25 highlights of my vacation

It had been nearly four years since I had been to Louisiana to see my mom's family. My mom is one of nine so my family is HUGE and I used to LOVE going there as a kid. I have brought Matt back a few times and Lauren twice and Jamie once. This time I went without them-mainly due to cost. There was a LOT that of on my trip. Here are a few highlights:

#25. I had no idea how much I would miss these guys while I was gone. This is my little slice of heaven. I also had no idea how much they missed ME!
#24. The airport in Louisiana was advertising that they will start having flights from Lafayette to Vegas-straight....woo hoo!!

#23. Families are always growing. I got to meet the newest members to the "Duplantis" clan. I got meet my cousin Megan's husband-Tyson. I didn't get a picture of him-dang it. I tried so hard to get lots of pictures! I got to meet my cousin Steven and my cousin Jacob's DARLING little girls-Molly and Josie.
I got to meet my cousin Lexie's boyfriend-Ray. She caught the bouquet....so...maybe their wedding might be the next one I make it down for!
I also got to meet my cousin Lindsay's son-Austin. He looks so much like my Uncle Keith (my mom's second youngest brother).
I also got to meet my cousin Lanie's boyfriend Austin....but dang it-I missed his picture too! Next time I am there I will get to meet their baby-Collin. I am secretly hoping he will be born on my birthday-come on NOVEMBER 26!!!

#22. I CAN and DID make it 5 whole days WITHOUT Facebook. I felt a little behind-BUT I did survive.

#21. Vacations are always a little bit better than you THINK they will be. One of the best things about this trip was the surprise waiting for me at the airport...MY COUSIN LACY. Honestly I think I met her in person ONCE in 1994....because she lives in Mississippi. However, I've always felt like I knew her-because we ARE family. Also-I got updates from my Aunt Ellen and Facebook helps me keep tabs on everyone. Well...it was great to get to know her-and be roommates at my Aunt's house.
She is smart, sweet, beautiful, humble, oh I just LOVE her!
She is the daughter of my mom's second oldest brother, Phil. Oh-I learned that there is a difference between a Mississippi accent and a Louisiana accent. They sound the same to me-but everyone else pointed out and I was shocked.

#20. They KNOW how to have a wedding. My first, um, 5 or so weddings were in Louisiana-my mom was the oldest of 9-so I had a lot of weddings to attend as a kid. Anyway, my first wedding in Utah I found to be a bit of a snoozer. It was nice to be back in Louisiana and see a real PARTY of a wedding. Lots of bridesmaids, lots of hair, lots of makeup-everyone looked beautiful. I don't get to go to many Catholic weddings, so this was very nice....
They also have huge receptions with lots of dancing. WOOT WOOT go Megan! Megan is my cousin-my mom's sister Vicki's daughter AND sister of the bride.
My beautiful cousin Margo-in a gorgeous strapless dress. I WISH I would have gotten married in this dress-I loved it! It is another something you don't see in Utah, very often.
#19. It has been almost 6 months since I lost my dog Pepper and almost 5 years since I lost my dog Dixie and I realized that I miss having a dog SOOO much. My Aunt Anita has 3 dogs and I loved being around dogs again. This one...Cameaux..pronounced CAM-OH-reminded me of Dixie. I think I want a dog just like her when we decide to get another dog-she is a Brittany Spaniel. Such a sweetie...
#18. It is nice to be around people who know what "Godparents" are!!! Godparents are special people in our (Catholic) lives, a reason to have "favorites" and to be the "favorite" and have no one question the special treatment! They are your extra guardians. Here are my Godparents...my mom's sister Vicky (with her granddaughter-Ella).
And here is me with my "Godfather" Farron-Vicky's husband. Down south they call them your "Nanny" and "Parran". I wish everyone got to experience these relationships!!!
#17. It is SOOO much funner to gamble when you are WINNING! On Sunday afternoon I got to go to the casino with my three Aunts (Aunt Anita and Aunt Kathy-two of my mom's sisters) and my Aunt Bonnie (my Uncle Jed's wife). I was so lucky to get to hang out with these three ladies-maybe that is why I kept winning! I enjoyed a $2 hot dog with my Aunt Bonnie-our one-on-one time...I wish I woulda got a picture of us! Anita and Kathy are the pros and they are big winners! It was so much fun and probably the first time I gambled for 7 hours and stayed even! This picture was taken from my phone (I was waiting for them to come and yell at me)..the penny machines were good to me. Tee hee hee.
#16. My Aunt Anita is just plain WONDERFUL. She is my mom's baby sister-and not really that much older than me. A long time ago-when my sister Ashley was born she moved to Utah for almost 2 years, sadly for us-she moved back to Louisiana. It had been SOOO great to have her around! I always have felt super close to her. She regularly visits us in Utah and I can't get enough of her. She was such a great host to me! She is such a great planner-she is a take-charge person and she always knows what to do. She tells it like it is and has the BEST laugh on the planet. I could go on and on..... something that made me giggle on this trip was everytime she said "GAWL" it is the LONGEST word in the Cajun language. It is signature Nita FOR SURE. Oh and her daughter Lanie is just a big old sweetheart with the coolest deep raspiest voice-I love it.
OH AND my Aunt Kathy is the SUPERHUMAN one. I think I came to the conclusion on this trip that the only way she can do ALL that she does is that she must not sleep! My Aunt Kathy is the next born after my mom...she is EXACTLY the same age as my mom-they are born on the same day one year apart! She reminds me so much of my mom! When I would visit during the summers as a kid-I practically LIVED at their house! She has 4 kids and I was close to ALL of them. She is such a good cook-she seems to whip everything out with the greatest of ease. She is such a great provider and a true giver. I WISH I could be her!
Lanie and I....
#15. I love the way the talk there! They use the word "y'all" for everything and they use it multiple times in a sentence. I love their accent. It is so comforting to me. Sometimes I have to ask "what"? because I don't understand what they are saying. Everyone is so friendly there-even the strangers...that is why they call it "Southern Hospitality". They must think us northerners are big old jerks...for real yo!

