Memorial Day Weekend

Gosh this weekend is so meaningful to so many people. I’ve seen all over FB today people posting “Happy Memorial Day”, thanking military members for their services for our freedom and country and then I see other people posting about what this day means to many…its NOT a happy day its a sad day to remember those who have fallen, etc etc.  From one extreme to another. 
I googled the meaning of Memorial Day…and got this… “a day on which those who died in active military service are remembered, traditionally observed on May 30 but now officially observed on the last Monday in May.”  I know some active military, I know some retired military, but thankfully I don’t know many “fallen military”.  Having memorial day is an amazing thing for those that grieve…others do it in silence throughout the year.  I’m very thankful to live in America. I’m very thankful for our freedom. And I’m VERY thankful for our military and those that have unfortunately died in attempts to continue our country to still be the best on the planet!!

BUT what also comes with this federal holiday is lots of people with no work and time with family.  It’s the traditional start to summer! City pools open for the season, school gets out around this time and the weather starts really warming up as well! When I was a lifeguard in my late teens and early 20’s it was when our summer fun began.  I remember this opening weekend almost always freezing but the pools filled up regardless!

Now Memorial Day 2005 - 10 years ago I was 23…engaged to be married and loving life! 
And our friends were about to get married!  We headed to Laughlin for a joint Bachelor/Bachelorette Party.

Ps. who took this…I doubt i had a timer on my camera back then! lol 

 

 

Our days that weekend consisted of either hanging out ON the boat (because it wasn’t running for some reason), , drinking, laughing, dancing (JOEL!), more drinking, getting the boat running after a life-saving dive by “Cat Fish”…finally getting to a cove to do it all over again!! Then we’d shower up and go out eating, drinking, gambling, dancing and more drinking.  I’m so freaking exhausted just thinking about those days!! How did we survive?? Our group of friends then are the same group of friends now!! Its amazing to think just HOW much our lives have ALL changed in 10 years.  We are lucky to have such an amazing group of people to call friends…I consider myself truly blessed to have married into a great group of people!  Some of these wives have turned out to be my best of friends…and I’m thankful!

Now Fast forward to Memorial Day 2015!

 

Our lives now are SOOOO much more hectic. haha But its with opening juices and fruit snacks, applying and reapplying sunscreen, getting lifejackets and towels countless times, breaking up kiddie arguments, wiping away tears, and getting lots and lots of hugs and kisses from little people!! These days the kids are outnumbering us adults, heck some days out there I don’t hardly speak with Yosh…our lives are all consumed with the kids!  BUT I wouldn’t change it for anything!!

This particular trip consisted of 8 adults, 9 kids, missing 1 baby and 2 babies bakin’ in tummies!  Its nuts!  The amount of sh*t us moms have to pack for 2 days on the lake is ridiculous haha! But its all worth it!  We found a little beach…the water level was so high so it made beach space slim. We “luckily” found this beach with a HUGE climbable hill. The kids LOVED it. And it almost gave us mom’s heart attacks.

 


 

Owen loves fishing. He doesn’t get that from us. Thank God Travis brings his fishing stuff and lets the kids catch some fish.  Owen caught one, reeled it in and was so excited. I think it pretty much MADE his trip!! 

The memories are making with our kids is amazing! I cherish them…all of them.  And sadly we have come to the realization that the days on the boat are coming to the end.  For many reasons we are going to have to sell the family boat.  Its sad. But at the same time its the end of one era and the beginning of another.  The boat has been a part of all our lives for 15 years. We have been spoiled with having a boat there in a slip year round…so its going to be very different in the future.  I took a group picture in front of the boat…because I’m sad that THIS might be the last group trip we ever get with it.

My friend took these pics and I LOVE them..so I had to share them too!!

Daddy’s with their girls!! 
 

Mommy’s with their boys!

I have to brag and say we are some mama’s!
Crazy that the two on the right have 3 kids each…and the 2 on the left are expecting their 3rd’s.
Yep, I think we are nuts!! haha
Lindsey and I are a few days apart…shes expecting a little boy in September.  I’m 22 weeks and she’s 23 weeks.

Owen, Ryland, Carter, Payton and Brynn. (before the pose ended with poor Brynnie falling and banging her head)

And one of my favorite kid pics ever…these kids were so proud to be up on that hill together!!

So whatever your thoughts and feelings are about memorial day, I have to say I’m happy we get to spend ours with some of our best friends at one of the places we all love so much! 

Thanks for all the memories!