Happy Memorial Day Weekend

Large arrangment by Sister, small basket arrangment in background by Me.

Every Memorial Day, my family heads south in a rather sizeable flock to show our respect and love for those that have gone before. We visit cemeteries spanning southern Utah and deliver flower arrangements that we congregate to make the evening before. These are not your run of the mill "mums in a basket" type of arrangments, they are well put together and artfully designed and executed by various talented family members. The culmination of the flowers is the arrangment for my grandparents grave site. My sister makes this arrangment and it is OUTSTANDING every year! I have so many childhood memories of this tradition, most having to do with rain on Memorial Day which seems to happen every year. We frantically run around staking down the arrangments so they don't blow over and it is hysterical EVERY year. We all gather after the cemetery train and have a family reunion/lunch together and then we disperse to our respective towns and homes. I look forward to this every year and miss it when I don't live near enough to attend. This year Little will be big enough to traipse through the grass and witness and experience some of the magic of being with so much family.

I'll post pictures (probably courtesy of The Husband) of the events when we get back. Have fun and remember those that have served our country and given their lives for our freedom and show those you love just how much you love them!

Overrun!

This week has been a crazy one! I daringly took the adventure of adding 4 children to my quiver for 6 days.... boy, when their parents said we were in trouble they weren't a kidding! The husband and I have been up to our eyeballs in "he hit me, bit me, took mine, don't touch me, I'm sick, I'm not tired and I've read all the books in my room, can't I just lay in your bed" along with lots of poop, wiz, and all around loveliness! We now know what it would be like to have twins, we have had our 14.5 month old boy and a 13 month old girl duking it out for who gets more attention and it has actually worked out really well, since the girl only likes Husband. I get the stink-eye from her if I get near her so I have left her to husband to be taken care of while I wrangle the rest of the rowdy crowd. 

These experiences while proving to be excellent birth control also help us to understand that if we ever have 5 children (that is now in debate), we will be able to handle it and survive past middle age. It is busy to be sure, but we know we could do it and experiences such as these help us to work as a team. We have seen the last few days what it is like to be woken up at 1 am with a sick child who needs us. I was proud of myself last night that I didn't scream out of fright when the 8 year old was found standing next to my bed when I stirred mid-REM cycle. I might have scared him when I shot up in bed like something had bitten me, but then Husband helped me by medicating him and getting him back in his bed. 

We are exhausted thats for sure, but we will be richer in funds and experience when this is all over. And it has been a good experience to find out that my nephews can rely on me when they need something and I can help them. 

We'll be back to regular programming on Monday night, and then we will take a deep breath and finally be able to walk around our own house in whatever state of undress we like. Nothing to scandalous of course! 

Meanwhile, a lot (read:ALL) of my projects are on hold. I can't wait to show you what I've been working on!