#14. I missed my grandparents sooo much! Down in Louisiana everyone calls their grandmas "Maw-Maw" and their grandpas "Paw-Paw". My favorite memory of Paw-Paw was seeing him in his Saints jersey. He was SOO cute! I didn't know this-but my brother sent him this jersey and he wears it EVERY Sunday. If the Saints play on Monday-he makes them wash it on Sunday so he can wear it again on Monday.
He was definitely a little slower and a little quieter than when I saw him last. But he seemed happy and content. My trip was too short-I coulda spent a week just hanging out with them!!! I did manage to see them everyday of my trip. It made me happy happy happy! Saying goodbye to them was the hardest thing I had to do. I hate leaving and not knowing when I will be back.
#13. It was great to be there for the FIRST time ever on Maw-Maw's birthday. She was cracking me up...she changed the "81" to "18" and when someone gave her some undergarments as a gift-she was swinging that brazier in the air. Never too old to be fiesty. When she was 18, she lost her arm in an accident-but that never stopped her. She raised 9 kids-and now has something like 35 grandkids and like 26 great-grandkids. Grandkids from age 38 down to 11 and Great-Grandkids from age 21 down to 2 in the oven! I loved having a HUGE family and feel a bit sad that my family won't be big and crazy like that!
#12. For the FIRST time in the TEN years that I have been a Manager at work....I didn't even THINK about work!! I wasn't stressed before OR after my vacation-SO AWESOME!

#11. Every now and then I realize how old I am-and how "un-hip" I am. At the wedding-I didn't dance AT ALL...a FIRST for me. I didn't know ANY of the line dances they did. There was this new one, well-new to me, called "The WOP". When I got home I watched videos of others doing it so I could learn-I am such a geek. Here is shot of two girls doing my favorite move "play dead like". So funny.
#10. Being told that I am the one that talks funny. Really?! Tee hee hee. I don't think that I have an accent at all....

#9. I just have to say that my trip wasn't quite the same without seeing a few of my normal favorites: My Aunt Laura's sister-Nancy, my cousin Jennifer, my cousin Melanie, my cousins Travis, Pat and Dustin...(and Lindsay and Heather)! It was too short to fit everyone in-especially with a few living away from New Iberia.

