A Royal Wedding with my Daughter

I remember very vividly the morning of July 29, 1981.  I lived in Early TX and I was the only one in the house that set my alarm and jumped out of bed (if you can believe that) and ran to the living room and watched in awe as Lady Diana Spencer became Princess Diana.  I was amazed at all of the pomp and circumstance and pageantry that London had on that early morning.  I was a Princess Diana fan for many years.  I admit that I was sad to see that their "fairytale" marriage, really was not a fairytale.

I remember the night Diana died.  I sat on the edge of my bed completely shocked.  I didn't cry but just could not believe the turn of events that happened that evening that ended her life.  I of course, got up early the following Saturday to watch her funeral.  I was sad for Prince William and Prince Harry.  They no longer would be able to run to their mother's arms as I had seen them do so many times on camera.

I of course have not been too excited of the living style that Wills and Kate have had the past 8 years.  Although the closer the wedding got, I found myself getting kinda excited and talking with Anna about this lady named Kate that was about to become a Princess.  Anna is really into playing Princess lately and here I was able to show her a real life Cinderella that found her Prince and was about to become his Princess. 

Last night, Anna and I watched all of the different pre-wedding shows and we both wondered what her dress would look like.  Anna wanted me to wake her up so she could watch the wedding with me.  I knew that I would be awake to watch the wedding but I would record it to watch it with Anna later after school.  As the Queen was making her way to Westminster Abbey, Anna comes walking in and says I want to watch the wedding with you.  So she crawls into bed with me and then Kate gets in the car and we both say wow!  I was very happy to see her in a more modest dress and it immediately reminded me of the dress Grace Kelly wore in her wedding.  Not two minutes later the picture of Grace Kelly in her wedding dress pops up on the screen.  I hope that she sets a new trend in wedding dresses.  I am so tired of seeing all of these brides in strapless gowns. 

As Anna and I cuddled and watched the wedding, Alan wakes up and rolls his eyes at us.  I said very sentimentally, "Anna will remember the day that Kate and Wills got married.  She will remember that she watched it with her Mom."  Alan says, "Maybe."  I just said to him, "You just don't get it, go back to sleep."

During the pre-wedding shows on Thursday night, a Kate size Barbie doll was shown and Anna said she wanted one.  I told her about the Prince Charles and Princess Diana dolls that I got for Christmas my Freshmen year in high school.  Of course, I had to go get them out of storage and show her.  I have a feeling that they will no longer be my dolls.

I watched Wills parents wedding alone and I watched his mother's funeral alone.  I however, will always cherish the memory of Anna and I watching Prince William and Princess Catherine's wedding (Duke and Dutchess of Cambridge).  I will also remember, that even though Alan said he didn't care about the wedding, He did watch it with us and he really could not stop watching :-)

Anna's Couch

Here it is!................Her princess couch that she wanted!

She has it out like a sofa bed with her blanket, book, shoes, Barbies tucked under the blanket and her drink!  She is quite content now!  She received her birthday gift from her cousins, Aunt and Uncle from Alabama today.  She put the shirt on right away and her face lit up when she saw the necklace they gave her with her name on it.  She is a happy little girl!

Happy Birthday Anna and Happy Easter!

Not only is today Easter (one of my favorite celebrations of the year) but it is Anna's 5th Birthday today.  The time has gone way too fast for me.  It seems that the days and years are speeding up.  Yesterday she had a couple of friends over to play and we had a tea party for her.  The girls dressed up, I made raspberry tea, brownies, cookies, and fruit.  I let them use my white china and they had so much fun. 

Today started early for me.  We had two services at church in which I was blessed to sing at both.  Andrew and Anna were up way before I left so I got to see them have their Easter Basket surprise.  During children's worship, the kids got to hunt Easter Eggs with scriptures and candy in them. 

Anna chose to go to Olive Garden for her Birthday meal.  While we were there, Azalee Tatum, an elderly member from our church that knows all about my (Johnson) side of the family,  had heard from our preacher's wife that we were taking Anna to Olive Garden for her Birthday.  She and Ben were having their Easter lunch there and she found Anna and gave her a dollar.  After she left, Anna said, "Good! I can buy that couch at Wal-mart."  We laughed and said, you need at least 35 more dollars to get that couch.  She found a princess miniature couch at Wal-mart and wanted it for her bedroom.  We told her to wait and see what she got later at her party.

We arrived home and I had to take their Easter pictures in their clothes because I was not there when they got dressed.  I had planned to have the Easter egg hunt but Anna insisted it was time for her party.  So we made a few changes and had her party.  She was so excited to get the money from her Gran and Granddad and from Bud and Marva and realized she had enough to buy that couch!  Andrew gave her the Barbie vacation house.  We gave her a pink scooter.  Her Nana and Papa gave her clothes and her Aunt Shara gave her clothes and Barbie clothes for her Barbies.  She was proud of everything.  Except she really wants to go to Wal-mart for that couch.

Alan then hid the Easter eggs and the kids had fun trying to beat each other to the eggs.  We hunted once in the back yard and once in the front yard.  Now everyone is exhausted.

Tomorrow, I get to take off of work and go with Anna's class to the Fort Worth Zoo.  I have not been able to go to any field trips with my kids and worked out that I could go this time.  I am so excited.

Enjoy the photos!  Happy Easter!

Birthday Tea Party!

Happy Easter! Anna is wearing the dress her Gran bought her!

All of my presents and my princess castle cake!

The hunt in on!