Blue Bell Ice Cream & Bluebonnets

Last week Richard's aunts from CA visited with us for a couple of days. They wanted to go to the Blue Bell Creamery in Brenham, TX which is about an hour and a half from where we live. It was a beautiful drive through the country side. We were lucky to see the last of the famous Bluebonnets, since spring is almost over. They are "dainty little plants which paint the sandy, rolling hills of coastal and southern Texas with sheets of royal-blue in the early spring". We made the same trip three years ago for Samuel to see them, and now Esther got her turn.








The guided tour of the Blue Bell Creamery was fun, especially for the kids - short and sweet, literally. At the end of our tour we had free ice cream! Now Samuel knows that his favorite kind of ice cream is called Vanilla. Before, if one asked him what his favorite ice cream was, he'd say: "White". I take personal motherly pride that our children are ice cream illiterate.

If you have not heard of Blue Bell ice cream, you probably have not lived in the South. It started in Brenham, TX as a small operation in the early 1900s and today Blue Bell has three factories in three different states. Many people love Blue Bell and every one in Richard's family is loyal to the pale yellow bucket. But for me my loyalties are with Ben & Jerry. They got to me first...



On our way back we stopped at a "tried and true" Texas BBQ place -The Goode Co. Delicious!

It was a Texas day through and through!

Too much subburbia...

Wild flowers are everywhere. (Well, in the places which have not been treated for weeds). And they are beautiful. Hopefully these pictures do them justice. Samuel and Esther were not as excited as I was about them. Samuel was extremely careful about the ant piles and talked about them continuously. Esther just did not know what to do with so much nature and was overwhelmed...

Dressing up

Esther loves to wear other people's clothes. She is not picky but often goes for Samuel's since they are closer to her size. Often we'd hear her crying for help somewhere, and it is because she is having a hard time putting on some piece of clothing. Pants are the ones that give her the hardest time. So here are a few shots of her modeling. And one just for fun.