Laissez le Bon Temp Rouler! A NOLA photo-blog.

This is what they say in N'awlins! Translation: Let the Good Times Roll!

Josh and I spent the past week in New Orleans as a little "get away" trip to celebrate my graduation and passage into adult-world. We figured that this may be one of the last care-free vacations we get so we'd better take it while we can (and boy, did we)! Despite going to New Orleans just last June, we couldn't come up with a better alternative in such a short time (only 6 days to plan it) and for such a small amount of money. New Orleans is relatively cheap anyways, but being that it is hurricane season it is REALLY cheap! So, we took our chances and our umbrellas and took a road trip to The Big Easy. We stayed in the same hotel as last time, making it an even cheaper trip because the hotel comp'd our parking, saving us over $100! (YAY) We had a great time: ate a lot, drank a lot, and were quite merry!

Amazing shrimp Po-Boy Sandwich and Josh's Cajun goodness

You know you're in Louisiana when the "Silver People" have silver gators! Speaks for itself: New Orleans' Amazing Audubon Zoo Cafe Du Monde, every morning (amazing beignets and cafe au lait)French Quarter Art on the Street
French Quarter Music on the Street French Quarter Weirdos on the Street

French Quarter Knowledge on the StreetSt. Louis Cathedral, breathtakingly beautiful

Horse ties in front of our (haunted) hotel

A New Orleans, above-ground, cemetery (verrry neat!)

Cemetery Kitty (scared the living daylights out of me when she came out of nowhere!)

A typical "Voodoo" (crap) souvenir shop--every other store on Bourbon Street

For the Love of Bourbon (Street)

The view of St. Louis Cathedral from Bourbon Street (isn't it beautiful?!)

The Muffaletta, a NOLA tradition

The Mighty, Mighty Mississippi River

We liked the food (and beverage), A LOT
Happy Half-Way to Saint Patty's Day!

(celebrated with a famous Hurricane at the famous Pat O'Brien's!)Cuttin' a Rug on this "holiday"
The French Market and all its craziness!

And that, my friends, is a photo blog. It took me forever to download these pics so I hope you enjoy them. AND I hope that you don't think that all we (I) did was drink yummy beverages. I walked A LOT too! Ta-ta for now!

They're talking MILES, not minutes!

This weekend I was in Lexington for FUN!! (no studying, no class, nothing physical therapy related...just good, plain FUN) I will get to why I went to Lexington in just a moment; but "business" comes first.
As you know I am training for a half marathon, which will occur in t-minus 3 weeks. It is quickly approaching! My training schedule includes long runs on the weekend, and when in Lexington I get to run with my best friend, Lindsy (who, by the way, is training for a full marathon and raising money for St. Jude's Children's Hospital ). On Saturday morning she and I woke up at 5:50 to meet her running partner Courtney and other members of a runners club for our long run. The three of us girls decided to do 10 miles, the longest run I have ever done in my life. TEN--that is a double digit number in case you didn't know. It is half-way to 20. It is double 5. Ten MILES. Well, I was feeling all cold and nervous in the early morning light about how I would do running with this huge bunch of "professional" runners, and they didn't help my nerves when they started spatting off numbers. "How many are you going to do, Mary?" "I have to do 18" "I only have to do 16, but I could do 18 with you" "I have 20 today" and on and on. Kids, they weren't talking minutes or pieces of candy, or money. They were talking miles. Whaaaaaaaat? Wow. I didn't get much time to think about it, and we were off! The run went really well, I truly enjoyed it and it wasn't as difficult as I expected. Don't get me wrong, the last mile or so I had to mentally encourage my legs move, but just as soon as it started it was over (1 hour, 36 minutes later). I really wish I had a camera so I could share the beautiful scenery we saw on our run. Lexington is chock-full of horse farms and hills, combine this with a beautiful, misty sunrise and you get breathtaking views. I found some pics online that kind-of give you an idea, but pictures really could never do this justice.

