And this is how summer started…

With the observance of Memorial Day…

Summer 2016 has officially started.

So as I…

(predictably and characteristically)…

officially drag my feet  to move into three months that will travel at the speed of light and be over before I can even figure out where all my sleeveless tops are…

Here is a recap of how we kicked it off this weekend…

We took advantage of the long weekend to go check on this fellow…

and found him to be up for a little road trip.

So we did what all good citizens do when visiting a small town in Iowa on Memorial Day weekend.

We piled in the car…

briefly wishing we had brought the one without carseats…

and headed out to visit the cemetery.

It was tender for all as this was our first visit since Russ’s dear mom was added to the large area filled with Rossman’s and Reimer’s.

But God is so good and as we were all feeling that fresh grief that comes when you realize how much you miss someone’s presence on planet earth, we saw …

Russ’s young second cousin and his family who realized they were the only ones around to decorate dad’s brother’s grave this year…so

they brought their little one and flags and flowers and were tending his grandparent’s grave in honor of their family.

And you know… there is just something sweet about a young couple bringing their little one out and remembering.

I think that’s small town USA…they do make it a point to remember..

Like this little cemetery in Adair where there were so many flags and so many cars today…

in honor of those who have died in service to our nation.

And it touches the heart in a deep place to see the flags and the cars lining the highway and every lane of the cemetery out of respect for each of them <3

Summer also starts for us with a couple of special birthdays.

So on the way home we made a stop for…

and…

And I honestly love how they both take so much time to open their cards first and look at them, which I think they learned from their daddy…

because I have yet to see him open a gift in all the years we have known him that he doesn’t first read every word of the card and then pause to look into the eyes of the giver and say “thank you” <3

So that’s our summer start…

 

all in all…

Best….day….ever <3

…drool and all       <3