February 17, 2012

Soldier Field

February 17, 2012

Soldier Field

February 17, 2012

Soldier Field

February 17, 2012

I know, my legs are ghostly white.  It's a Huff thing.

February 17, 2012

Delicious pizza from Barone's of Glen Ellyn.

February 17, 2012

United Center - Bulls vs. Nets

February 18, 2012

United Center - Bulls vs. Nets

February 18, 2012

My Daddy & Mom checking out the court.

February 18, 2012

J was like a kid in a candy store.  So so so excited to be there!

February 18, 2012

United Center - Bulls vs. Nets

February 18, 2012

United Center - Bulls vs. Nets

February 18, 2012

Thank goodness I don't live near a Portillo's.  I'd want to go everyday.

February 19, 2012

Morton Arboretum

February 20, 2012

Morton Arboretum

February 20, 2012

Morton Arboretum

February 20, 2012

Mom & J finishing up lunch. - Morton Arboretum

February 20, 2012

Morton Arboretum

February 20, 2012

Morton Arboretum

February 20, 2012

Morton Arboretum

February 20, 2012

Stocking up on some of our favorite Trader Joe's items.

February 20, 2012

Thank you for the beautiful flowers, Daddy!

February 20, 2012

HOME SWEET HOME AFTER MARDI GRAS

We're back from Chicago!  Happy (belated) Mardi Gras to everyone!  J and I had a fantastic trip to Illinois and I'm excited to post pictures from our vacation.  Things have been busy busy since we've returned to NOLA so I probably won't get around to it until this weekend.  In the meantime, I thought I'd share some Mardi Gras pictures I grabbed from http://www.nola.com/.  For those who missed all the carnival action like me and J, here's a quick recap... 

Krewe du Vieux - February 2012

Pic from Michael DeMocker / Times-Picayune

Mardi Gras Indians - February 2012

Pic from John McCusker / Times-Picayune

Mardi Gras Indians - February 2012

Pic from John McCusker / Times-Picayune

Actress Patricia Clarkson in Muses - February 2012

Pic from Chris Granger / Times-Picayune

Muses - February 2012

Pic from Chris Granger / Times-Picayune

St. Aug Marching 100 in Endymion - February 2012

Pic from Michael DeMocker / Times-Picayune

Endymion - February 2012

Pic from Michael DeMocker / Times-Picayune

Actor Will Ferrell is King of Bacchus - February 2012

Pic from Matthew Hinton / Times-Picayune

Bacchus - February 2012

Pic from Matthew Hinton / Times-Picayune

By the way, J and I saw Will Ferrell in person in the New Orleans airport last Thursday.  Everyone in the airport was going crazy!!!!!  Girls were crying and screaming "I love you!"  I took a picture with J's iPhone but everyone was in motion and I was a few feet away so the quality isn't great.  Here it is anyway...

I will say that I have never in my life found Will Ferrell attractive.  Funny?  Absolutely!  Sexy?  Not so much.  After seeing him in person, my decision swayed a bit.  He is much better looking in person than on the screen.  6'3... nice style... nice build...  I'll stop there.  Don't want to worry J ;)

CHICAGO

J and I are leaving on a jet plane!  We fly up to Chicago tonight after work and are spending almost a week visiting my parents since we have days off school and work for Mardi Gras.  Yes, we are skipping Mardi Gras this year.  We met our plastic bead quota long ago thanks to all that flashing J did.  Trust me, you've never seen such a pretty chest!

My Chicago to-do list:

- pictures in front of cloud gate (aka "the bean")

- a jumbo hot dog from Portillo's

- catch a Bull's game

- stuffed pizza from Giordanos

- go to the top of the John Hancock Center

- have a run-in with Oprah

I know.  That last one may be pretty difficult to pull off.  Optimism people, optimism!  Any other suggestions for us?  J and I really wanted to check out Wrigley Field but it's of course not baseball season yet.  We'll have to go to a Cubs game on our next visit.

By the way, my first trip to Chicago was with my Dad, Mom, and youngest brother Kyle in 2006.  Benjamin didn't join us and I can't recall why not.  My Dad had to go for business so Mom, Kyle, and I tagged along for some sightseeing.  Poor Dad was in meetings all day while we were busy playing at Navy Pier and Sears Tower.  Some old photographs from the family getaway...

Navy Pier

White Sox Game

Giordanos

Sears Tower

Laissez le bon temps rouler NOLA!  Hold down the fort while we trek up north!