Weekend at a Glance

I'm thankful for two bloggers who have taken the time to document the fun I've been having over the past couple of days!  I have been away from my home computer, so I've been unable to upload my photos.  Thankfully, my sister and best gal pal from high school are all over it! (Thanks girls for the sweet posts!)

We decided to break away for a couple of days to go see my family over the 4th.  It was good being together, though I'll admit I found myself quite melancholy throughout the weekend. This was the time of year we were always with my grandfather in Nebraska for our family reunions, and for some reason, two years later, it was extremely hard for me.  I miss him now more than ever.  But there's no place like home, and being with my family was the BEST place I could have been!  The cousins had a great time together (as usual).  My industrious sister picked black raspberries from my mom and dad's property and made some out-of-this-world jam.  We cooked out and went to see fireworks.  We also had our own show right at home last night since Papa Dean had gotten some goodies to share with the kids (though I think we adults had more fun than the kids!).  I even heard stories of one of the grown-ups taping a japanese beetle to a bottle rocket.  Yes.  You heard me right.  (Nanna and Papa's roses are being attacked by these annoying critters, so nobody felt real guilty for its trip to the moon.  You might be interested to know it actually survived.  Until my niece ran over it with a scooter.  And my other niece went over and stomped on it with her shoe.)  

Anyway, I have some great pics from the weekend that I'll post soon. 

This family reunion may have looked a little different than years past, but it meant just as much.  I told my mom that our kids will look back on these years with such fondness, just like we did when we spent time at Nanny and Poppop's.  This is their "Paddock Road" and what sweet memories they'll have to share with their kids.  Poppop would want it that way.