...laissez les bon temps rouler...

...let the good times roll...

Did you know that Carnival or Mardi Gras goes all the way back to 1582, when Pope Gregory XIII made it an official holiday?

...we had our annual Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday or some call it Shrove Tuesday)...

...and because I love all things linguistic I'm including a quote from Wikipedia explaining 'Shrove Tuesday' as well...

The word shrove is the past tense of the English verb to shrive, which means to obtain absolution for one's sins by way of confession and doing penance. During the week before Lent, sometimes called Shrovetide in English, Christians were expected to go to confession in preparation for the penitential season of turning to God. Shrove Tuesday was the last day before the beginning of Lent on Ash Wednesday, and noted in histories dating back to 1000 AD. The popular celebratory aspect of the day had developed long before the Protestant Reformation, and was associated with releasing high spirits before the somber season of Lent. It is analogous to the continuing Carnival tradition associated with Mardi Gras (and its various names in different countries) that continued separately in European Catholic countries.

In the United States, the term Shrove Tuesday is less widely known outside of people who observe the liturgical traditions of the Episcopal, Lutheran, Methodist, and Catholic churches. Because of the increase in many immigrant populations and traditions since the 19th century, and the rise of highly publicized festivals, Mardi Gras has become more familiar as the designation for that day.

...anywhoo...we were there - with ALL our bad colds...

...and I just had to embarrass myself by singing Anita Renfroe's Momisms...thankfully no one videotaped it...but Scout took a few pics...

...I had a very long 'script'...so fun...and you can see I'm in costume...I'm supposed to be a Mom...

...if you've never seen the real version here it is...so funny...

...a good time was had by all...lots of fun, food, and fellowship...

...there were other 'acts' as well...the LYO did skits...the boys did the one about pulling a rope because it's easier than pushing it...and the girls did the one about the squirrels chasing them because they think they are NUTS...funny - if you've got a Scout (girl or boy) in your life - you are probably familiar with these skits...

...sorry I don't have pictures...but I forgot my camera in all of the preparations and had to run home and get it...so I also missed the really cute Laurel and Hardy skit about mustard...


...but there was a stand up comic...that told hilarious 'Church approved' jokes that he had written on his napkin...

...and then Sven and Ollie made their yearly appearance...this time Sven had 'won' a one-way all exclusive trip to Mexico and had to make his way back north by eating the lutefisk that he found on the beach...Eeeeuuuuwwww...but the amazing thing is that the Sven is the actual author of this yearly treat!...that's Sven on the left...and Ollie (with his lutefisk sandwich) on the right...


...and then the LYO kids did the cleanup - which was super nice!...