Memorial Day

When I have time to sit and reflect on my life, which is rare, unfortunately, I get a rush of emotions that come over me and wash into one another. Maybe I am so emotional because I am a mommy. I swore that the one thing I knew for certain that changed in me after having kids is that I felt everything bigger - every emotion, happiness to the moon and heart wrenching grief. They are so big that tears come easily for both. My memories often lead back to my mother's parents, Mom and Dado. Mom used to laugh and wipe tears away. I remember her big blue eyes and her pink nails and diamond ringed, soft fingers delicately holding a tissue and wiping tears away after a good laugh and she was always still sighing. She had the most incredible laugh! I think of Dado on this day and his bravery in serving our great country. He didn't even get to meet my mom until she was 2 years old. I can't even imagine how that would feel. He was serving in WWII. I bought a gorgeous flag for our house today for Dado, and for Harold, Derek's grandfather who also served. I remember them with love.
Dado was a fan of Memorial Day. We always had a backyard bbq with checkered table clothes and matching red and blue picnic plates and cups. Dad would grill the burgers in cool colorful shorts that Sarah and I had probably picked out for him, bless him for wearing them. We always had the Sherman's over and would play in the yard...freeze tag or swinging statues. Nona would come to visit from Butler after placing flowers on our Daddy Bob's grave and all of the Hunt's. I didn't know it at the time, so long ago, but Nona taught me to remember. Remember them how they were and love them, still. I see them in my children. They live on. They bless my life this way, once again!

We woke up at dawn this morning. Greta and Jack inherited this trait from my side of the family - my dad, the early bird. We laid around in jammies and then even went outside in jammies and did some gardening. Greta found worms and put them in time out. I snuck away to the grocery store and bought a perfect watermelon, peaches and cream corn and steaks to make into shish-ke-bobs for a holiday lunch with our neighbors. We fired up the grill and set up tables in the shade. The smells were amazing - charcoal makes me smile. I also made couscous with fresh orange, cherry tomatoes, roasted red peppers and mint. The kids were squealing and sweaty. We washed it all down with Pabst Blue Ribbon and watermelon slices.

The only thing different was that now watermelons come seedless so we can't have spitting contests. So, we got messy with popsicles! Happy memories!