Derby Baby Birthday

We celebrated Ella's birthday on Saturday with a Derby Birthday Party. After the party, I asked Adam to guess how many pictures I had taken. He guessed 400, which was a little high.

The actual number is 392. Yes, he's a pretty good guesser. :)

And no, I am not going to post all 392 photos, but I will start with part I of the birthday celebration.
The guests were all asked to dress in Derby attire. Sweet Ella was wearing her pretty Derby hat.

Her daddy, Andrew, and sister, Haleigh were looking fine as well.

Darci made sweet and beautiful Derby cupcakes. Mint julep and red velvet. Mmmmmm.

Darling cookies with a Derby theme...

fit for a little girl who is 1 year old!

Andrew looked quite dapper manning the grill.

The kids all had great fun running in the yard.

Especially Harper.

So cute.

Matthew and Riley ran the first leg of the stick horse relay. Complete with jockey hats.

The seniors ran the second leg. I think they are actually called 'select.'

They received a garland of roses when they finished the race. Riley is checking to see if it smells good.

Grammy and Gramps took the kids to see the cows.

Josh took a couple more.

Boomie and the boys also checked out the cows in the barn.

Nana and Grandma visited in the house.

Birthday girl Ella and her pretty momma in their Derby hats.

A cake for 1 year old Ella.

And a cake for 93 year old Grandpa. Their birthdays are the 4th and 5th, so we had a joint celebration.

Happy Birthday Grandpa!

And Happy Birthday Ella!

1 year old!

Haleigh was happy to show Ella how to eat her cake.

Yum - mee!

She is SOOOO BIG! Happy Birthday, Ella!

Stay tuned for part II! :)

Happy Birthday Ella Kathryn!

This sweet little girl is 1 year old today! 

So precious.

It is a blessing to watch you grow.

And to see your sweet smile and hear your sweet giggles.

And as you grow and learn and walk and talk and run,

just remember your Granny loves you so much!

Happy Birthday Ella Kate!

(May the Fourth be with you!)

Getting Married in the Morning

This time last week, we were enjoying the 'day before the wedding' festivities. While the boys played a round of golf, a Stewart family tradition, the girls ate lunch in Zionsville at The Sanctuary. It is an old church turned art gallery, with a restaurant added, and we had the pleasure of a delicious lunch surrounded by the beautiful paintings of Nancy Noel. If you have never seen her artwork, you must check it out.

Jennifer even took a photo of the mother of the bride.

Jennifer and her maid of honor, Heather, friends since kindergarten. Heather will be married in August, with Jennifer standing beside her.

It was a blue sky day, although the forecast for the following day was not so good.

The girls all posed outside after the lunch. Such a pretty group!

My mother hosted us for the luncheon, and Jennifer posed with her Nana after lunch as well.

After a rehearsal at the church, which included the baptism of groom Bryan, we gathered at Maggiano's for a delicious dinner. Of course, we had some speeches to mark the occasion. David represented the two older Stewart siblings, and told some good stories, including the one where he slugged a guy who dared to disrespect his sister. Yes, even kind-hearted, peace-loving David can lose his cool when his baby sister is involved.

He also read a text message from Jennifer, from her early days of dating Bryan, in which she informed David that she was going to marry him.

Next up were Bryan's two oldest siblings, his sisters Adrienne and Erin.

They shared some good advice for the married couple.

Hugs all around.

Bryan distributed his gifts to the groomsmen, and his brother Justin promptly tried on his hat. I think it's called a 'Bryan hat.'

They gave thanks to all the friends and family gathered to celebrate the occasion.

When Uncle Steve grabs the microphone, you know you are in for some fun. Or something.

Steve, assisted by Andrew, got Jennifer and Bryan into position.

They were told to close their eyes and hug. Don't move!

Steve and Andrew then attempted to wrap the happy couple in toilet paper.

It was a bit harder than it sounded. Maybe they forgot to buy the expensive TP.

Darci came to help.

Thanks, Steve, for always being good for a little fun entertainment.

With only a little clean up after it was over.

The Stewart brothers sporting their jaunty 'Bryan hats.'

