Easter Time

We were busy as can during Easter Season!
We made Easter Frames for our BlueBonnet pictures

with our Favorite Neighbor Bean Friends.

Naturally we made sugar cookies!
What is the Easter Season without sweet
yellow duckies, white bunnies and pink hearts?

AND...we are onto yet another project...
painting out paper mache shapes!

To top off our day's activities

we make Cascarones!
Individually decorated and filled with confetti...

the fun is about to begin!

Take a look at this beautiful egg...

of course I really mean the Bean!! :)

The generous Easter Bunny leaves surprises for all!

Look at all those eggs Butter found!
Da Heat only helped a little bit...

It's time to start opening gifts and candy!

Our company has arrived and

there are more eggs and treasures to find!

This years hunt is unique.

Within 25 eggs are 2 puzzle pieces.

Only teamwork can complete the puzzle and find the clue...

to where the Big Prizes can be found.

Heads together piece by piece the puzzle is completed!

With a little help from the Mama the completed puzzle

is flipped over to reveal...

The surprise message!

Yeah!

The treasure is found and everyone is smiles!

Each basket is filled with a bunny rabbit

and his favorite gardening treats;

seeds for lettuce, carrots and sunflowers!
Oh yes...and of course candy for the Beans!

Bubbles!

Butter is thrilled...

It's her first Bubble Bath!

Leprechaun Traps

Everything is coming up Green at Butter Bean's house!

Naturally...it's time to celebrate St. Patrick's Day.

We have been reading up a bit on the wee little folk;

Leprechauns!...

and hope to trap one of these tricky little ones for ourselves.

Who knows...Maybe we'll get a Pot of Gold!

A leprechaun can not resist o' bit of fun...

so we have decided to build him a rock wall for him to climb.

Our neighborbean friend is getting into the Spirit of the Green.

The wee folk do like fun...but remember,

it's tough to trick a tricky one!

So, our boxes must be carefully camouflaged.
Then the "bait" must be set.

Rocks are strategically placed to lure the Little One to the top of the wall.

Waiting at the top is a couple of gold coins and a wee flag of Ireland...

What leprechaun can resist!?!

Can't resist trying to catch a Leprechaun for yourself?

Check out Family Fun; "To catch a Leprechaun" for all the details!

Butter Bean gets ready for some Irish fun!

Hopefully, a little Irish Luck will be with us all!

Girl Scout Cookie Time!

Butter did a fantastic job selling Girl Scout Cookies!

Naturally, who could resist...

"Would you like to buy some Girl Scout Cookies?"

And with the help of the mama,

and lots of faithful friends and family

Butter Bean sold...(Drum roll, please)

279 boxes of Cookies!

What an accomplishment.

We tallied up our order sheet,

turned in our numbers...and waited for the call...

Come and get your cookies!

Oh my!

I hadn't really thought about how that many cookies would look!

Thankfully 107 boxes for the cookies went directly to

Troop to Troop,

"arming" our forces with the necessities...cookies.

That still left 172 boxes of cookies...boxes and boxes!

All on our dining room table.

Now we are packing up the cookies;

order by order,

1 box, 2 boxes, 3 boxes, maybe even 4 or 5 boxes.

One order at a time to...

(You guessed it)

to deliver them!

Oh my!

Butter has been such a trooper

and has helped count and pull and pack.

Yesterday we loaded up a wagon and set out in our neighborhood.

Everyone LOVES getting Girl Scout cookies!

This is Butter's first opportunity as a Daisy Scout to sell cookies.

She made the Girl Scouts (and Da Mama and Papa) Proud!

Sunrise, Sunset

Tonight is the Daddy-Daughter Dance!!

Never before have the words to the song

Sunrise, Sunset rang so true!

Sunrise, Sunset,

Sunrise, Sunset,

Swiftly flow the days

Seedlings turn overnight to Sunflowers

Blossoming even as we gaze

Sunrise, Sunset

Sunrise, Sunset

Swiftly flow the years

One season following another

Laden with happiness and tears

Tears were shed tonight...

Due to weather conditions, Daddy is sitting on

a runway in Atlanta.

He won't be home until late tonight.

But, Daddy is coming home

and Butter Bean will always be his little girl...

no matter how grown-up she looks tonight!

