Fourth of July Memories

This past weekend I celebrated the Fourth of July with my family in Henderson. These are a few things I want to remember...

• Spending Friday afternoon at the farm doing our traditional holiday activities — eating hamburgers and homemade ice cream, working on a jigsaw puzzle, and relaxing around the cabin
• Watching the Henderson fireworks show from a hill near Lake Forest Park
• Eating homemade biscuits with my parents on Saturday morning
• Driving over to Gilliam, Louisiana, to see the fields of sunflowers
• Finding the NCAA Women's Gymnastics Championships on TV one night
• Attending the Texas Shakespeare Festival in Kilgore once again — Mom, Dad, and I saw "Cymbeline"
• Enjoying the covered dish supper after the combined church service on Sunday
• Seeing the camels and other wildlife on my way back to Austin on Sunday

And a few pictures...

Memorial Day at the Farm

Last Monday, I spent Memorial Day with my family out at our farm. We worked on a fun jigsaw puzzle of the Alamo, ate delicious homemade burgers and ice cream, watched the cows come a little too close to the cabin, and generally enjoyed each other's company. Here are a few pictures of our day.

Enjoying the peacefulness of the farm

Easter in Pictures

I was so excited to spend Easter weekend at home with my family in Henderson. I drove home Thursday evening after work and didn't start back for Austin until after lunch on Monday. Over those few days, Mom and I went to Canton and explored the Azalea Trail in Tyler, the whole family dyed Easter eggs at the farm, and we all went to church on Easter Sunday. Perhaps the most meaningful part of my weekend was visiting the Bonfire Memorial at Texas A&M on Monday. I was able to see the pillar that honored Jamie Hand, and it was definitely worth the trip to College Station (even if I spent most of my time in the town worried that I would be called out for the Longhorn emblem on my car).

And as promised, a few pictures...

Texas wildflowers

In Rust We Trust

The whole world

Pyrex and more Pyrex

Beautiful quilts

The original Duck Dynasty?

Hydrangeas

Corn dog stand

Box of sticks

Pink azaleas

White azaleas

Tyler's Azalea Trail

Sweet kitty

Dyeing eggs at the farm

Blue egg

Unimpressed with egg dyeing

Bonfire Memorial

30 Things to Be Thankful For - Day 17

Tonight I am giving thanks for our farm. Throughout the years, it has been a place for family gatherings, church events, and holiday celebrations. It is also one of the most peaceful places I have ever known, and when I think about "getting away," I often dream about sitting at the edge of the pier, gazing out at the pond. The farm can be hard to explain to people who aren't familiar with it, but to me it's always meant one thing: home.

Happy birthday, America!

Moments to remember from this past weekend:

* Picking up Chuy's chips and creamy jalapeno sauce on my way home (and eating a few too many chips along the way)

* Keeping Sammy occupied on the way home

* Spending the night in Paul and Esther's new spare bedroom

* Exploring Canton with Mom and Esther on a HOT Saturday morning

* Drinking a cherry limeade and eating a foot-long corn dog for lunch (with kettle corn for dessert)

* Finding new bedside tables and a neat frame to put over my bed while shopping at Canton

* Trying to keep Parker away from Sammy's canned food

* Enjoying pasta and dessert at the covered dish lunch at church

* Finishing two jigsaw puzzles at the farm

* Eating hamburgers and homemade ice cream with the family

* Watching the Boston Fourth of July fireworks on TV

* Practicing some new techniques with my camera

Sammy's ride

Colored glass

Pretty flowers

The sign says it all

Esther's super cool Polaroid camera

Mom's 4th of July tablescape

Reflection

Easter Weekend

Wow! It's so hard to believe it's almost been a week since I drove home for Easter. This week has flown by — and Friday promises loads of excitement with the royal wedding and the women's short program at Worlds (I had to add that last one in there). I had planned to write about the weekend much sooner, but since I forgot my laptop charger at home, I couldn't do too much. Anyway, here's a brief snapshot of the weekend.

On Friday, we drove over to the Country Tavern for ribs. Yum (and messy, of course)! The next day, Mom, Esther, and I made the monkey bread for Easter dinner while Paul and Dad worked in the yard. Later that day we all went out to the farm. While we were there, we worked on the jigsaw puzzle, and Mom and I took a turn on the paddle boat. (Luckily, Handy decided not to follow along behind us.) That evening, we ate dinner and then decorated Easter eggs. The dye didn't turn out as well this year, so some of our eggs looked quite interesting. On Sunday, all five of us participated in the service (Esther and I carried lilies, Paul brought the Christ candle in, and Mom and Dad carried the paraments.) After church, we all had Easter dinner with Mary, and then it was time to head back home.

I've included a few pictures of the weekend below: