some Kemah fun...

Before we told her we were headed to Kemah for some seafood and a carousel ride...

...and after...

I love white pelicans...

Gracie loves shrimp gumbo!

Gracie practicing her photography skills...

Taking a peek at some of the far out boats on a beautiful, sunny day...

Two rounds of Ring Toss...and thank heavens...no BIG red lion to show for it!!!

Carousel ride on a dolphin...

Loving her ride...

like... super loving it!

...and a hug goodbye to the end of a very nice afternoon indeed!

New Calf in Town

Born the day before St. Patrick's Day, we named our newest little bull calf "Rocky", for he is our newest little shamrock :) I like the name "Lucky" too, but that was the first calf we ever had after rescuing our original two cows, Greta and Zsa Zsa, and buying Dallas, our bull. Lucky is now on the rodeo circuit as part of an act with their rodeo clowns...so "Rocky" was the next best name we could think of... To prevent fighting, it is best to only have one bull for a herd and we already have two other guys we need to sell, so we are thinking of selling this little guy (while he can be bottle-fed and raised to be gentle) to the owner of the petting zoo that is the star of Gracie's upcoming 7th birthday party...now, we just have to figure out how to get him separated from his very protective Mom without getting trampled...always a puzzle to be solved 'round here! He's gonna be a pretty thing for sure!

ahhhhhhhh.....

Spring Break...




Enjoying some down time...no homework, no lunches have to be packed, no alarms, no place to be except a few performances at the rodeo...now that's what I'm talkin' about! :)

Mardi Gras 2011

Waiting on the good times to roll...



One necklace of beads snagged and the parade hasn't even started :)


so excited...


awww...it's an initiation! the fruit loop brigade!

it's here...

Look! Sylvester Stallone attended our Mardi Gras!

King of Mardi Gras

uh-oh...the drizzles...

...but I caught a stuffed bumble bee so...who cares?!

...and a coin!!!

I think it has progressed from the drizzles to full-out rain :/

Throw some beads people!!!

Thank you!

Hard to keep your loot organized when you're weilding umbrellas!

"Mommy, I'm soooo wet!"

...and indeed she was... as soon as we got back to the car, she stripped to her undies and passed out on the pillow and covers I keep in the car just for that reason!

Ya'll...I think she got some beads...& a bracelet, too! SCORE! :)

a little taste of the festivities...

Happy Lent everyone!

Seventy Schmevety...

...he gets around better than I do! All of that golf-playing keeps a man young! A few shots of Daddy throughout his 70 years of life...

Here I think he's with Aunt Ruthie...he's an itsy bitsy here! 1941 or 42??


Mom & Daddy's wedding... 1969


With me...maybe 1971 or 1972...my brother, Pat, is the age now that Daddy was then and I think they look sooo alike!


...and again...



Daddy & I with Aunt Mary (in back), Aunt Francie, and cousins Mary Ellen & Katie in 1974

Around 1980

1983??? Some big-to-do at DuPont...

At Mary Ellen's wedding, I think...with his Mom and all of his sisters...no idea who the guy on the right is, but it's funny that he thought he belonged in the picture :)

Chillaxing in our backyard pool with Pat & I... 1985 or so

On the summer vacation right after my senior senior year in high school... 1988

Watching Patrick's football game...1996???

Holding his grandbaby, Miss Gracie...2004

Christmas 2010

At Pat's of Henderson in Lake Charles, LA, celebrating his 70th birthday with all of us! Happy Birthday, Daddy!!!

Mom, Jack, Daddy, me, Gracie, Patrick & Lindsey

The more than two hours of traffic that we sat in on the way home was worth every minute...

I have no idea what kind of two car accident closes all lanes of a freeway, but after two hours of mostly a dead stand-still, we finally were able to get off and find another route...thank heavens...it turns out that my husband feels about Houston traffic the way that Daddy does. Impatient doesn't suffice, but it's the word I'll stick with :)

Thankfully, on the other side of the freeway now...

I just want to know where all of this beautiful weather of today was yesterday for Popi's special day and our travels...doesn't it always work like that???

Now that Popi is lucky #70, we better begin preparing for Gracie to turn Lucky #7 next month...and only one more week of school before Spring Break!!! Fun, fun all around!