Special Events This Year

Prom 2019

This was their 5th consecutive year to attend.  For Christian's last year, he served on the Prom Action Team gaining a new perspective of behind the scene action to make this momentous event happen each year.  And, for Charles' debut, what an entrance!!  I took him shopping for his tuxedo, and he knew exactly what he wanted, color and style.  We enjoy making this happen for these kiddos each year because of the fun and lasting fellowship it has brought to their lives!

Little people wanted a photo shoot of their own.

Mother's Day this year proved momentous in and of itself. We unexpectedly hosted my Mom and Great Granny, my grandmother, Katherine, who is a lofty 95 years of age.  This was a first, and an honor for our whole family.  In this photo, there are 5 generations, my mother and grandmother, and my daughter and granddaughter!!

My girls bought me an Anthropology apron for Mother's Day!

    Mercy has taken dance for three years, and this year she joined an elite squad that competed in competitions.  They will perform for the Dallas Mavericks game in two weeks!  The studio hosts an honor banquet for these girls where awards are handed out.  There were two awards given per squad, one from the teachers called the Teacher's Choice Award, and one voted on by each girl in that particular squad called the Leadership Award.  Mercy won both offered to her squad this year!  The notable thing was that both the students and the teachers commented on her faith.  Mercy has been known to squelch perverse language in any given crowd to more appropriately hold to the professional standard of the studio, and ask to change a song choice because of inappropriate lyrics to which they would be required to dance, yet she has done so without a pious attitude or any condemnation of others.  It is truly birthed out of sincere walk with her Lord and desire to please Him.  The teachers commented that they envied her walk of faith and were challenged to follow in the footsteps of her devotion.  What a blessing she is to those who have the privilege of knowing her!!

    For Father's Day this year, we gave Papa the gift of a train ride altogether at the Forest Park Train in Fort Worth.  This was a truly sentimental gift, as he took Nikki, Scott, and I when we were little on a regular basis.  Tradition, so to speak.  We haven't been in years, although, I do think we managed to get our oldest ones to the train when they were wee little, but that was the last time.  We picked a day just after Father's Day in June before the relentless heat took over the Texas summer.  The first train out was already gone, and the second trip was due within 15 minutes once we arrived.  After waiting more than half an hour, we received word that the train had broken down.  During that time, three school buses had arrived, and my heart sank.  I was trying to avoid crowds choosing a weekday instead of the weekend.  After word came that the train might be out of commission, the buses left leaving only a handful of people still waiting.  Sure enough, the train limped back in to the station, and they commissioned another one to take our crew on the 40 minute five mile trek over six bridges through Trinity Park with hundreds of huge oaks in a tranquil setting.  The day was perfect!!   By the time it started to really warm up, I broke out the water and chilled kombuchas we brought along in the cooler, and we were pulling back into the station.  We all agreed that this was only the first time we had done this and there should be a repeat in the fall.  Though fall blew past us like a freight train, we will look into 2020 to host the event again!

If I chronicled each and every birthday on this blog, I'd write about nothing else. lol  But some are noteworthy, like Papa's this year.  Though 73 is something to celebrate, it was really that we could all meet to make the celebration happen!  We took him to Cristina's Mexican Restaurant, a favorite for us all, in Southlake and laughed and visited the entire evening.  Lots of fun!!

Not long after Papa's was Isabella's first!  Madison hosted all of us along with Joel's mother, sister, and grandmother from California, at Lake Grapevine at our favorite park.  What a pleasant evening and party!!  

    Joel and Madison chose the venue of this lakeside retreat to announce the news that they would be reconciling and moving back in together soon.  It was epic, and touched every heart there.  They wanted to thank the guests in attendance because each person there played a roll in their lives throughout the tumultuous months preceding that evening in loving, supporting, and counseling the two of them without taking sides and passing judgement on their unstable situation, or their own character.  We ALL need Jesus, you know????  Not a one of us can stand before the throne on our own merit or works.  If any of us have good to offer, it will be because of His finished work on the cross, the power of His resurrection, and our choice to believe in Him.  Hallelujah!!! This, they proclaimed that day with unwavering gratitude for a God that loves us and restores to us all things lost that we have finally entrusted to Him.

