Growing Branches: On The Road Again

My friends have prepared me for my new role as grandmother. Conceding that it is the "best thing on Earth", they have passed along sage words of wisdom such as "Don't interfere", "Always take food", and "Don't bother unpacking your suitcase, you'll be going back before you know it!"

Well it's all true! Last weekend we headed back to NOLA for a wonderful Mother's Day weekend; in fact we have been on the road for three weekends in a row as we enjoy new babies, college graduation events, and end-of-the-school-year games and recitals. As you all know, family is such a privilege and blessing!

It is easy to understand why this Mother's Day was so special to us!

Olive and I hung out together early Saturday morning while everyone else was still asleep.

James got the short end of the stick, because while I hung out with Olive, he got Ody !

Collin and Katherine gifted me with a watercolor of my favorite gardening quote.

Weekend before last we were in Dallas for the play This Sweet Affliction directed by my niece, Madeleine Boudreaux, a theater major at SMU. The play is loosely based on the story of more than a dozen students in LeRoy, New York that seemingly "caught" Tourette syndrome from each other. This Sweet Affliction was written by Blake Hackler and is described on the SMU website as " a new play about the need to belong and the effects of viral social messaging in small-town Texas. What’s real, what’s imagined, what needs to be real – and what’s convincingly well-acted among a group of high school students? Social pressure shapes the answers in this intelligently observed, theatrically original and emotionally compelling new work."

The cast and crew.

Madeleine is seen here between two of the plays actresses.

Somehow in the midst of preparing for the play and finals, Madeleine, who is also a talented artist, did this piece for her mother as a Mother's Day gift. The photo of her mom, Carole, our sister Jamie, and me was taken at Honey's house. Madeleine did the whole thing with an ink pen and some kind of make-up brush technique. I'll let you know more about it after I get the scoop from her.

The best part was that she made a copy for Jamie, Honey, and me, too!!

While we were in Dallas, we were able to catch one of Carson's basketball games. Here's a highlight...

Next week, we're headed back to Dallas for Madeleine's graduation. We are also lucky enough to be able to catch Ella's dance recital while we're there! Ella is a fabulous dancer and will be doing a solo at this year's event. Here are some of her leaps that I am excited to see in person!!