March extras

back before the quarantine

I had to recreate this picture when we happened to stop at the same rest area.

saying goodbye

One thing I wanted to do while we were in Louisiana was take a picture of Grace with her namesake.

Only family could attend the service.  It was sad that so many people that loved my granddaddy couldn't come.  It was especially hard to stay away from those that you needed hugs from the most.  We did our best to honor Granddaddy Loy and his service in WWII.

The kids seemed to sense the somberness of the day and were very respectful.

I cannot adequately express how much this man meant to me in my life.

For as long as I can remember, he was always a man of honor and integrity.  I looked up to him as a child and as an adult.  I am thankful that Granddaddy Loy and Grandma Grace are now together again.  They both hold such a special place in my heart.

We were blessed to have him here almost 95 years.

Louisiana

I knew we would be making a trip to Louisiana soon as my grandfather was not doing well.  When we got the call, I knew that our trip would be greatly affected by the coronavirus.  We decided to distance ourselves as much as possible by staying in a house by the lake.  It was a great decision!

 

The first thing the kids wanted to do was explore.

Hooray!  We're done with the two day drive!

 The water level was so high that half of the dock was underwater.

 Almost immediately Leo started catching baby frogs (5 in all).

My older brother stayed on the top floor of the house and we stayed on the bottom.
It was so easy to forget to stay six feet apart, especially with Grace.

 hunting frogs
 They caught a baby turtle.

 Harrison caught a lizard.

 Leo reluctantly released all the frogs and the turtle.  This frog swam like he was in the Olympics when Leo let him go.

 The LSU hats that the boys are wearing were my grandfather's.

 Grace preferred to watch everyone from a safe distance.  Look at those curls in the back!

 Harrison caught a fish!  He was so proud!

 Although this was a difficult trip with a lot of emotions, the serenity and beauty of our surroundings helped me to relax and reconnect with my Louisiana roots.

Happy Birthday Leo!!

 This is definitely not where we thought we would be or that a virus would be gripping the world on Leo's birthday.  But, we tried to make his day as special as we could under all these circumstances.  He chose cinnamon rolls for breakfast.

Since we've been in Louisiana, I think Leo has caught five baby frogs.  On the morning of his birthday, he went outside and their was a big frog in his boot, like a present.

 

 That afternoon we had a little party with some more family.  My mom made him the cookie cake.

 Of course he was most excited about opening presents.

 Leo wrote my mom a letter back in January asking her to send him a frog from Texas for his birthday.  His wish came true!

 Christian (and family) gave him a hammock. 

 gifts from Harrison & Grace 

 a remote control Grave Digger!! 

And to top off the day, Leo got to eat hot dogs for dinner.

What an unforgettable birthday!