Memorial Day

So Happy Memorial Day!!! I know that most of us get a long weekend and we fully enjoy a good barbeque to celebrate the beginning of summer, especially here in the Midwest where it's been a long hard winter until very recently. This day should signify these changes with a holiday and different celebrations with friends and family. My family started the day at the parade in our town with my son in the middle school band proudly playing the Battle Hymn of the Republic. But this day is about so much more than that.

Of course, it's about those who have fought for our freedom. It celebrates and honors those who have put their lives on the line in the best and worst of this nation's history. I had the pleasure of being raised by some veterans and very patriotic people which has made me very very proud to be an American. I always stand for the flag, hold my hand over my heart and sing the National Anthem with pride at every appropriate moment and have had the pleasure of sharing these values with my sons and other children as a Scout leader for several years. There is no way to measure the respect that I have for our military and for the men and women who have served in every capacity to protect our freedom.

This day in our family was often a sad one growing up. My mother's brother was killed in a car accident forty-one years ago on Memorial Day. I never met him, but I know that he was a very special person. His passing has always impacted our mother and grandmother on this day and I never really understood that pain until I became an adult, and then as a mother it took on another level of understanding. It's wierd to miss someone you've never met, but I miss him.

I also miss my Dad and Grandpa on this day. Both of them served this country with honor and taught me to love America the way they did. They taught me that even if you don't serve in the military that you should do your civic duty like excersize your voting rights whenever possible, do the right thing for your neighbor, that sort of thing. They were my heroes and I'll always remember them on this day as such.

Anyway, it's a special day. So hug your family, honor the veterans you know, and remember those who have sacrificed it all for our freedom. Thank you to all our heroes.

Catching up...

So I uploaded some new pics from my camera today, mainly because I haven't done that in over a month and thought it was time to save them on the hard drive!!! So here's a little catch up....

The boys' birthday celebration at our house....




And with a present....






And just because my kid is crazy and loves to be different, here he is with his blue mohawk and his guitar... he's a rock star!!!!



And yes, he always walks around shirtless... it's just his style I guess. I've got more pics from the parades from the last couple days, but I want to condense those or we'd be looking at them forever trying to see who looks familiar... but the bands were awesome, the kids did a great job!!!!

Enjoy this weekend, we're hitting yet another parade tomorrow!!!!

Happy Tulip Time!

Ok, so I'm not usually a "let's go to the Tulip Time parades!!!" kind of person, but since my older son Tom is in the band (7th grade) he gets to be in two of the three parades this week. So since it's his first time and I'm all proud of him, I took the rest of the week off work to watch him! I'm actually kind of excited by this. Three days off work BEFORE a weekend, and the weather is supposed to be nice, so I've packed my smaller purse with a knitting project (can't forget that!) and some cash (for an elephant ear) and with chair in hand I'll be heading that way soon!!!!

If I can get any reasonable pics, I'll post them later!!!! Yes, the camera is in there with the knitting!!!!!

Oh, and just to treat myself, I got a pedicure this morning so I can wear flip-flops with pride!!! Of course, on the way into the car I nicked the big toenail on my left foot, so the polish is all screwy, but it wouldn't be me without some drama... so I'm leaving it!!!!

Spring time!!!

So the sun is out today, which is a switch from most of this week. Seriously thought I was going to have to build an ark the way it kept raining!!! So even though it's not warm enough to get out the boat and swim in the lake, I'll take the sunshine!!!!

I've been thinking about this economy situation we're in lately, and wondering how I should be handling it and if I'm doing things correctly. I've never been good at handling money or at understanding financial things. I'm smart, but apparently I wasn't meant to be in charge of finances or whatever. We're doing ok, we're both working full time and for the most part our finances look like they have all along (don't look at the 401K and all is ok) so is it bad to want to spend money??? I mean, not all of it of course... just the usual stuff like dinner out occasionally and maybe a summer vacation??? Part of me feels guilty, but the other part just feels like if I can afford it, without going totally broke, is it my responsibility to stimulate what little I can in this economy??? I guess I feel like I can't take it with me, so let's enjoy life with the kids while they're still kids!!!!

Rant over, I just felt like saying that. Suppose it's time to get off the chair and do something productive today, like enjoy the sunshine, or take a walk with hubby. I'm going to make lemonade out of this lemon economy one way or the other!!!!