Sleep is over rated

That is what Little thought on our trip south this weekend. On Sunday night we put him to bed in the hotel and he seemed to go to bed without any problem. We didn't know at that point that he would wake up at 3:30 a.m. and think it was play time. He started talking in his crib at the end of our bed and we thought maybe if we just ignored him he would fall back asleep. Boy were we wrong! He played peacefully in his crib until about 4:15 and then he popped his head above the top of the crib smiling and we couldn't control our laughter and then he REALLY thought it was play time! Soon he had grabbed the remote and played with it just enough to accidentally turn on a hockey game that was on t.v.!

He played in our bed until about 5:00 then Sister 5(A) and I took him downstairs and got him "Cheese", this is what he calls food. We played in the lobby of the hotel until 6:30 and then returned to our room to wake up Husband and Boyfriend of Sister 5 with the racket of Little as we tried unsuccessfully to get him back to sleep. He finally fell asleep at 7:30 as Husband was getting up to shower. It made for a very tired Little and very tired parents as we went about our Memorial Day activities. It probably didn't help that we named ourselves the sick room as we were all coughing and sniffing all night long and disturbing Little.

When we got him back into his own space he was back to his own old routine of sleeping 11 hours a night and two naps a day. Thank heavens for a routine and familiar places.

Memories of Memorial Day 2009

Small basket arrangment by Me. Picture by Me.

Memorial Day was a blast! We had fun putting together the flower arrangments and we are streamlining the process quite well, it didn't take near as long as it has in the past and we had lots of family to talk to and exciting marriage announcements from cousins, lots of little ones running around and I got to have a great talk with my cousin who like me, struggles with infertility. It was great to talk with her and get her perspective on the whole process of childbirth or wanting a child.

We came home worn out and ready to be back in our own space. But we enjoyed all the family and a little of the good food :). And I cried during Taps (you know, the bugle song - hormones! and memories!)

The very beatiful arrangment for my grandparents grave, created by Sister 2 (M).

Picture by Husband.

Wreath for the Fallen Soldier. Picture by Husband.

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!