My Town Monday: Jacksonville

One of my bloggy favs is hosting a new link up with a great topic so I wanted to join in. Sometimes, as you all know, I can get into the habit of backward looking. I look back to Alaska and want to return. I miss my home in Tennessee almost constantly. These things pop up in my writing all the time. In an effort to show you that my new town really isn't awful at all, I thought I'd show you exactly what it is that I love about being here. Welcome to my Jacksonville...

1. I love being near the beach. There's a beach girl in my heart, for sure.

2. I love that there's sushi exactly a mile down the road and it's delicious. I can run to the restaurant and run back or if I'm being lazy--they deliver!

3. Speaking of food, I love that we have a Whole Foods close by and other healthy, organic grocery options. The fresh seafood there makes its way to our table quite often.

4. I love all the parks in the area that I can take these crazy kids to.

5. I also love our church. I will probably miss it the most when/if we leave. It was refreshing to be able to find one that aligns so closely with what we believe as a family without searching around forever as we usually do when we get to a new location. The pastor is intelligent, warm, and an excellent teacher. The congregation has been so kind to us, too. We really really like it there.

6. And most of all? I love that it's not Ft. Polk, LA. This photo is courtesy of a friend who still finds herself stuck there for a wee bit longer. Only in Louisiana!

I will continue to be on the lookout for things I love about living here. There's a lot to love.
Now go link up your town!

Recap

*dusting off the keyboard*

Hello. My name is Mrs. K and I'm the brains behind this little blog. I feel as if I should introduce myself since I've been gone for so long. It has been a busy last few weeks. Just to recap:

2 Weeks Ago:

Photo Credit

We welcomed sweet Baby A into the world. I can't imagine my life without this precious boy now. Our lives have become so much busier, but so much fuller, too. I love him so much.

Here we are at his first appointment:

3 Days Ago:

We left our home in Louisiana (and the Army) to drive to TN for Christmas. Captain J is done with his military career and is moving on to civilian life. We'll be here for a month or two and then we're moving again.

Here's our crazy family dog, Lucy, after swiping an ornament-

It's good to be home.

Cray K is good, too-

There he is with his dad on Friday, just before we hit the road to leave. I can't believe how big he is getting! All parents say that, don't they? Typical.

I just love my babies. Sorry I'm not sorry.

In regard to recent events in CT, I'm squeezing them both even tighter. I doubt I'll ever have any words to explain what I felt when I turned on the news that day. Days later, I can't even fathom the depths of evil this world has and my heart is breaking. Shattering.

What is happening to our families?
To our schools?

It's terrifying.

Perhaps I'll have more to say on the tragedy later, but right now...

The best response I can think of is to spend time with my own children- teaching them, loving them.

Thanks for checking in with us. We'll chat soon.

Love,

Life Lately

Five more days. That's all that's left in the home that we brought Cray K and Baby A home to. The end of this stint here in Louisiana marks the end of Captain J's career in the U.S. Army. We've lived here just over a year and a half and it has been our longest time spent in the same house since we've been married. You'd think I would have bittersweet thoughts about it, but I'm looking forward to leaving Ft. Polk. It was fine while it lasted but I don't think I'll harbor much regret when I look back. I will miss the few people I've come to know here, though! 

Today I've been busy trying to pack what we'll need for our next step of this journey. We're headed home to Tennessee for a couple months before we move to Jacksonville for J's new job. There's a lot to do as you can imagine. In between packing up boxes, I'm completely absorbed in our new little addition to the family. He is absolutely wonderful, y'all. I have barely heard him cry. He is eating well. He never spits up. He is happy. This is all so new to me. K has always been rather cranky from day one so this behavior was an unexpected blessing. I may or may not be holding my breath, waiting for the bottom to drop out, though.

In the past few days since my mom and sister left, life in our household has been difficult. Cray K has really lived up to his name. I suppose he's all out of whack because of all the changes we've thrown his way this week, but his behavior has been terrible. I feel like I'm failing as a parent. I'm just crossing my fingers that his "terrible twos" started early and this is something that everyone deals with from time to time.

For the most part, K doesn't acknowledge his little brother. Occasionally, he'll saunter over to pull a body part or pat his head. Sometimes he rocks (read: shakes violently) the bassinet, but luckily I'm usually there to swoop in and save my sweet Baby A from his older brother's wrath. I'm definitely looking forward to going home so that K can have some distraction from cousins, aunts, uncles and grandparents! I want my sweet little boy back and maybe if there are more people to play with, he'll be happy again.

I want to cry just typing that.

I know this is all just an adjustment period for him and for all of us. I tried to play extra long with K, rock him to sleep, and take care of him just like I would before Baby A came along. It doesn't seem to help. Now, J and I have adopted the approach of divide and conquer- with him caring for K while I watch over A. It's not much fun, but it's working alright.

No matter how hard it is with Cray K, I simply won't wish the days away. I love soaking up all the time I can with A. When K was a newborn, it was really really difficult. Baby A has shown me just how different babies can be. They're both equally precious and I'm so grateful God chose me to be their mama! I certainly don't deserve the role, but I hope I'll figure it all out in time.  Thank you all for your prayers during this tumultuous period in our lives! 