Butter Bean's dress has a black velvet bodice

with sophisticated long sleeves,

white satin skirt with black velvety dots and

a red satin sash with a rhinestone belt buckle

adding just enough shine

The unique red rose flowers Butter is carrying tonight

will make a cherished momento of the evening.

The bouquet is fun, easy to carry and

the perfect accent for her dress.

Butter, you make us so proud!

Bigger...

Even the smiles are Bigger in Texas!

Another Snow Day!

This was the scene that greeted us this morning...

It's a fact: DFW records the snowiest 24 hour period in it's history!

The official total: an amazing 12.5 inches!

We did not have that much in our yard,

but easily 6-8 inches!

We are honing our master snowball making skills.

Mush Girls!

That's a big 'en!

Big Dog Snowman! We'll finish him this afternoon.

Snow piled high...seeing is believing.

Signs of Spring peeking through...
I can't wait to see these Daffodils!

New Years Day Traditions

New Year's Day Cabbage Rolls...

Someday I'll get Da Heat to write down the recipe.

This extra good batch was shared with friends...

what better way to bring in the New Year!

The Best of Halloween...

Wearing different costumes!!!

For the school party Butter was a purrfect kitty-cat.

All her classmate made it to the party!

The next dress-up opportunity Butter was a Pumpkin Fairy Princess.

She looks SO good in orange.

Finally, a girl after her Daddy's heart...

A cowgirl.

Yea-haw! Look at that load of candy!

We had great fun with our neighbor beans.

Everyone got into the act.

And the Winner is....

We have started a new tradition in our family

that marks the arrival of fall and the festivities that it brings.

For several years we have enjoyed a day of free activities at

Nash Farm in Grapevine.

https://www.grapevinetexasusa.com/Heritage/NashFarm/tabid/522/Default.aspx

There is cotton to pick, ponies to ride, music to enjoy...

and of course pumpkins to decorate.

The Nash Family farm house and surrounding grounds take you back in time!

Last year they started a pumpkin treat contest and

a scarecrow contest!

Oh yeah...count us in!

We worked with friends to create a traditional,

award-winning scarecrow.

This year we were ready to create another winner!

Neighbor Beans help Butter stuff fresh hay into our scarecrow body.

Plans are laid to create a black-clad law-enforcing Texan.

Mama gets to work on the face...

This Sheriff has made his mark through-out the state...

Austin goes in the middle of his face,

Dallas-Fort Worth to the north eyebrow
Houston to the southeast jaw line

San Antonio around the southwest cheek.

El Paso goes out west, way west....

Sheriff Ben Everywhere is born!!

Wow! This road-warrior scarecrow is really taking shape...
a few more details and we'll have a winner!

Sheriff Ben Everywhere proudly wears his first place blue ribbon.

Heads turn as he creates a stir.

People stop to admire.

Families gather around and smiles are captured.

This Texas Sheriff Scarecrow stand tall

thanks to the custom-made scarecrow frame the Big Dog Daddy made us.

Sheriff Ben Everywhere.

If he could, he would ride off into the sunset on his horse.

Miles.

Of course...

well, maybe next year!

Butter Bean Celebrates Under the Big Top!!!

My friends say that my daughter's birthday isn't a party...

It's an event.

Well, yes...I admit it.

Our celebration is an event.

She is showered with love and fun and friends,

and yes, wonderful, thoughtful gifts.

My goal is that each child feels special.

That everyone has fun!

And my daughter has memories for a lifetime...

Guests arrived from near and far!

Grandpa gets the popcorn flowin'

There are prizes to be won!

Faces to be painted...
And GAMES to be played!

Test your skill at the Bean Bag Toss.

The Pin Drop...it's harder than it looks!

What's more fun than a water gun...a target!

Spray Away!!

How many tickets can you win?

Ping Pong Bonanza is a thrill!

But, the most popular by far...

The Cream Pie Throw!!

Step right up...

Da Heat takes the hit.

Again...

and again...

(hmmmm...at least it's tasty!)

And again!

She wouldn't...would she???

Oh...yes! She Would!

Wow! Who called the Fire Department?

That Daddy sure knows all the right people!

Back to the Big Top...

Time to eat!

A feast fit for a Carnival;

corny dogs, large pretzels,

animal crackers and lemonade!

Leave room for dessert...

Don't believe your eyes;

These treats look like mini buckets of popcorn but,

they're a tasty cupcake covered with marshmallows!

YUM!

Happy 6th Birthday Butter!