a f(r)amily easter.

easterdip5 F(r)amily: a group of friends so close they are practically family; typically found in a military community or a small town.

Every year we do 3 holidays with the framily: Halloween, Thanksgiving, & Easter. This year, we met for Easter dinner at the Pfau's. It was different this year-for the better-because instead of crying over baby dolls, the babies we old enough to easter egg hunt & break cascarones! We also had my aunt & her significant other, Esther & Culley, come in from Texas to eat Aunt Betty Lou's Rolls and take in the North Carolina pine pollen. Here are a few shots from dinner this year--enjoy!

20130406_allen_easter-20i

20130406_allen_easter-57i

 

Yay for juice cups!

easterdip2

And tummy tickles!

20130406_allen_easter-71i

easterdip4

 

Sometimes I wonder how my mom lives with his crazy eyebrows, but they make us all laugh, so that must be how.

easterdip1

20130406_allen_easter-162i

Eggs, eggs EVERYWHERE!

easterdip3

After dinner led to some crazy cascarones (a Mexican tradition known here as confetti eggs) & toddler wrestling!

20130406_allen_easter-300i

20130406_allen_easter-321i

20130406_allen_easter-335i

20130406_allen_easter-323i

20130406_allen_easter-351i

20130406_allen_easter-371i

 

Anabelle has nothing but hugs & kisses after wrestling her momma!

20130406_allen_easter-377i

 

france, a one-week love affair (pt. 3)

I'm so sad because this is the last film installment of Jerry & I's journey through France (visit part 1 & part 2 and be on the lookout for some digital & instax blogs). Oh, how I love black & white film so much. These shots come from our rainy day walk throughout Paris & our view of Charles de Gaulle airport the night before we left. There is something magical about airports, the lights, the coming & going. Let's just say...I can't wait to go back.

France 2012 film

Love this boy!

France 2012 film

lvallen_franceblog3_18

France 2012 film

France 2012 film

France 2012 film

France 2012 film

Oh, Laudree is heaven for any sweet lover. Best pastries we had the whole trip, and I ate every pastry in all of France.

France 2012 film

Caramel with salted butter, Raspberry, Brazil Pure Origin Chocolate...heaven. Pure heaven.

France 2012 film

Jerry dropped a piece of this on the sidewalk. He picked it back up & ate it because it was too good to go to the pigeons.

lvallen_franceblog3_17

France 2012 film

You know me, I've got to have my coffee...all day, everyday.

France 2012 film

It was a blustery day at the Lourve.

France 2012 film

France 2012 film

Our instax travels!

France 2012 film

Airplanes coming in to land.

France 2012 film

Always after that European chocolate!

France 2012 film

The digital & instant film part of "France, a one-week love affair" will continue! Keep an eye out for them!