Friday Talent Show and Late Arrival at Karate Camp!

Friday started early and ended late for us! We spent all morning loading up the truck for our trip down here to the Ranch. Mother's beauty shop appointment was in the afternoon instead of the morning and that just worked perfectly for us. After we gathered everything up - including the dog and cat - we drove to Fort Worth. Mother was waiting outside by the garage door when we pulled up.

While she got her hair done Louis Dean and I ran around doing errands. New shoes for him and a haul at Sam's for the Karate Camp. We stopped by the salon and got the garage clicker so I could unload the dog and cat and get them settled while LD went back for Mother. I ended up locking myself out of the house when I was getting Lucy settled in her kennel out on their back porch. I didn't panic. I just went through the gate to the front lawn where I stretched out on the grass under a huge tree! Deanie would be here shortly to pick us up and she has a garage door opener. While I waited I was remembering the story of Mother locking herself out in the same manner. Mother can't speak clearly since her stroke. I forget all the details but somehow a neighbor called the police and Mother managed to direct them to Deanie's house. I would have loved to have seen my sister's face when she opened her front door to a uniformed policeman who escorted her to his squad car and asked if she knew this woman! I no sooner finished my thoughts of this when my sister, Nita, drove up. She was home a little early and didn't even see me lying in her front yard!!

This is my niece, Andie, and she is the reason we were all gathering Friday!

It was Talent Show at her school!

This was Andie's third year to perform.

Each year she picks a Michael Jackson song.

This year it was Smooth Criminal.

She is an AMAZING dancer!!

We were like the paparazzi snapping pictures like crazy!!

Andie isn't your average 9 year old girl.

She was born 2 months premature and has had numerous surgeries on her eyes and her leg.

She is familiar with hospitals, doctors and pain.

She is a young lady of great courage and inner strength.

Nothing stops her or holds her back.

She has a love of music and dance and it shows in her performances.

We are all so proud of her!

We were at the school for FOUR hours!

Seldom are all four of us 'kids' together at the same time.

When it happens that we ARE - we take a lot of pictures!

It was a good evening!

We continued our tradition of previous years - 

a trip to Braum's to celebrate!

This is 'Katy Love' my brother's little granddaughter.

It was a fun way to end our night.

I painted an Angel for Andie and stopped by to give it to her before we left town!

I took a video of her performance and will post it as soon as I figure out how to do it!

I used our nifty new video camera.

It was going on midnight by the time we were on the road heading south to Waco.

It was 2:00 am when we finally got in bed.

Maggie likes being in the camper.

This was what we saw as we sat with our first cup of coffee.

There was more coffee down in the meadow.

Karate Camp was in full force!

It was a perfect April day.

The meadow makes a luscious campground.

I counted over a dozen tents!

I have to admit we are two tired old people tonight.

It's been such a wonderful day and I can't wait to journal about it.......

tomorrow after I get a good night's sleep!