No, I'm not constantly leaving my family to go celebrate friends ceremonial passings into this stage or that. I have had more of these at recent though, I do admit. Derek and I go with friends to Martinsburg Ohio for a wedding, I hop in a car with three other young ladies and head to Holmes County after the event. Cherie and Kelsey sneak out of the house while Christy opens presents and pick me up. We screech with excitement!!! Walk in the house with whispers and an attempt at "natural".She just opened her new feather pen, and isn't about to look up to see who walks in. We roll the camera and try to gracefully get her attention, finally she looks up to answer a question...I stand and smile... eyes turn big and round, jaw drops, we burst into laughter...SURPRISE! I don't have much time tonight to say how totally wonderful the weekend was...seeing all kinds of friends, and oh,....late nights, laughs, biscotti, cheese cake, blessings, tears, presents...CELEBRATE!
 |
| They sing... beautifully. |
 |
| The pen. |
 |
| Cousins, having almost too much fun. |
 |
| The next morning, after biscotti, coffee, and breakfast casserole, we look at old pictures to display on walls for the Bat Mitzvah. |
 |
| The Aunts make us laugh, and support their maturing nieces. |
 |
| Monica wraps the breath-taking gift with sting, |
 |
| We step out the short walk to the church to decorate and prepare food, fall crisp air joining us on our course. |
 |
| Memories... |
 |
| We make coffee filter flowers to cover yellow duct tape. |
 |
| The mother and queen of ceremony prepares food. |
 |
| The Lady we honor this night as she steps into a new stage of beautiful womanhood. |
 |
| We walk back home to powder and primp ourselves for the special event |
 |
| Our dressing chamber. |
 |
| Cherie dear charms us with her beautiful handwriting and direction-giving ability. :) |
 |
| Practice and prayer. |
 |
| Sweet friends come, bless, and celebrate. |
 |
| I don't believe I've ever seen so much creative brown paper packages in my life. |
 |
| Blessings written here. |
 |
| Key to the dear heart is given to her father. |
 |
| And he's touched...sweet. |
 |
| Beautiful heart-felt solo. |
 |
| "magnify" violin solo. |
 |
| Four different kinds of cheesecake? That's the way to celebrate a going into womanhood. |
 |
| Christy is so much fun to buy gifts for, and to watch open them, for she is a woman of many passions, and pours her whole heart into all. |
 |
| She got an overdoes of chocolate. |
 |
| Amazing gifts. |
 |
| Dessert tables. |
 |
| Perhaps crazy pictures are cheesy, but fairly natural for this group. This was after we cleaned up from the whipped cream dousing. :) |
 |
I surprise them another time by staying in Holmes County one more night, and so we haves more coffee, cheesecake, popcorn, and biscotti.
I hope the pictures spell out words I have no time to express. The weekend was blessed, and full of blessings. So grateful it worked out.
Goodnight dear readers.
-Deborah Isabel |
