KEYNOTE SPEAKERS!

Our lovely certificates!

Our page in the binder for conference attendees and my name badge!

Us giving our presentation!  

We had so much fun doing this - the county people we met at the conference were wonderful and we received many invitations to county seats with behind-the-scenes tours of courthouses!  And yes, we plan to take those kind folks up on those invitations, hopefully in the next few months.  : )

Done!

Okay, so now I got all the photos (and a few extra) re-loaded onto this blog - it's photographically complete now!  Enjoy!

UPDATE

Yes, I realize that my photos disappeared.  Wah!!!  I don't know why and my friend who works for Google couldn't figure it out either.  Odd.  So I'm in the process of re-uploading ALL the photos.  Yikes!  In the meantime, here are some updates!

Our wedding at the Ellis County courthouse, in Waxahachie, March 11, 2013:

Waxahachie Visitors Bureau and Chamber of Commerce contacted WFAA news in Dallas and told them about our wedding!  We made the evening news in Dallas! 

http://www.wfaa.com/news/texas-news/Couple-finishes-Texas-courthouses-tour-with-Waxahachie-wedding-197369151.html

How many couples get their wedding filmed and on the news???

Before the wedding...

Ceremony, with Judge Carol Bush.

We put our families in the jury box! 

Married! 

Then, we were recognized by the Texas Senate with a Special Resolution on April 4, 2013:

Senator Donna Campbell with us.

Texas Senate Chambers - we were in the gallery because nobody told Aaron that he needed to wear and coat and tie, so we couldn't go to the floor.

Not to be outdone, the Texas House soon followed suit.

Cotulla courthouse (La Salle County) Rededication, 1/27/13

The tent they set up - I guess they knew it would be a long ceremony!

Border Patrol Color Guard and a local Girl Scout troop to help with the Pledges (U.S. and Texas).  Bagpipes included.  Awesome.

National Trust for Historic Preservation brought out the giant heart for the I Love Texas Courthouses campaign (www.ilovetexascourthouses.org) and Cotulla provided the 100 balloons!

It isn't a party in South Texas until the Mariachis play and the BBQ is served! 

Us!  

Commissioners' Courtroom, newly restored. 

Love those doors!!

Newly restored District Courtroom - notice the cork floors!  

This rooftop used to be a fenced yard for prisoners, but I'm pretty sure the fence won't go back up now that the courthouse has been restored! 

The cakes were done with the Cotulla crest (?) by a local bakery! 

Comal County courthouse rededication, Jan. 22, 2013

Aaron "friended" the Texas Historical Commission on Facebook (and then I did too), which led to the THC inviting us to the Rededication Ceremony for the Comal County Courthouse in New Braunfels!  It was so exciting and such an honor to be there! 

Ceremony at the courthouse.

Inside the District Courtroom.  Pink was the original color - it used to be a masculine color, due to its origins from red, which is the color of blood.  The border around the room is a French oatmeal paper replica, chosen for the way it allowed the gold leaf to enhance the 3-D effect.  Notice how the wreaths are centered on the corners and the flat surfaces.  

Floor tiles at the base of the iron stairs.

The National Trust for Historic Preservation has a new campaign: I <3 Texas Courthouses, which runs for the month of February.  They had a booth at the courthouse, promoting Texas courthouses and raising awareness to the public.  The balloons were part of their booth.

The newly restored side of the Comal County Courthouse.  When we first documented it, two of the sides had been added on to with an awful addition.  Now she's back to her original glory! 

A cool gift!!

Larry Goodman saw our interview on KXAN and contacted Jim Swift, who forwarded his email to Aaron.  Tonight, Larry gave us this poster of the courthouses - all 254 of them!  Thanks Larry!