So, like I said I was in Lexington for fun this weekend! I came in to celebrate Lindsy's daughter's second birthday. I drove up on Friday and met my friend Lauren and her little boy, Dylan, for lunch. Lauren is a good friend of mine from PT school. Here is a picture of us from our PT banquet two weeks ago:

After lunch I went and did some shopping to get my fix (since I don't get to really "shop" at home in Western KY). I then went to Lindsy's and helped to get the house and food ready for the party! Saturday afternoon was Kennedy's turtle-themed birthday party! It was so much fun and she really enjoyed it. Here are some pics from the party:

It is very difficult (and emotional) to believe that Kennedy is now two years old. Where does the time go??? This weekend, Lindsy and I were reminiscing on the day she told me she was pregnant, then Kennedy's birth (for which I was present every step of the way!), and all that has happened since then. While it will be years before Kennedy realizes how much she means to me, I hope that she will someday look back at pictures, like her mother and I do, and see a familiar face. Happy Birthday Kennedy, I love you!!

Kennedy's Birth DayHappy 1st Birthday!Happy 2nd Birthday!

Onward, Boys!

For those of you who don't know, it's official: I have passed the UK comprehensive exam AND I have passed the national licensure exam (!!) so I am now Dr. Janine Owens! (or: Janine Owens, PT, DPT) It has been the most stressful time in my life and I have put a lot off to study, but I have finally made it! I am very excited because I will now be working for a paycheck, and not studying like a maniac every night! Whoop! Movin' on Up!

I am also home for good--no more back-and-forth to Lexington and living the Gypsy life. It is a good feeling to be settled and know that I am HOME! The last year of my life has presented so very many stressors (some of which I have shared on here, others that remain unshared) but the stress of being away from my "family" is over. Throughout it all, a song would play in my head and remind me that despite the difficulties I AM lucky and that I am lucky to being going home at the end of the weeks to the love of my life and my fuzzy babydog:

"Lucky" Official Video With Colbie Caillat



Lucky, Colbie Caillat and Jason Mraz

Do you hear me,I'm talking to you
Across the water across the deep blue ocean
Under the open sky, oh my, baby I'm trying
Boy I hear you in my dreams
I feel your whisper across the sea
I keep you with me in my heart
You make it easier when life gets hard

I'm lucky I'm in love with my best friend
Lucky to have been where I have been
Lucky to be coming home again
Ooohh ooooh oooh oooh ooh ooh ooh ooh

They don't know how long it takes
Waiting for a love like this
Every time we say goodbye
I wish we had one more kiss
I'll wait for you I promise you, I will

I'm lucky I'm in love with my best friend
Lucky to have been where I have been
Lucky to be coming home again
Lucky we're in love every way
Lucky to have stayed where we have stayed
Lucky to be coming home someday

And so I'm sailing through the sea
To an island where we'll meet
You'll hear the music fill the air
I'll put a flower in your hair
Though the breezes through trees
Move so pretty you're all I see
As the world keeps spinning round
You hold me right here right now

I'm lucky I'm in love with my best friend
Lucky to have been where I have been
Lucky to be coming home again
I'm lucky we're in love every way
Lucky to have stayed where we have stayed
Lucky to be coming home someday

Ooohh ooooh oooh oooh ooh ooh ooh ooh
Ooooh ooooh oooh oooh ooh ooh ooh ooh

If you listen to the song you'll see what I am talking about.

Josh, this song has been my saving grace the past year and five months. I will never forget saying good-bye to you for the first time in April last year, as you left to begin work in western KY. I felt stranded in Lexington, like it was going to be forever. We had talked about this day for a long time, but I guess I never really thought it would come! Our house never felt so empty that night. But we have come so far since then, and we made it! We have a much stronger marriage and our little pup is happy again (oh, he was so pitiful!). Now, we have bigger and better things to face, and I hope that we can face them with as much bravery as we had when we were apart. We are a strong team. And I am lucky I am in love with my best friend.