Fiesta!

    

"The morning dawned bright and clear," as they say...

Meeting new friends!

Esther B...

...decorating!

 

Cheery and festive!

Worried about something?

Setting up chairs for the delicious food...

 

Love the bright colors!

The P. girls and Elisha served food!

Crystal made this and the other half of the world, (!) and the pastor's wife from the G.s' church made the center cake with the verse, "Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel".

Brothers

Mr. G.s' Mother!

Spectators

Duane

Stephen

Mom and Dad share a laugh!

Family pictures before leave-takings...

People have found the shady spot!

Duane again!

Mr. Goodm. very kindly and patiently coached Stephen through a game of Croquet!

Thanks again for the nice game!

Too cute!

And now for the pinatas!

 

Go for it!

McCaitlin got a chance!

this is a contact sport : )

Confetti!

The elf

I think Andrew must have hit it!

Poise

I just like the feel of this photo--so here it is

"Yea, it is up there..."

Stooges!

...And the very last pinata before it was broken.

"Uuhhh, Max?"

Chairs needed again for dinner!

Sweet S. girls!

Dad appreciates something that was said!

Now, if you look closely at this picture, you will notice that my smile is rather emphatic.Well, it appears that the man behind me is blowing at my neck through a straw, does it not? You would smile like that too, wouldn't you, in the same situation?

Volleyball. The all encroaching sport.

 

All into it!

 

And thus ended a very lovely day, which we will all remember for a long time to come!

"The greatest poem ever known

Is one all poets have outgrown:

The poetry, innate, untold,

Of being only four years old."

--Christopher Morley

(Stephen is five now, but who cares!)

Stephen in the learning stage of his bike riding

Profiles

..little ones look sweaty and tired...

Andrew's hair is beginning to curl--which I think is the neatest thing!

"Batter my heart, three person'd God; for, you

As yet but knocke, breathe, shine, and seeke to mend;

That I may rise, and stand,--o'erthrow mee,'and bend

Your force, to breake, blowe, burn and make me new.

I, like an usurpt towne, to'another due,

Labour to'admit you, but Oh, to no end,

Reason your viceroy in mee, mee should defend,

But is captiv'd, and proves weake or untrue.

Yet dearely'I love you,'and would be loved faine,

But am betroth'd unto your enemie:

Divorce mee,'untie, or breake that knot againe;

Take mee to you, imprison mee, for I

Except you'enthrall mee, never shall be free,

Nor ever chast, except you ravish mee." 

--John Donne

Antique-ing in Bonham etc...

We parked on the other side of the square from the antique shops so we could walk around the square and look into the other stores on the way. And isn't that what downtowns are for? Going everywhere by foot not vehicle, stopping to peek into the vintage barber shop and discover some new hole in the wall... it's so impersonal just to drive by...

Need a detective? Sly Fox is willing to help... : )

Confederate monument in the square...sorry the top is missing...

The purpose for our outing at last!

Elisha and I liked these vases...and thought them spiteful to have such exhorbitant price tags! But...this store had a wonderful deal for me in the shape of a fanciful silver pitcher with "claw" feet and a frog mouth... I wasn't sure if the tarnish would all come off, but it was mostly shiny. I have since found that the tarnish wasn't permanent!

One of the stores had this map in it which was marked with the places people had come from who had visited the shop. Surprisingly, there were scribbles from all over the world! This shop was so cram packed with stuff it reminded me of what a freind said a turkish bazaar was like--baskets and piles of stuff and only room for one person to walk in the aisles!

 

March redbud

 

Stephen takes great pleasure in playing Playmobil in the woods!

Puss-in-boots

The female puss in boots who still has no appelation--maybe we should call her Mrs. John Doe?

"I with borrow'd silver shine,

What you see is none of mine.

First I show you but a quarter,

Like the bow that guards the Tartar:

Then the half, and then the whole,

Ever dancing round the pole."

--Swift

A little Irish girl...

"For the great Gaels of Ireland

Are the men that God made mad,

For all their wars are merry

And all their songs are sad."

--G. K. Chesterton

My antique store aquisition makes itself handsome and useful as part of the Ireland display!

Double duty...

Stephen has learned to ride!

Skeptical...

Connoisseur...

"A young artist"

Beauty...

Oh dear... what is she going to do next...

"...so you see there was a simple solution..."

Three on bikes (!!!) instead of two and a scooter!

Elisha and I went to a bridal shower wherein....

The bride-to-be enjoys holding a freind's baby while visiting!

Dear Sarah who we had not seen in a whole year, was there with her sweetie Caroline! (two pictures down)

Fanciful!

Hostess Adrienne with Caroline...there were three babies present...what blessings they are....!

"He smiles and clasps his tiny hand,

With sunbeams o'er him gleaming,--

A wolrd of baby fairyland

He visits while he's dreaming."

--Joseph Ashby-Sterry