LSU and Aunt Judy

We headed to LSU!!! Louisiana State University...the first time for the kids. Cousin Sam came with us, which was such a fun treat! I decided to take the kids out of school on Thursday after lunch and hit the road. We had one more week of school left, and my kids are still at such a young age...so why not? We had an awesome long weekend in Baton Rouge. We started off the trip with dinner at Louie's Café, which was me and Scotts favorite diner by campus!

We did a quick tour of campus and ate, then headed to my Aunt Judy's house in St. Francisville. It's about 45 minutes away from campus, deep in the woods. It was such a fun adventure for the kids. Aunt Judy reminds me so much of my mom, so in a way, my kids got a feel of "ZsaZsa" for the weekend. And boy oh boy, did they LOVE Judy. They couldn't be separated, they even wanted to sleep in her bed...not a second away from Judy. There is something so infectious about her. Just like my mom. A total kid magnet. Everyone loved her. And that is how we feel about Judy too!

She has a beautiful home on a golf course. So, we woke up to a golf cart adventure. Explored the trails and golf course. We came across the gorgeous little St. Francisville church and many other "small town" things. Really cool for the kids to see.

Then, Aunt Judy had the day planned. Full of fun and food! She spoiled us rotten and the children never once misbehaved or needed redirecting. That's Judy for ya!! She just has a way to keep things happy, peaceful and fun! We drove the cart down the trail to Thompson Creek. The water was freezing, but Judy dove right in. She floated on her back down the creek, and the kids followed suit. FaithAnn couldn't float, so she laid on Judy's chest while they floated together. Such an adventure!! The sand area on the creek was like a desert beach!! We played baseball, dug up clay from the bottom of the creek and made pots, and swam for hours. We made it back to Judy's for her to make an epic lunch. The kids were obsessed with her cooking and "buffet style" all you can eat food!

We spent the next day in the cool town of St. Francisville. Bikes, bookstores, cafes, live music and even a stop at the historical Angola Jail. The jail for people with life sentences. The museum there is super interesting. They have inmates (that have earned the rights) working the museum. We then enjoyed the night at Judy's. Eating dinner and visiting for hours! She really got to know the kids, which was such special time. Treasured memories.

The last day, we headed into Baton Rouge for an entire day at LSU!! My cousin (AnnaKathryn) lives there, and we enjoyed hanging with them. We got a huge cousin picture with all the kids. It was the first time my kids met them, and you would never know it. They acted like they were best friends from the get go! Family bond is undeniable! Then, we met my good childhood friend for lunch. Heather was my LSU roommate, and my friend since we were 12 years old! She stayed in Baton Rouge, and it was so nice to visit with her and see her daughter. 

We saw Mike the Tiger and headed to an LSU baseball game. The kids LOVED it!!! We made a stop at the gift shop and stocked up on LSU gear. The game was hot, but we found shade and loved every second. The boys couldn't take their eyes off the field. Trent was studying!! Judy and FaithAnn talked the entire game...deepening their immediate love connection! Magical day!

We ended the last day with sitting and talking for hours. I LOVED watching my kids with Judy. It was like watching my mom interact with the kids. Judy and my mom were cousins and best friends. I told her that I am so grateful she got to know my kids because it is a little piece of mom. She agreed with joy! FaithAnn cried for an hour when we left. She was ready to forgo her life to live with Judy!! This weekend was good for the soul. Good for the heart. I needed it. My kids needed it. We are blessed.