A Golden Crown and Sea of Gowns (Scenes from our May Crowning)
Our parish May Crowning will take place on the Feast of Our Lady of Fatima, May 13th. In the meantime, we held our annual Immaculate Heart of Mary Homeschooling Group May Crowning in our home yesterday. Thanks to Marie's recent First Holy Communion party, we had the luxury of a tent this year--a very good thing with skies threatening to rain all morning. Our Lady came through for us with a golden, clear afternoon, the perfect day to "Bring Flow'rs of the Fairest."
Blue was the color of the day.
As always, our lovely First Communicants crowned Our Lady, bearing her golden crown on a flower-sprigged pillow. The rest of the children processed in with flowers, placing them on the May altar before saying the Rosary, all the while singing traditional hymns in Latin and English, led by my friend, Lynn Wilson. We prayed for all of you, stopping to mention the many prayer requests made in our local group and online. We said prayers of thanksgiving for blessings received and remembered Heather who is having surgery as I type this.
Marie was thrilled to receive a pair of pink Rosaries, handmade by her sweet friend, Mary.
I hesitated before posting these pictures of not one, but three, First Communicants flying on the scooters (you aren't sick of scooters, are you?), but who can resist this? These three girls were inseparable all day and as ubiquitous as snowflakes in a storm. (That's the lovely Erin from the Bonny Blue House on the right, a vision in her shamrock-studded gown.) Sometime toward the end of the afternoon, Agnes made the observation, "You know, the First Communicants are really dispelling the myth that you can't be active in long skirts!"
I found them "hanging around" together on the tree and sprinted across the yard to catch the moment forever.
Three-year-old Maureen held court, as usual.
And made a beautiful new friend.
Fair maidens to honor the "Fairest of Queens, in the fairest of seasons, Sweet May"! [Please be sure to click on this image to enlarge. It may be my favorite photo ever, tied with the darling one directly above it!]
Name Dropping (in addition to all the wonderful IHM moms, many familiar friends were on hand):
MacBeth
Helen
Mary Ellen
Heather
Lissa (by phone!)
Fun, friends and fond memories ~ what an absolutely beautiful day!! I wish so much my little Crackerjack (and all of us) could have been there! :)
Posted by: Dawn | May 03, 2007 at 09:20 AM
Great pics - precious little children - I love the last photo!! :)
Posted by: Cheryl M. | May 03, 2007 at 09:53 AM
LOL! I always do manage to call in the middle of your festivities, don't I! Either my telephone timing is awesome or terrible, depending on how you look at it.
Those pictures are stunningly beautiful. I love love love the three little First Communicants, especially hanging from the tree. That photo is a prize winner!
Posted by: Melissa Wiley | May 03, 2007 at 09:54 AM
Great pictures. What a wonderful group you have.
Posted by: Cheryl | May 03, 2007 at 11:13 AM
I wish I was there!
Posted by: Therese | May 03, 2007 at 01:25 PM
Those are the most precious pictures of First Communicants I have ever seen (along with the others you posted in your previous posts)! Like little children should be, even when dressed in their best.
Posted by: Louise | May 03, 2007 at 05:57 PM
Such sweet pictures. Mary's finest blessings to her young handmaidens!
Posted by: Kristen Laurence | May 03, 2007 at 08:10 PM
Alice,
The photos are stunningly beautiful! How well you've captured the grace and joy of lovely children on such a blessed day. I hope that you will frame that last one and hang it in a special place of honor.
Posted by: Ann C. | May 03, 2007 at 08:58 PM
Oh so lovely! What another blessed day you have had!
Posted by: Kimberlee | May 04, 2007 at 12:08 AM
The beauty, innocence and JOY of these photos is something I intend to guard in my heart all weekend long. I wish I could have been included in that amazing list at the end!
You lift my spirits every time I visit, Alice. Love to you all and a big BIG request for prayers for my first communicant, Stephen, along with Dawn's and Alicia's and anyone else I'm forgetting! (Which I ALWAYS do.)
Posted by: Margaret in Minnesota | May 04, 2007 at 07:52 AM
Reading this post is such a lovely way to start out my Friday! What beautiful pictures from such a special day. :)
Posted by: KatieButler | May 04, 2007 at 08:25 AM
Wow!! That last photo is absolutely precious!! It needs to be blown up and framed.
Posted by: KC | May 04, 2007 at 09:57 AM
What great memories!! Such sweet and beautiful little ones everywhere! Blessings!
Posted by: Meredith | May 04, 2007 at 12:12 PM
My what green grass you have! What sweet girls, the tree photo is the best! God bless them all!
Posted by: Suzanne Temple | May 04, 2007 at 06:11 PM
Girls. Grass. Giggles. Glory to God.
Gem of a Day, Alice!
Warm blessings...
All's Grace,
Ann
Posted by: Holy Experience | May 04, 2007 at 10:08 PM
WOW! Congratulations to your dear Marie - and Alice, I absolutely enjoyed those photos!
The ones with the 3 Communicants were stunning!
Posted by: Maria | May 05, 2007 at 11:47 AM
So beautiful! You could make that last one part of a "Calendar of Sacramental Memories" or something like that. :)
Peace,
Claire
Posted by: Claire | May 07, 2007 at 06:31 PM
I hadn't had a chance to look at these until now (after reading today's post)...and now I get the scooter comment...lol.
Posted by: Essy | May 18, 2007 at 11:18 AM
HOw wonderful, I love the pictures!
Posted by: molly mcgovern | May 23, 2007 at 10:05 AM