“Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da (Life Goes On)”

On Wednesday afternoon, we had a relatively short and uneventful drive to my cousin Joey’s place in Houma. Thank you, Jesus. ❤ It was certainly nice to feel brakes again! 

Before we left Monkton, we made plans with Joey to stay with him for a few days so we could go see some alligator farms, do some sightseeing, and go horseback riding. As we pulled into his neighborhood, all the adrenaline had left our bodies from the last few days…and we were wiped. Joey is an incredible host, so these weary travelers had come to the right place. I was SO happy to finally see him!

He is stationed in Houma with the Coast Guard and is staying in a GORGEOUS craftsman reno right in downtown. This is a big change from his last post in Alaska!! And before that, Northern Virginia…when he got to see him a LOT. ❤

We were now several days behind schedule on our trip and would only be able to stay with him one night – less than 24 hours. Sigh… So we didn’t have time for all those adventures. But we made the most of it and – in the end – being with Joey, doing simple things, was just the recharge we needed.

He made us homemade red beans and rice with tequila shrimp for dinner. Yum!! And he even let Brady help!

Another huge plus of staying with Joey is his adorable dog, Klaus, the German Shepherd. He is SUCH a good dog. We all enjoyed cuddling and playing with him…but maybe Aiden, the most.

After dinner, we took a nice, slow walk through town to an adorable ice cream parlor. They had so many unique ice cream flavors…including doggie ice cream for Klaus!

There are incredible trees in Houma that we enjoyed looking at on our walk…as well as the bayou that ran through the square in town. 

When we got home, we just relaxed. There was lots of laundry to do and laughter to enjoy. Joey is a riot and so fun to be around…it really was the best medicine. He even included a night cap of his Black Barrel Jameson whiskey that he brought back from the distillery during his recent trip to Ireland. I can verify…you can taste the difference. 😉 

We enjoyed an awesome night’s sleep in a real bed. The house has such a rustic vibe that reminds us of home…which was comforting to us after the previous two nights.

On Thursday morning, he served us pancakes, eggs, and sausage. What a treat after many mornings of protein bars… We got to take real showers in his magazine-worthy bathroom and we felt like we were at a true bed and breakfast. Well…the Schlosser Haus, nonetheless. ❤

But don’t be fooled. As beautiful as the house was, Eleanor certainly brought the Cousin Eddie vibe. 

I definitely had to talk my husband down from coming out front in the morning in his bathrobe “just to be funny.” (If this were “The Office,” I would look into the camera.)

Joey…Lt. Schlosser, we are SO proud of you and we love you SO much. Thanks for being so flexible this week and for all the hospitality!!

| There’s a lot of beauty in ordinary things. Isn’t that kind of the point? – Pam Beesly Halpert |