Birthdays and Blue Bell

I happen to have a Cancerous family -meaning my mother, father, sister and I are all Cancers. From the end of June through mid-July our house was always stocked with leftover birthday cake and the crepe paper streamers stayed up for nearly a month. June 30th is Dad's birthday. Wilder, Savannah and I loaded up and drove down to Houston to spend the special day of remembrance and celebration with his folks, sister and her family. We arrived on Sunday afternoon and spent the rest of the day visiting, dining out, and returning to Grandma and Grandpa's house for Dad's favorite birthday dessert -German chocolate cake and ice cream.



Dad was a huge fan of ice cream. So, what would be more fitting than to visit the Blue Bell Creamery in Brenham, TX for his birthday? We lunched at Arby's (Dad loved those roast beef sandwiches with plenty of horsey and Arby's sauce slathered in between) and made it by early afternoon to the ice cream factory.

Mr. Kruse. Our tour guide told us he changed the name to Blue Bell Creamery because he loved the native Texan flower so much.

For just a dollar you can have two scoops of your favorite Blue Bell flavor in this beautiful ice cream parlor! For those of you not acquainted with the brand, Blue Bell is not only ice cream, it's an experience. It's a Texas staple, favorite and most definitely the best homemade vanilla on the planet.

Decisions, decisions.

Beautiful stained glass windows and lamps transport you to the early 1900s -I felt like I was on Main Street USA in Disneyland -but surrounded by ice cream instead of hyperactive children and enormous stuffed animals.

Waiting for our tour to begin and enjoying the atmosphere.

One of the first refrigerated ice cream trucks Blue Bell purchased.

Ice cream equals happiness.

All that ice cream makes a little guy sleepy. Actually he only had a taste. He finished a bottle and zonked out on the car ride home. Actually, we all did, besides Grandpa who was driving.

Rem and Wilder -male bonding with butter tubs and spatulas.

Savannah had a royal time with all the attention and new surroundings. Thankfully she behaved herself. I did too, I think.

Grandma Anne (Wilder's great-grandma) soaking up some baby time.

Bailey and Wilder -a man of many hats these days. Bailey is a natural with kids. It was such a delight watching my baby play with my cousins and I loved being with my family.

Uh-oh. Already a teenager at the green age of 8 months. This was a riot.

Wilder with Aunt Carol sporting his Blue Bell hat, which he subsequently ate after wearing.

We had a wonderful visit. I am so glad we were able to be together and build some more memories, while sharing old ones. Perhaps it's my age or because we have started our own family, but recently I have been yearning to connect with my relatives. Anissa and I were discussing the transition most adults go through when they finally realize the importance of family and long for connectedness. She said that we stress independence so much as a culture and push from our teen years until adulthood to establish ourselves as individuals. Once we become our own persons and pursue our goals you reach a point where you realize family truly means the most. It's people, not accolades or money or monuments that make life rich. I am so very thankful that I now live so close to many of my relatives and can renew relationships and enjoy the early bonds created from younger memories.