Matthew got one too, for his job as the ring bearer. He and cousin Ethan had a good time together.

Great smile, Matthew!

Jennifer and Bryan passed out itineraries for the day ahead to keep everyone on track.
Janelle and Jennifer, along with Heather, were headed back to Jennifer's house to share her last night as a single girl. "You're getting married tomorrow!"

Sing a Song of Hodgepodge

It's time for another Wednesday Hodgepodge. Joyce, over at From This Side of the Pond, graciously hosts the party each week. Click over and pay her a visit, and feel free to join the fun.

1. My daughter2 is graduating from university this month and plans to teach elementary school. What are three qualities you most want to see evidenced in a teacher?

As a teacher myself, I know how important, challenging, and rewarding this job is. Best of luck to your daughter2, Joyce, as she begins her career as an educator.

Three qualities I think are important are patience, enthusiasm, and the ability to bring out the best in your students. You must also be flexible, innovative, organized, and creative. Oh dear, that's more than three things, isn't it?

2. You can tell a lot about a person by__how well they listen.___________________.

3. What song makes you think spring?

There is a song from my childhood that we sang in church, often on Mother's Day. It was the first song I thought of when I read this question. Our choir director was from Wales, and when I looked up the song, I believe it is from the UK. The title is (I think), Sing a Song of Maytime, and I remember both the words and the tune.

Sing a song of Maytime,

Sing a song of spring.

Flowers are in their beauty,

Birds are on the wing.

Maytime, playtime,

God has given us Maytime.

Thank Him for His gifts of Love,

Sing a song of spring.

Blossoms on the hedgerow,

Sunshine on the hills.

Oh, the lovely Maytime,

All my being fills.

Maytime, playtime,

God has given us Maytime.

Thank Him for His gifts of Love,

Sing a song of spring.

4. May 1st is Mother Goose Day...share your favorite nursery rhyme.

I think I will have to choose "There was an old woman who lived in a shoe..." for obvious reasons. And while I didn't have that many children, there were times that I felt like that old woman. Of course, I never "spanked them all soundly and sent them to bed."       Did I? : )

(source)

Thinking of nursery rhymes made me think of the stops we made when I was a child at Storytown USA, in Lake George, New York. It was on our way to Vermont, where we visited my grandparents in the summer, and I have fond memories of Little Bo Peep and her sheep, Cinderella in her pumpkin carriage, and being a deputy marshall in the ghost town where we chased off the bad guys. The Old Woman's Shoe in the photo above was one of the cute attractions in the park. It was much simpler, and gentler than the amusement parks of today, and while there may have been a roller coaster there, it's not what I remember about the park. The costumed characters were real, and friendly, and actually talked to the children. And oh-so-many years later, I still remember it.

5. What makes someone unforgettable?

I can't remember. :)

6. Should music and/or art be part of a well rounded education?

My short answer is yes. Definitely.

7. What social situations make you flustered or nervous?

I don't really like to speak in front of large groups. Like our pastor said today, referring to his younger self, "I was so bashful I couldn't lead a silent prayer." 

8. Insert your own random thought here.

Our daughter got married on Saturday, and it was a beautiful day filled with family and friends. We had a great celebration, and now that the bride and groom are off to the beach, I have the opportunity to rest and relax a bit. We have been in wedding mode for many months now, and it is a little bit of a let-down after it's all over. I will share wedding photos soon, but I thought I would show a few of the fun things we did for the wedding.

I made these flowers using fabric circles which were cut and held over a flame to 'burn' the edges.

I used them on headbands for the little girls in the wedding.

And on the baskets for the flower girls.

Here is my granddaughter Haleigh trying on her flower girl dress.

Her little sister Ella got to have a matching dress.

I made bag tags for the bridesmaids' bags. It was fortunate that each of her bridesmaids had a different initial.

Flip flops for the bridesmaids for the reception. It's hard to dance in heels!

Hangers for their dresses.

Bags for our hotel guests.

Water bottles.

And goodies for the bags.

These bags were for the children at the reception. We included some snacks, a coloring booklet, crayons, a silly straw, beads, and a few other little goodies. They were a big hit.

And here's a picture of the happy couple. May God bless their marriage.