The mood was celebratory so Maggie and her good friend and guest, Nathan, entered in!

By November, we were realizing that Miss Miriam, soon to turn 9 years old, had grown expectations of what exactly a birthday was supposed to look like at the Parnell's.  She invited everybody in the family to go to Rosa's Café to celebrate hers.  Not one missed an opportunity for that free meal out on the town!  

The body builder boys around here often break out into competitions of strength, and this one turned epic. Curtis Wade, 24, against Charles, 15.  Charles flat gave him a run for his money, though Curtis, now benching 200 pounds, won.

Even a representation from Mercy's Gold Squad attended!

Uncle Cash with nephew Eugene

Joel, Madison, Isabella, and baby boy due in December.

    One truly beloved person in this household is our Charles Elliott-Evan.  With a big birthday turning 16, he had little to no expectations this year.  He didn't have anything in particular he wanted to do to celebrate.  He had no huge gift he really wanted.  He just expected to press on through Algebra and into his driver's training hopefully sooner than later.  He still did not possess his own cell phone, and had little expectation for that either.  Charles will take the backseat.  He will put off his own agenda to help another follow through with his/her own plans.  He's generous in spirit, hilariously funny, his own man, and a lover of all that is good and free.  We surprised him with a party at home and the latest and greatest cell phone of his own.  He was thrilled.  One thing that spontaneously began around the table at his party was each person giving a small example of how Charles has affected his/her own life and made a difference for the better for that one.  There wasn't a dry eye by the end of it, which took half an hour to get through some 14 people.  We've kept the ritual for each birthday since then, and it is proving powerful.  It was originally Milly's idea that night, and to her we owe a debt of gratitude.

Our Thanksgiving table. 

I have officially asked the Lord for a house with a bigger kitchen and dining room.  My cup overfloweth so much so I have no more room to receive!!  We served 18 people that day, and we can only seat 12 at this table!

Maggie, working at Central Market's meat market, has learned how to cut, prepare, and cook everything from Filet Mignon to Stuffed Pheasant, Rosemary Whole Leg of Lamb to Prime Standing Rib Roast.  She single handedly roasted our 23 pound Thanksgiving turkey, and none of us had EVER had turkey so moist and flavorful!  Everyone literally applauded. We were so proud!!!  She's officially earned Meat Chef of the Year!!  I am truly in awe of the resources available in each of these talented people. LOVE IT!

The next Sunday, we had our tree decorating party.  A story for the littles while we prepared the decorations.

Eggnog, cookies, Bing Crosby, and lots of decorating to do!

A job well done by our own personal Christmas Interior Design team!

    Curtis and I LOVE shopping for the kids for Christmas.  It starts mid-November when I'm on the ball. This year it wasn't until he walked in to me Black Friday morning and said, "Let's go Christmas shopping!"  I informed him that it was BLACK FRIDAY, and that he must be missing a screw or two.  He said to come on, it'd be fun.  So,we did for the first time in history venture out on the day after Thanksgiving.  We spent nine hours out, stopping for food, and talking about each one for whom we were buying and what would truly bless him/her.  We turned the Christmas station on the radio, and held hands all day.  He loves this family, and he doesn't miss a person, including my parents.  Have I told you I'm in love with him?

    Daddy and I use to make an annual Christmas shopping date of our own.  He would take me to purchase Curtis' gift, and he'd help with ideas.  We'd always go to Highland Park and North Park Mall in Dallas.  Though we have still tried to make it, there have been a few years we missed throughout the last two decades.  This year, it was an absolute priority! It was a day I had tucked away to look forward to for weeks.  With the tempered chaos around here moving Madison back into her own home with Joel only weeks before her new baby was born, dance recitals, the kids' job schedules, Curtis Wade moving back home from Florida, and Curtis' job changes, I'd find myself longing for this day to just sit with him over coffee, strolling past beautiful shops, and enjoying a leisurely lunch. He took me for coffee at Buon Giorno's in Southlake before winding through the lovely lanes of grande mansions in Highland Park all dressed up for Christmas, then to Maggiano's in North Park where we did just that, soak up a leisurely lunch and visited until we were all caught up.  Thank you, Daddy, for listening and for the special days we always have.

Maggie brought over little individual gingerbread houses on her day off to decorate with the littles.