Icing on the Cake

On the eve of such an important event, like bringing life into this world, you would think I'd have something profound to say. You might imagine that I would be gushing- saying I can't wait to meet the new little one. Really, I can't. I can't wait to see him, hold him, and let him know how much he's loved already. Still, my heart is conflicted. I don't want to leave K and have him wondering where I am for days while I stay at the hospital. I don't want him to miss out on any time with me. I can't stand the thought of him feeling less important to me now. All day today, I've been trying to hold back tears. His little world is about to be turned upside down and I can only pray that he handles it well. I love him so much. 

Who wouldn't? He's precious.

Yesterday, on our last weekend as a family of three, we went to Lake Charles to try out a new park. Unfortunately, the park was very new and it's not quite completed yet. Still, we walked along the docks downtown and got lucky to see a Christmas parade going on right where we parked! Bands played, Santa cheerily walked by in his t-shirt, and young girls with enormous jeweled crowns rode by on nice cars. It didn't quite feel like Christmas at eighty degrees, but it did feel nice. I enjoyed having this sweet time with J and K...and knowing that soon we'll have even more love to spread around in our family this week was icing on the cake.

The Hanging Jail

I've lived in Deridder for over a year now and I never knew what this place was. I drove by it, noticed the beauty and uniqueness of the building, but never researched what it was. Enter my friend, Sarah- avid researcher and pro at finding out crap she wants to know. I'm not kidding. If I needed to know something about how a process was to be done or what the latest gossip was during my four years at TTU, this was the friend to go to. She just has a way of finding stuff out. She's good, y'all. Anyway, just when I thought there was absolutely nothing to do in this town, she showed me the error in my thinking. 

We were perusing the Internet in hopes of discovering a worthwhile activity to do on a Sunday afternoon. This is no easy task in rural Louisiana. During our search, she finds The Hanging Jail. As she's reading about it, I realize- hey, I know exactly where it is! Let's go.

Here's a better photo of the old Beauregard Parish Jail-

Not My Photo

History:

The jail received its nickname due to the events of March 9, 1928. Two men were hanged in the large winding staircase that gave access to each cell. They were hanged after murdering a taxi driver that was taking them to their destination. The accused, Joe Genna and Molton Brasseaux, were not buried in Beauregard Parish. J. J. Brevelle, the taxi driver, is laid to rest in Woodlawn Cemetery nearby.

The jail housed over 50 prisoners and each cell had a toilet, shower, lavatory, and window! These luxuries paired with its "collegiate gothic" design were rare at the time it was built in 1914. In addition, a tunnel connected the courthouse and the jail and was used to transport prisoners to trial.

(Be warned that this video contains what I call "the t word". I hate that. Other than that, this video is good stuff.)

Current:

The building, also referred to as the Gothic Jail, closed in 1982. It is not open to the public. The pictures posted above are from my limited view through windows. I think it would make for a great tourist attraction if it could be opened up for informational tours. The location has been inspected by the paranormal experts of LA Spirits. Their personal experiences varied from viewing electromagnetic field spikes, a stationary camera that "jiggled" then fell over, smells of pipe smoke, hearing footsteps, and listening to noises that sounded like a running shower. The group opted to stay all night monitoring the building and considered it an honor.

As for me? I just thought it was a neat place. I didn't get any eerie feelings while I was there, but I really would have liked to go inside to see more. Sarah and I posed for a quick photo outside and then hopped in the car to another favorite attraction of mine- Pizza Hut.

Have you ever had a paranormal experience? I'd love to hear about it!

That Time We Went To The Fair

We couldn't let the fall season go by without visiting The Fair. It's The Thing To Do 'round these parts. Last week, we were able to kick off fair time by going to the celebration parade. This weekend, we followed up by actually attending the event. As someone who absolutely loves riding rides, playing games, and eating terrible for you foods, I thought it was going to be oh-so-awesome. I had fun because I was with my little family, but it was nothing to write home about (except I'm doing it anyway). I, of course, can't ride a single thing because of my large protruding middle. Baby K is still a little small to participate in most activities, too. The best part of the whole 30 minutes we were there was checking out the prize winning animals! And seeing Captain J win a stuffed snake- who has yet to be named, by the way. We're taking suggestions.

Have a great week!

Horses, Fire Trucks, and Candy- Oh, My!

I don't dislike everything about Louisiana. I mean....Alaska sure didn't have any small town parades and if they did it was definitely too cold to have a nice time standing around watching. When I go to these little events here, I miss home a little less. Although the parades here are much more substantial than the ones in my hometown. This one actually lasted hours. Pretty big deal.

That's what happens when The Fair comes to town.

A celebration must be had.

Fire trucks show up.

People ride bikes and horses.

Tractors pull wagon loads of kids sitting on bales of hay.

Pretty girls with huge crowns sit on the backs of sports cars and large trucks and wave as if they know every single person in the crowd. 

