A Little N.O. in the STL

After experiencing Mardi Gras, we just had to bring a taste of the festivities back to St. Louis. Of course, that meant a party, a king cake and lots of beads, doubloons, cups and toys. Since it was a last-minute celebration, the crowd was small...but still plenty of fun! Pictured above are the gals: Stacy, Chris, Shauna, Missy, Mona and Torie.

Here are the guys: Wade, Clay, Tim, Jim and Ben. Once again, the camera caught Wade dreaming about king cake...or beignets...or chocolate.

And last, but not least, the kiddies: Grace, Joshua, Liliana, Nick-Nic, Alyce, Caden, Tyler and Peyton. They were definitely the life of the party, especially at 10:00am. Next time, we'll have an evening shindig. It's difficult to get into the carnival spirit first thing in the morning.

More Mardi Gras Fun

Beads, beads and more beads! Stuart, Carter and Cole model their Mardi Gras goodies. Each year, we catch hundreds of fistfulls of beads and assorted goodies during the parades. We keep the unique throws and share the rest with our friends and family. This year, we had more than enough to go around!

All hail the king! Here's our neighbor, Clay, who had the good fortune to find a tiny baby in his cake. Here's the story of the King Cake...

The King Cake is a brioche-style cake traditionally made throughout the State of Louisiana during the weeks prior to Mardi Gras. Usually oval in shape, the King Cake is a bakery delicacy made from a rich Danish dough (which is a sweetened yeast bread...a cross between a coffee cake and a French pastry) and covered with a poured sugar topping decorated in the traditional Mardi Gras-colored sugars of purple (symbolizing Justice), green (symbolizing Faith) and gold (symbolizing Power). This colorful topping is representative of a jeweled crown in honor of the Three Wise Men who visited the Christ Child on Epiphany (a word derived from the Greek meaning "to show"). Epiphany, also known as Twelfth Night (i.e., January 6) is when the Carnival Season officially begins.

The King Cake tradition is believed to have begun with French settlers around 1870, who were themselves continuing a custom which dated back to Twelfth Century France, when a similar cake was used to celebrate the coming of the Magi twelve days after Christmas bearing gifts for the Christ Child. This celebration was also once known as King's Day. As a symbol of this Holy Day, a tiny plastic baby (symbolic of the baby Jesus) is placed inside each King Cake but in times gone past, the hidden items were usually coins, beans, pecans or peas.

Today, the cakes are baked in many shapes but originally, they were round to portray the circular route take by the Magi in order to confuse King Herod, whose army was attempting to follow the Wise Men so that the Christ Child could be killed. The origin of the modern King Cake can be traced back to the Middle Ages, when popular devotion during Christmas turned to the Three Wise Men. In 1871, the tradition of choosing the Queen of Mardi Gras was determined by who drew the prize within the cake. Today, such a find is still deemed to be a sign of good fortune and it is customary for the person who discovers the hidden plastic baby to host the next King Cake Party. (Info from novareinna.com.)

French Quarter

About ten minutes ago, I received the rest of the Mardi Gras photos. Normally I take all of the photos, but I was on strike during this trip. Suffice it to say that the strike is officially over. Anyway, I wanted to give everyone a better glimpse into the Carnival scene before moving on to the latest and greatest of St. Louis life. So, here you go!

Above: Liliana on my lap, Wade, Sarah (Wade's sis) and Victor outside Cafe du Monde, famous for their beignets (square doughnuts with piles of powdered sugar). Below: our little family enjoys large amounts of sugar. From the look on Wade's face, he was definitely on a sugar high!

More N'awlins Pix

The "W" gals on St. Charles Avenue.

Wade with his wife, bro and sis.

The performer bewilders Liliana.

Even crocs are friendly during Carnival!

Precious moments in the midst of Mardi Gras.

Laissez Les Bons Temps Rouler!.

Let the good times roll! Here we are in N'awlins during Carnival. Liliana really had a great time, despite her "somebody save me" look in this photo!

We just returned from the Deep South, where we celebrated Carnival with family. Wade is from Mississippi, where (believe it or not) schools are closed for three days in recognition of Mardi Gras. We spent most of our time on St. Charles Avenue in New Orleans watching the parades & catching all kinds of crazy throws. Little ones were definitely the big winners as floats passed by. And Liliana was no exception. Here's a taste of the items she received: dozens of unique beads, cups, and doubloons; a baby doll; a $25 box of board books; a porcelain clown; and about 25 stuffed monkeys, jesters, and other assorted animals. After all was said and done, we brought home five heavy bags of loot. Plenty to share with friends and neighbors!

Happy Fat Tuesday!

Mardi Gras

Saturday at Mardi Gras in New Orleans. Liliana loved Iris and Tuck Krewe parades. We all enjoyed the festive floats, flying beads and cheering crowds.

Heartbreaker!

Liliana on Valentine's Day.

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Apparently, she's going to be a little heartbreaker. Look at the way she stomps on hearts after only two years' experience!

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Hope ya'll are having a great weekend. We're in a Mardi Gras state of mind with the festivities happening in New Orleans the next few days.

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Wade can't stop thinking about beignets from Cafe DuMond. If you've ever had them, you understand!