Memorial Day Memories

Memorial Day, a day of remembrance and thanks. Remembering the men and woman who give or gave their lives to keep thousands of people they don't even know safe and alive. And thanks to them all for doing it, I for one have a deep gratitude and respect for our troops.


Well, beside the remembrance part, Memorial Day for us is a large and happy event. And annual party that brings together up to fifty friends and family for a day filled with laughter, games and food.
Starting at 11:00 am. our party consists of various games scattered around the lawn of my pastors yard, (where the party is held, it is a very large backyard) there is a huge lunch and dessert later on as well.


On the porch are four jars varying in size and shape, each filled with a different kind of candy. At this game we have to write down how many pieces of candy we think are in each jar, whoever comes the closest gets the jar of candy. (my brother won two of them this year :)


When it is time for lunch everyone makes a couple lines. There is so many different things to choose from, potato salad, macaroni salad, watermelon, a fruit and whipped cream dish, chips and so many others. It was all amazing.  


The eating is done and the competitions haven't started yet, so Sarah and I get on the trampoline with a couple little girls, Kaya and Jo-Jo (a nickname) Those two girls are the sweetest things you could ever imagine. Both of them got a hang of jumping on the trampoline pretty quick. Squealing and smiling they said I was Bullseye, Sarah was Jessi, Kaya named herself Buzz Lightyear, and Jo-Jo was Woody. And that is how Jojo got a ride on my back, I mean, I was Bullseye after all ;)


After a few minutes of that we entertained them by pretending we where 'Gonna get you!!"
But when my back was turned both little girls tackled me from behind. I almost couldn't get up I was laughing so hard. I still smile and laugh at the memory of that thirty minutes playing with them. It is a special feeling knowing little kids and babies like you so much :)

Later on there is the balloon stomp, and the water balloon toss.
At the balloon stomp we have an order we go in, so first there is the younger children. Each with a fully blown balloon tied to their ankle, they all stand on the tarp spread out on the grass and wait for pastor to say go.
The point of this game is to stomp on everyone else's balloon and pop it. So after about three minutes of squealing, laughing and determined gusto, there is only two kids left. They both go after each other until finally we hear one last POP!! And the last kid standing is the winner of that age group. 
Next is the teens-twenties, then adults.


I being in the teens group do what I always do. I hop around staying out of the way until there is only me and a fully grown guy left on the mat. We circled each other for quite awhile trying to pop the others balloon, being the last girl standing I was getting a lot of cheering. But alas, a few minutes in, I backed up just too much, and the grass popped my balloon. He won, but most of us thought it wasn't quite fair seeing as how he didn't pop it. I will be back for redemption next year!!


The games are over and lunch is eaten, dessert finally makes it out and everyone is sitting and talking. Four of the men are in the farther part of the yard playing Horseshoes like they do every year, and the woman are all sitting around chatting and holding the newest addition of a friends family.


I got a lot of good pictures yesterday :) I think days like that are perfect memory and photo album makers ;)
Next to birthdays, Memorial Day is the most looked forward to event of the year, and I have so many years of memories on those days. It amazes me how many wonderful and happy memories can be made in six hours, and I am blessed with all the time I can spend with friends and family in Christ. 
My thoughts are filled with happiness, and the memories of the past with joy.


*God bless our troops

Keeping Strong(er)

Summer is almost here, I can feel it in the air, the whisper of warmer days, and the rustle of dried grass under my feet. I sit on my bed gazing out the window, the sky is so blue. The clouds are a fluffy, clean white, idly floating through the sky, watching the bustle of life below them

The view from my bed is a clear, open, direct view into the sky and the hills beyond our neighborhood. I feel the strongest yearning to be free, to be one of those birds flying by, to soar through the air and feel the wind in my face.

But I am suddenly pulled back to reality, for there is a pile of school text books and homework assignment sitting in front of me, shattering my want for summer and the unburdening of school.

Sighing I stare at all the work that must be finished, knowing I am behind in Biology and coming to the realization I will be doing it through the summer, to finish before the next school year. Sometimes the load of school seems almost too much to take; being someone who cannot stand failing at anything is difficult when I have never gotten a grade over D in Algebra.

A headache is coming on; I can feel an ominous ache in the back of my skull. The stress I put on myself is more than I should, and I know it. But it’s hard not to. I feel like I am ready to fail, but furious at myself for feeling the need to give up.

I was convicted in church today; about a week ago I was diagnosed with scoliosis. And I had been telling myself that I would get through this……on my own. I didn’t need help, I was tough, I had been through things like this for a long time. But as I sat in church the Lord moved me, He convicted me that I couldn’t get through this in my own strength, that I needed His strength and faith in Him to pull me through.

For the longest time in my teenage years I dealt with things I always kept to myself. I was very independent, determined to do things on my own. Feeling like I was weak if I needed help from anyone. But I found that that has changed, as have many more things since I was saved. I realized that I did need help, heavenly and earthly help. I needed the help of my Heavenly Father, and the help of my father and mother on earth.

Recently I finally spoke to my dad (: who I am very close to :) about some things that I knew he needed to know, and he could help me with. I have always wished the praise and respect of my parents, and I was terrified that they would be so ashamed of me if I told them. For two years I never did, fearing their disappointment, but finally, I did. And I thanked God for the opportunity and the time to talk to my dad. I never realized how much of a weight would be lifted when I let go of this secret I had been holding for so long.

I am sitting on my bed again, pondering the things happening in my life, pain, stress, uncertainty. But I again, as I have so many times before, feel a peace and strength in me I never had before.

The peace and strength of my Savior, smiling I look down at my schoolwork, picking up a pencil I begin the work I know I must do, knowing that God has given me the strength to go on.

~I love you dad, you mean more to me than I can ever express. 

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