Change o' Plans

Memorial Day weekend was not the party and a half that I was expecting it to be. We had three...count them, three...BBQs planned. One a day, baby! But you know what they say about planning...it's a four-letter word.

So I got sick first and missed BBQ number one.

And was starting to feel better by Sunday afternoon, but some of the kids had started to act cranky and sick Sunday morning so we canceled BBQ numero dos and rescheduled BBQ 3 for a different location (friends we'd invited decided to host in case we still had sick kiddos).

They seemed to be getting better Monday morning so I thought all was well and good. But then later that afternoon Logan was feverish and Josh was ultra tired (which had been my first sign that I was getting sick) so they ended up missing out on BBQ 3.

All in all, we each got to eat at at least one BBQ each, but it was the middle one - that yummy one with the ribs, that we really wanted and had to miss out on.

All I can say about that is - can we please have a raincheck?

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But you probably don't want to hear about my BBQ woes.

One thing we were able to pull it together enough for was the annual Memorial Day service at our local cemetery. It's the second year we've taken the kids. They kind of don't like it because they have to be totally silent for a whole 20 minutes, but Josh and I think it's good for them. What's 20 minutes out of their year when these men and women gave their lives for our freedom, right? I've been doing a lot of reading about WWII lately, so this felt a little more important to me. One thing that someone mentioned today is that services like ours were being held all over the country in cities and towns of all sizes. Virtually every town in America has heroes to honor on Memorial Day. That's a lot of people and families who have made sacrifices for our nation. It's definitely something I'm grateful for.

We walked among the crosses
Where our fallen soldiers lay.
And listened to the bugle
As TAPS began to play.
The Chaplin led a prayer
We stood with heads bowed low.
And I thought of fallen comrades
I had known so long ago.
They came from every city
Across this fertile land.
That we might live in freedom.
They lie here 'neath the sand.
I felt a little guilty
My sacrifice was small.
I only lost a little time
But these men lost their all.
Now the services are over
For this Memorial Day.
To the names upon these crosses
I just want to say,
Thanks for what you've given
No one could ask for more.
May you rest with God in heaven
From now through evermore.

- C.W. Johnson