New Orleans Pictures

I was asked to post a few more pictures from my trip to New Orleans. These are ones that a friend took and sent to me because I am in them. I thought I'd post those just to show that I really did go to New Orleans. You'll notice that food plays a center role in half of these pictures, which was more or less the proportion of time we spent eating. I will say the food was very yummy and I got to eat shrimp every day that I was there.

New Orleans Tour

The conference didn't start until lunch time today so this morning we took a tour a New Orleans. Our guide was very personable as well as knowledgeable and I learned many new things.

The tour included a stop at a cemetery to learn about burial practices in New Orleans. I knew that they had to bury the bodies above ground, but that was just the beginning of what we learned about this topic.

We also drove through the lower 9th ward. It is one thing to see the devastation on the news and another to see it in person. I have vivid memories of our flooding in Holland, so minor in comparison to this. I kept thinking about how these people must have felt - the ones that made it out alive. There were so many that didn't.

We went from the devastation of the 9th ward to the mansions of the garden district. New Orleans is a city of contrasts. Our hotel is centrally located. We can walk to the French Quarter, but we can also see the tall buildings of the city.

We are enjoying getting to know just a little bit about this city. Incidentally, the conference this afternoon was also very worthwhile and I am looking forward to day 2 tomorrow.

New Orleans

I left Sioux Center this morning with 10 other people from Dordt, Sioux Center Public School, and Sioux Center Christian School to attend a conference here in New Orleans. It is a fun group and it should be a good conference. We walked a few blocks from our hotel to Olivier's for dinner. Very yummy.

Walking down the street, it almost feels unreal, like you're in Disney or someplace like that. Lots of lights and people everywhere.

These pictures are for my son Jon Felipe. I thought he would enjoy seeing these signs for Felipe's.

Cleaning

Saturday is cleaning day at our house. We get everyone to pitch in and help. Jon Felipe particularly likes to help out around the house, often doing chores like unloading the dishwasher or straightening up all the shoes in the back hall without even being asked. On cleaning day, he likes to clean all the mirrors in the bathrooms, wash smudges off windows, and sweep the floors. His favorite, though, is to wash down the kitchen table and chairs. He has always done this, so I think it must be something he did in the orphanage. He does a thorough job, even wiping down all the chair legs. As you can see, he takes pride in a job well done.

So, if you want to come visit me when my house is clean, you should come on a Saturday, but not too early or we might rope you into helping with the cleaning - many hands make light work and all that.

Tractor Parade

As we were waiting for the school bus this morning, the kids and I were treated to a tractor parade.

There were also lots of tractors parked in the lot at the high school.

This city girl thought it was fun to see kids driving to school on their tractors.

Wordless Wednesday - Iowa Landscape

Photo credit: Dwight took these photos for me. We were driving from Sioux Center to Orange City, which is just the next town over and where Luke goes to high school.

Wendy

Several of my posts from Nicaragua mention Wendy. She is one of my students here at Dordt. She is a special person and I have enjoyed having her in several of my classes. This semester she is doing an independent study with me. While I was in Nicaragua, I had the opportunity to spend time with her family.

And a random picture of the ice in the trees because I think it so beautiful - treacherous, but beautiful.