We’ve been celebrating Memorial Day, the same way for years and years. We take flowers to everyone we love that has passed away. We even take flowers to everyone that everyone WE love, loved. Absolutely everyone. Are you still with me?
That, my friends, is a boatload of flowers.
Then, we merrily retire to SOMEbody’s house–April’s, this time–for a anything that tastes good, potluck-type barbecue. Yummo.
I can’t, for the life of me, figure out where this season went.
We were asked in November to be in charge of the church Christmas party…
and by the time we were finished with that…
the season was terrifically upon us…
ready or not.
The tree went up in a whirl wind and though Rhen put all his ornaments on and I put all of my ornaments on–still, it looked oddly bare. I came to the conclusion that even though we had packed the tree quite full with decorations, we were missing Dane’s ornaments and Jillian’s ornaments–that they took with them when they got married.
Funny how there were ornaments that I subconsciously waited all year to see again, and then discovered that they are hanging on other trees in other households these days. We had a severe lack of ballerinas and footballs on the tree this year.
But I did manage to get a new nativity to add to my growing collection. Forgive me for this one–it is a bit irreverent, but it made me laugh so hard when I saw it that…well, it needed to be mine.
Strangely, I keep waking up with a quick shiver thinking, “Ooooh, Christmas is nearly here!” and then jolt to the realization that it has come and gone and I’ll be expected to put it all away in a day or two…for another whole year. How can it be?
I’m not ready, I’m not ready, I’m not ready. I’m not finished with candy canes, and stockings and wrapping presents and seeing Christmas lights and looking at baby Jesus. Why, I don’t remember seeing people open their presents and I haven’t even made my special fudge yet. Something is dreadfully wrong with this picture.
I want to look at the calendar and find that it’s December 5th and the happiest season of all is still ahead. That would be so lovely. I’m game for a big Christmas season stall out. What do you say?
Maybe we’ll just keep playing the music and watching the shows…
and holding the season hostage until I get my fill.
Our whole family was invited to a 24th of July celebration at Timber Moose Lodge in Heber, Utah. We were promised a pioneer feast as long as we brought along a couple of side dishes. The bald kid has potato salad in one hand and fruit salad in the other. Hmmm…did pioneers eat any of those things? Who knows?
All I do know it that Mr. Smarty Pants got to the top of the hill long before I did because…well, LOOK at that thing! Oh, and you’re seeing it from half way up. I did make it…slow but steady. Be proud of me.
The view was amazing from the top, so I whine and whine, but it was worth it. :}
We made our way through the grounds…
and when we got inside…who did we see?
April’s Jacob~and we didn’t even know they were coming. Pretty dang fun!
We ate our pioneer beef stew and corn on the cob and watermelon out on the patio…
and came inside to finish up and have some apple pie. Yummo.
Then we sat around a while looking cool…
and tying licorice ropes.
We did however, run into a pioneer or two.
Then back outside for the real reason we came….
THE GAMES!!!!
This is blurry Jacob winning the sack race. That guy was moving like he stole something. He beat the livin’ daylights out of the whole pack.
Next was the Pioneer Stick Pull. Very, very manly game.
Pretty sure the bald kid has some great big muscles and really long legs.
Which means…he won.
Everybody.
And lastly, Jacob pushed the Bald Kid in the tire swing which may not sound like much. But what you don’t see is that it swings waaaaay out over the edge of the mountain and the very idea would make a normal person sick…positively sick.
Hence, Jacob and the Bald Kid were the only ones who came close to it because they are not now and have never been exactly normal.
ANYway, we had tons of fun with the whole adventure.
The boys won everything and the rest of us watched and clapped…
Our neighborhood puts on quite a show for Pioneer Day. They call it “Cul de sac of Fire” even. It’s a big, huge deal and my big huge confession is…
that I missed it altogether. April, Jacob, Lily, Beckham, Jillian, the Bald kid and I were up in the hills at a huge pioneer celebration–more on that later. But it’s nice to know that the show always goes on back home…no matter what. Food, fireworks, games, and sparklers. Pretty darn hard to beat…