#8. I love the traditions. Every visit-including the ones with Matt always has "cousin movie night". This time was no exception. My cousin Jacob-the organizer-got his wife Tierra and my cousin Farrah to come out and see "The Thing" even though we girls wanted to see "Footloose" it was so much fun! Farrah hates scary movies and covered her eyes during most of the movie-which just made me laugh and scream at the same time. I am so lucky to have so many cousins as FRIENDS!!!
#7. Speaking of cousins...I am so proud of my many cousins and of their accomplished spouses. Most of my cousins are teachers, I have a bunch that work for the ambulance, I have a few that have married doctors and lawyers, there is one that owns their own business, I am so proud of all of them-proud to call them mine.

#6. The food is ALWAYS a highlight there. I could have taken a picture at EVERY meal. When my plane landed in Atlanta-the first thing I did was get me some Popeyes fried chicken! I love their chicken and their mashed potatoes and their melt in your mouth bisquits! I had it one more time in Louisiana as well. The seafood is SOOOO good there. Shrimp is good in Utah but it is so tender and soft and good in Louisiana. I tried to get as much seafood in as possible, yummo!
(my Aunt Kathy's Shrimp Fettuccinni)....so good!
#5. Over the last few years I have realized that my cousin Nicki is my "twin". We have so much in common and seem to have the same things happen to us at the same time-hard to explain-but I have been lucky to get closer to her and it was great to have a Sushi night. Her husband agreed to come even though he hates Sushi (thanks Josh), my cousin Matt and his wife Lynn and my cousin Steven (who is recently slimmer) also came and it was great to spend some time with them. Steven even tried Sushi for the first time and I am so mad I didn't get a picture of the awesome roll he had..a LOBSTER roll...he gave me two of his pieces and it was SOOO good.
What a good looking bunch we are...do we look related? Our moms are sisters! Well, I spent the night with Nicki in her gorgeous new house and we stayed up until 4 am talking-until I didn't have a voice anymore!
#4. I wish I had gotten a picture of this...but as I was going to the airport-we drove past some prisoners working on the side of the road. They were in black and white striped clothes-and I could be imagining this but there might have been handcuffs or chains-but it was JUST LIKE IN THE MOVIES!!!

#3. My youngest cousin Maddie told me I reminded her of my Aunt Laura's sister-Nancy. I took that as such a great compliment because I have always thought Nancy was so beautiful. Here is my Uncle Paul (my mom's youngest brother), my Aunt Laura and Maddie.
And me and their other daughter-Lexie-who is going to school to be a DOCTOR!
#2. In my grandparents bedroom is the senior picture of all nine of their kids. I love to go into their room and stare at the most beautiful picture of my mom-EVER. She still has that beautiful hair. People tell me I look like her...but I don't see it....I am not that pretty!
#1. If you couldn't tell by now...the highlight of my trip was seeing my wonderful family. I am so blessed to have so many people in this world to be related to. I hate having to live so far away from them...but it has always made for a special place to visit!
I have wonderful grandparents who are loving and generous. They are inspirations for overcoming obstacles, working hard, being dedicated and loving and giving unconditionally..all with humor and grace.
Dorris and John...together 60 years...amazing!

Okay-anyone who knows me knows that I have a big mouth-so I am going to say this and it might offend some, that isn't my intention. The hardest thing about this visit was seeing how some people in the family have become distant. There have been quarrels that have separated them. I am not 100% sure of the reasons-but I want to grab them my the neck and shake them and open their eyes. They are SOOO lucky to have such a wonderful family around them and to have them in the same city! I don't think that they realize what a blessing it is to have what they have-it is something I have NEVER had. I really hope that they can appreciate that and do their best to apologize or to forgive and to move on. I hope that they can be the bigger people and reach out to make amends-no matter the reason or who is to blame. Family is family and the love should be unconditional. I really hope that things can get back to the way they used to be. I hope that they can, like me, see that the best happiness in the entire world is being around family-FRIENDS too! I hope that everyone will make extra visits to see Maw-Maw and Paw-Paw-it is another blessing that some take for granted. They get so happy to see us and life is so short-you never know when your visit could be the last. Okay, that is me on my soapbox. The end.