Minnesotabound

WE brought the N'Awlins to Minnesota.
Grandpa and Grandma got Joey a wagon he loved!
Christmas is just so much more fun with little ones!
Brian loves this picture he took...it's pretty typical for the Aysta household.
Joey on his first snowmobile ride! Grandpa's gift to him for Christmas!
Papa communist/reindeer came out to pass out presents.
Christmas Eve was spent with my mom cooking awesome crab legs and shrimp and playing cards! Bri and I are falling behind now that my parents UNDERSTAND the games.
WE went to see sweet lil' Madi...my cousins baby girl...so cute.
We headed up to the Ridge for some snowboarding-here's Shel and Derek being F-A-S-T.

Tart Tradition. yum
Bri's turning into a real Minnesotan! Notice a theme here? cold snow?
Shel and I and our cousing Nate on the Aysta side,...whom I haven't seen since Pre-China days and he now lives in Italy.

We were all very proud of my mom's awesome ice candles.....

Winter sports!
Bri learned to curl and played on my sister's league in place of her husband...he did really well!


Just a typical Saturday..me , a 2 year old, and People magazine. See-Joey likes them as much as I do!
We stopped in Chicago to meet Amina Lindsey Riendeau...our friends Karen and Mat's baby (She married us)... and then she named her daughter after me! She's PRECIOUS...
Baby's first bath!

SNOW?!?!?

Here's Bri's Mardi Gras snowman! Yes, it's snowed...crazy. I was just reminiscing last night how much I miss snow, and we woke up to a wonderland! Yes, everyone freaked out...the last time it snowed was the winter before Katrina, and before that --like in 1985. The schools closed, the power went out, street lights went out...it was crazy. As our landlord said, when we asked why the power went out, "Because New Orleans is held together with rubber bands!"
That's our place! It was cool to see Hispanics and Somalians on the street, freaking out and getting pictures...everyone seeing their first snow.

Palm trees and snow??? Well, it was in the 30's today, but will be up to 70 by Sunday...oh New Orleans...!

Christmas!

Here's Bri and I by the tree.....
Tonight, we went to City Park, which is two blocks away from our house. They have a huge Christmas Lights festival everynight in December. I took a picture of the cactus' for mom.
Lights Lights everywhere...

There was a super cool model historic neighborhood of New Orleans...and here's a mini-street car that we ride here.
We enjoyed the tunes....Bri said it reminded him of 1940's music.... we hopefully will be inspired to take ballroom dance sometime when our life isn't so crazy...
I love this poinsetta tree!! We bought our first poinsetta this year!
CAn you find the Binzerraptor?
Only in New Orleans! Merry Christmas!