Our trip to Texas

Everything's bigger in Texas, this is true.  Here's Molly at the Texas Welcome Center.  We made a trip to Texas to go to our neice Karlynn's wedding in Umbarger.  On the way, we stopped in Haskell and Abilene to see my mother, grandmother, aunt, uncle and friends there for a few days.

This child had never experienced the sweet texture of cotton candy.  She absolutely thought it was amazing and Golden Corral is the best restaurant ever.

Next door to Mom's house is a playground at one of the churches.  Molly had fun playing on everything for a while, but it was a bit hot.

The next day, we drove to Abilene to see Grandma Pauline.  She'd moved into an assisted living facility there last year and I hadn't seen it yet.  It seemed very comfortable and nice.

I think she looks great for 96, don't you?

We gave her a photo of Molly which she loved.

She had this painting of Grandpa Raymond in her living room.  I've always loved it.  We miss him so.  He's been gone since 1988...way too young.

Saying goodbye is always hard to do.

We enjoyed our visit with Grandma.  Now I can visualize where she is when I call her.

We spent some time with Aunt Andrea and Uncle Bobby too.  Here we'd just had dinner at a mexican restaurant down the road from Mom's house.

We always take an afternoon to go visit Grandpa Raymond's grave.  It's a very tranquil place to remember him.  Wish he could have met Molly and Dan.  He would have loved to take Molly to ride his horses at the farm.  I used to love to ride when I was a kid.

Cousins Jolie (18) and Riley (16) have long ago started a little tradition of writing to Molly on Mom refrigerator message board.  How sweet are these notes?

We had a second visit to Grandma's place in Abilene and got our yearly 4 generations photo.

Grandma wears blue every day.  It was nice to see her again.

Uncle Bobby has chicken, roosters, pheasants and rabbits that we had a chance to go see.

We also had dinner with Mom's dear friend Tommye Jo and her husband Bob, Aunt Andrea and Uncle Bobby.  Tommye Jo's a  childhood friend from way back and was even there the day I was born.  They say that they may have been babies in cribs next to each other back when they were born.  

Good friends and sisters are the best.

Me with Mom, Molly, Tommye Jo and Aunt Andrea.

Our Angel

I wanted to get some casual photos of Molly in her 1st Communion dress before she outgrew it. My neighbor across the street, Susan Weed Kohlstedt took these beautiful photos for us. It was a hot humid day, but Molly was a professional little trooper and did great.  I think they turn out great...so pretty, joyful, innocent and sweet.  Our angel.

End of the School Year

Well, somehow another school year has gotten behind us.  Molly is no longer a 2nd Grader...she's moving on to 3rd Grade in the fall and to a new school.  Farragut Primary School has been a wonderful experience for all of us these last 3 years.  She loved her Kindergarten teacher Ms. Gibson, her 1st Grade teacher Mrs. Ashley and her most recent 2nd Grade teacher Mrs. Spell.  We will miss the warm and loving atmosphere of the primary school.  But we are also looking forward to her attending Farragut Intermediate School for the 3rd through 5th grades.

Here is her class with Mrs. Spell at their end of the year Hawaiian themed party behind the school.

Here they are being goofy.

Before heading to the bus stop on Hawaiian / Hat day at school.  Her class was having Hawaiian Day while the whole school was having Hat Day.

At the bus stop with her class room buddy Jasmine.

At the class party with Dan talking to Jasmine's dad near the girls' desks.

Daddy being silly...

Molly and Jasmine have become very good friends this year.

Playing Musical Hula-Hoops.

Making a sand necklace in the shape of a fish.

Making a picture frame with seashells.

Hula-hoop contest...it was hard to do in her tutu grass skirt.

With her gift for Mr. Steve, the bus driver she's had for these last 3 years.

The bus drop off on the last 1/2 day of school.

Let the summer break begin!!