Candy is thrown

and life is good.

If you're lucky, you might even get a good laugh when you see a family of four packed onto a 4-wheeler. Mom is driving while managing a tiny child in front of her and simultaneously smoking a cigarette. Meanwhile, Dad is in the back with another one in diapers and they are quite the sight. There were no decorative streamers, no poster board signs. Nothing to hint that they were an actual part of the parade. They could have taken a left on the side road and just have been on an illegal Sunday drive with the family on the four-wheeler. These things happen around here.

And whatever. It feels a little like home.

Great Delight

Top o the mornin' to ya! By 8 o'clock I had the kitchen clean and muffins baking. It's going to be a good day!

Need some morning inspiration? I read this and felt a bit happier:

"The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing." -Zephaniah 3:17

I especially love the part that says He will take great delight in me. Sometimes I tend to forget that God is happy when I'm doing the things I love to do and using my spiritual gifts. It was a sweet reminder this lovely Wednesday morning.

Yesterday was nice.

I got out of the house sans husband and child. No offense, family...but it was glorious... UNTIL My Weekly Insult reared her ugly head. You already know what I'm going to say, don't you?

Let me set the scene:

I just escaped the walls of my house to get into my brand spankin' new under-two-hundred-miles-on-her Jeep to go get my hair cut for the first time in a long time. Looks much better, eh? Anyway, I decided to go to a new hairdresser. If you've been following along long enough, you know my struggle with finding an acceptable one here and every other stinkin' duty station we've been stationed. Just when I find a good one, it's time to move!

I sit down and this lady seems nice enough. But then it happens- the due date conversation.

When I tell her what my projected due date is (Dec. 7) she says, "That can't be right! You're SO BIG!" 

"There goes your tip", I silently say to myself and put on my best southern charmed smile just like my Mama taught me.

The lady continues to talk about my upcoming delivery and when she does, she refers to "the babies" - as in PLURAL, MORE THAN ONE BABY. I correct her only once that I know it must be baffling, but I am not, in fact, pregnant with twins. I suppose that was just too much for her to believe as she continued to talk about the nonexistent twins for the remainder of the appointment.

I know I'm short and I waddle a lot, but I think I look alright for someone who recently had a baby and will soon have another. Cut me some slack, people of Louisiana! That or just don't mention to me how incredibly huge and gross you find me. I'd be just fine if you kept that to yourself. That would be great. Thanks.

(I'm linking up with these lovely ladies today. If you're new (or old!), thanks for stopping by. Pleasure to meet ya!)

Exploring the Children's Museum

Some days, you don't care that you barely make it out the door. You double check while you're in the car- Did I bring wipes? Extra change of clothes? I hope I didn't forget to put on makeup. But then you get to your location- all meant to bring your little one happiness and nothing really matters anymore. 

Except his smile...

and seeing his curiosity in the world around him...

and having fun...

and making memories together.

K Baby Goes To The Zoo

Yesterday on my facebook page, I boldly told everyone to check out my recent post on going to the zoo. Minutes later, I realized I totally fabricated that in my mind. There was never any zoo post, there were only thoughts of one. Just like I can't recall if I ever posted about Baby K's first birthday party. I just don't know. My mind is swirling with preparations for Baby A, moving, and everything else I've got going on that I just don't know my foot from my elbow. I won't apologize for I'm sure you don't care about these little (big!) events in my life, but it upsets me that I blog less and less. I wouldn't mind if I was at least journaling about my life lately, but I haven't been. I don't want to forget all these special moments we have left to savor as a family of three. I'm scatterbrained and forgetful, ya know. I must write these things down.

We woke up that morning, itching to do something new. If you know the area, you know what kind of challenge this can be to find a kid friendly, new adventure to partake in. I asked Mr. Google what he thought about it and he spouted off all sorts of silly answers, but among them was this little gem:

The Alexandria Zoo

It took about an hour and a half to get there. We really weren't expecting much seeing as the primary activities of our immediate area include strip clubs and bars. But it turned out to be better than our expectations! Most of the small zoo is covered with shade which was a nice reprieve from the insanely hot day. Their variety of animals was more impressive than we imagined, too.

Baby K's favorites were the ducks, a particular peacock, monkeys, and an amusing fan outside the tiger cage. We found it interesting that he just could not take his eyes off that fan when there was an enormous beautiful white tiger enjoying his lunch right in front of our eyes. 

It was so hot, we poured pedialyte into little man. Poor dude was soaking wet when we got home.

During the drive back, we found a drive-thru daiquiri place for Captain J. Actually, I was super excited, too. We pulled up and I ordered a virgin pina colada which I quickly found out that they didn't do. Alcohol only. Hmph! Pregnant girls need fruity, cool drinks, too.

Still, it was a pleasant day.

I hope I remember Sweet Baby K's look of wonder when the zoo train passed by. I hope I can recall his little laugh when the monkeys climbed the fence to get a closer look at him. I hope I always treasure that day as one I got to spend with my wonderful husband and our growing family. They are all so precious to me.