Picture 1: Noelle, Picture 2: Anna Kate, Picture 3: Noelle, Picture 4: Anna Kate

Crazy, huh?

The family upon arrival – Mike mentioned this was our 5th gala to attend – they are so much fun!

There were decorations, sculptures, and food everywhere!  Like my Dad’s cowboy hat?  Cool dude!

Love the ice sculpture and can’t resist delicious peeled shrimp! 

Fancy Nancy and Brother Man posing at the elaborate entrance!

Mom and Dad with "Doctor Neches!"

Uncle Andy and Aunt E enjoying the party!

Waiting for the fireworks later in the evening.  

There were lots of Jacksonville friends there.  It was great catching up with Meredith and Destiny. 

Thanks for our tickets Poppa and Rara.  We had so much fun at your fancy party!

The Sunflower Derby race participants!

Nancy and Dad with our horse, as well as Mary Decker, our family friend and co-chairman with Dad of the Friends of the Neches River.

The jockettes in Heat 1!

Let the race begin!

The race winners whose dice rolled in their favor!

Step right up for Heat 2! 

Party favors – the cups had Dad’s dental office logo on the back because he and Mom were party sponsors – it was really cute, and I wish I had gotten a picture (maybe I’ll take one if I have time). 

Back at home, the girls had a blast with the babysitter.  They made pear ghosts Rara had planned for them.  Of course, they were still awake when we got home, and Noelle enjoyed hanging out all evening in her pjs.

When we got to Jacksonville, the party had already started.  Uncle Andy and Poppa had gone to Tyler and bought new cowboy hats.  Uncle Andy helped Noelle decorate a bucket hat from his cowboy hat lining.  It was the cutest thing!

Saturday night we went to the Sunflower Gala with the family.  It had a derby theme this year.  Community members could purchase a horse in advance to decorate to raise money for the hospital.  At the gala, all the "owners" raced their horses.  Dad’s horse was named "Doctor Neches" in honor of Dad’s Neches River conservation work. 

Noelle loves to match her sister and couldn’t figure out why these outfits weren’t exactly the same… we had a lesson about outfits that coordinate!

It’s hard to get both girls to smile at the same time, so I wanted to include some of each girl smiling really big – they are so cute together!  Noelle bruised her eye by swinging a necklace too close to her face this week – it should be all better by wedding time!

This picture depicts life at the Ponds right now… Anna Kate chewing on everything, Noelle singing and dancing constantly (in her pjs)… fun times!

Anna Kate has lost all of her dark hair.  It’s still brown, but lighter and thinner.  I just had to take a picture of this contemplative cutie pie!

These are pictures from March of Anna Kate.  She’s changed so much in only six short months!