Let the Good Times Roll

We made one more stop in our crazy, two-week trip to the states: 

New Orleans!

Some of you may remember that last year on our way to the states we stopped off in Amsterdam for a few days to visit some dear friends. Well, those same friends are living in the states this fall, so we decided to arrange another little meet-up. However, this time, since we were meeting on the same side of the ocean where all the grandparents (a.k.a. babysitters) live, we made this one a parents only trip!  

We just had two short nights in town, but we crammed them full of fun...and food! I mean, how can you not enjoy eating in a town like New Orleans? We savored every bite of gumbo, shrimp creole, jambalaya, red beans & rice, bread pudding, and of course beignets!

We were a bit amused when the trip was over to see how many photos we had taken of us eating!

This meal was amazing...

 and this one... 

 and this one wasn't too bad, either!

We did take a few non-eating pics, like this one of me and Ashlie by the river...

and this one of the guys. I'm pretty sure their expressions mean, "Please can we go in one more cute little shop in the French Quarter? Please? Please?" They may have had their fill of home decor stores, but they never hesitated to follow us into the candy stores. In fact, they often led the way. I think Jason made it a personal mission to sample all the pralines in New Orleans and decide which was his favorite. 

One afternoon, we rode the trolley out St. Charles Avenue and admired all the beautiful old homes. Then we rode it back into town and picked up our shopping and eating right where we left off!

We had such a great time being with good friends and just relaxing for a few days before we made our trek back across the ocean. It was a perfect end to another whirlwind trip to the states.