Happy Fourth of July: Part 1

This weekend has been pretty good!  Friday morning Gabe helped me make muffins for breakfast, cupcakes for a BBQ we were going to on Saturday and played real well till Xa showed up later that evening.  I took the boys to the Granite City carnival that night with my good friend, Pam.  The boys had a blast and even though we stayed till 10PM they didn't fall asleep on the way home.  They also didn't sleep in on Saturday either....

Saturday after a great pancake breakfast we played in the yard and made hand print eagles.  Then Mom and I checked out a new craft/antique store in Fairview.  I found two great end tables that match my antique dresser in our guest room and they were only $24 a piece!  A great buy!  I was so excited to get them!  Saturday night we headed over to a friends BBQ and to watch their fireworks.  It was so hot and miserable.  Gabe sat pretty well for the fireworks for the first 5 minutes or so but once they really started to go off all together he said it was time to go home.  So, me, Dad, The Boy and Sissy enjoyed the display from the van while watching the Backyardigans.  It was a good night.

Memorial Day Trip: Part 1

This past weekend my family and I traveled to Oklahoma to visit with my mom's family.  We had special plans, as the family does every Memorial Day, to visit the grave sites of our family that has passed and decorate the graves.  My great uncle just happen to pass the day before we were coming to town, and due to the holiday they had to put his funeral together in quite a hurry for the following day.  So, we were able to attend that ceremony as well.

The the local cemetery where my mom's immediate family has plots/buried, they have a large ceremony every Memorial Day to honor those service members who are laid to rest there.  Each year, they raise flags that are donated to the cemetery on behalf of the family.  There are over 2,000 flags that fly for the holiday weekend.  This year we also raised my grandpa's flag for the first time.  There were 6 or 8 companies from local ROTC units present to assist families with their flag and the local Civil Air Patrol does a reenactment of the tomb of the unknown soldier for three days straight.  It is a great tribute to the military and their families.

On a cheerier note, The Boy loves coming to visit because it means there are lots of little kids he can play with.  They have had a grand time playing in the yard and in the toy room.  He's always so sad when its time for bed and they all go home, but, boy, does he sure sleep good!  And, of course, Sissy is in heaven because no one lets her down for more than a minute.

It has been a great weekend that would only be better if my love were home to share it with us. 

Happy Easter

Rain, rain go away...come again some other day.  It rained almost all day today.  It's supposed to rain everyday until Thursday and it's rained almost everyday the past two weeks.  I'm ready for the May flowers.

Due to inclement weather Gabe, Lilli and I were extra lazy.  We did muster up enough energy to open Easter baskets and hunt for eggs.

We had breakfast, played with some bubbles, I gave them both baths and then we all took naps.  It was a great Sunday, minus one particular person.  At least this day brought us all one day closer to being back together.  This next week will be jam packed with excitement.  I have to work Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday plus get everything in order for our big road trip to Texas.  I am so excited to see sunshine, good friends and Tex-Mex.  God Bless Texas for all three!