Five years ago, on this day, it was a Monday, and I was in Dallas, TX, at the home of my Aunt and Uncle and their 3 children, working on my Accounting homework because I knew I had to have it done when I got back to school later that week. Or so I thought. We were trying to avoid the news coverage of Hurricane Katrina because we were afraid of what we were going to see. At first, it didn’t look so bad. The storm passed, the levees held, and everything was fine and dandy. Just a few hours later, we got news that the levees had started to break. That was the moment that life turned upside down for thousands and thousands of people in New Orleans. Many of my friends lost their homes, and some even lost family members or friends. I am very, VERY fortunate that my family survived with little more than downed fences.
It’s funny how destiny and God’s plan works. The year leading up to Katrina prepared my family for the month to follow one of the worst disasters of our lifetimes. Additionally, to think that this disaster would put my life on a direction for the better, is beyond my belief. I moved to Baton Rouge following the storm, thinking it was only temporary. There, I finished my college degree and paved the way for my little sister to attend college at LSU. I met Jason in 2007, and we would have never crossed paths otherwise. We have been happily married for almost a year now, and I absolutely love the family and friends that I have gained because of him and the experiences I have had with Jason in the 3 years that I’ve known him.
Anyway, I could go on and on about what happened, how bad it was, or the good that has come from it. My point of this post is to show that bad things are sometimes a blessing in disguise. People always make a huge deal of things in life, and sometimes people see things like this disaster as the end to everything. However, it’s not the end. It’s just a speedbump. Or it may be a new beginning. Everything in life happens for a reason, and it’s all part of God’s bigger plan. Just keep that in mind during the hard times and you’ll be at peace. That’s what I was told by a family member (can’t remember who!) when I had a breakdown during the first week following Katrina. I just didn’t believe them at first. I do now, and I’m thankful for that.
Here is a photo that I took at the Lakefront in New Orleans during the Spring of 2005. Those from New Orleans will recognize the country club that burned down during Katrina and the lighthouse on the left that, I believe, was destroyed and is no longer there.
“Do you know what it means to miss New Orleans, and miss it each night and day…… “
-Louis Armstrong
) I’m so excited for her and Scott, and I was so happy that she let me do her maternity pictures (and hopefully, soon, pictures of baby Victoria too!). 
