A very rainy and chilly Memorial Day this year.
Unfortunately we could not play our favorite games of running bases or hide and seek outside in the yard.
Instead, however, we managed with making up a silly game of volleyball with a solo cup in the family room.
The "net" was pillows lined up across the floor and the "ball" was the solo cup.
The solo cup was actually pretty aerodynamic.
I played with Jack for two games and we killed it both times!
I love how my family was just able to make up a silly game and have so much fun playing it.
I don't remember having that much fun playing a silly game in a long time.
It felt good to be a kid again.
It was a very nice family party but that reminds me of all the men and women that allowed my family and I to have such a nice time being together.
It is the soldiers and first responders that fight bravely to keep us safe and to allow us to have nice family gatherings.
As we were all together on Memorial Day, there were many that couldn't be with their families on this day because they are fighting to protect us from harm's way.
It is easy to remember soldiers and veterans on days like Veteran's Day and Memorial Day but it is every other day in between that we have to remember them.
My dad is a veteran and gave up years of his life to serve. Although he jokes around about it now, it was and still is a big deal.
He served so families everywhere could be together on holidays like yesterday.
So I thank him and I should really appreciate his service as well as every other soldier's service every day, not just on special occasions.
Yesterday, we sat down at the dining room table and listened to a video of one of our state senators give a speech at the New York State Senate about renaming one of the roads in my town after an Army Ranger from my town that died serving our country. He passed away 10 years ago and I remember when it happened because he lived directly across the street from me. Since he passed there is not a day that goes by that the gold star isn't on the door or the American flag isn't up at his house across the street. And there isn't a year that goes by that my town doesn't remember or honor him and his family.
His family is selling their house actually and even if they are moving, I still hope we continue to remember him, his family and all the other soldiers that have lost their lives regardless if we knew them personally or not.
And look how cute and preppy my family is!
(Ava and I both rocked our white Jack Rogers!)
On my hip is the littlest family member, my niece/Goddaughter Zoe, Michael is next to me, Jack is in the middle, Peter is on the end and then Ava and Lucas are down in front.
Too bad Ava and Lucas blocked Peter's shorts and socks, but they were very patriotic to say the least!
Me:
Michael and Jack:
black socks
Peter:
Under Armour summer Olympics t-shirt
American flag socks
