Memorial Day Weekend

Memorial Day weekend was wrought with difficulties.

Having just returned from our week in Florida on Friday, I was forced against my will to then spend Saturday night at a resort across town with these lovely ladies: our MOPS steering committee.

It involved mexican food, pool-side margaritas, chatting on the balcony of our condo, sleeping in a California king bed all by myself, and then doing this:

(...with my SPF 45 in place)

Mikel gets a big, big shout out for doing solo Nolan duty those 24 hours.  I suffered valiantly thanks to him!

*****

Memorial Day was celebrated by inviting the Gutierrez fam over.  If you recall, they moved to Phoenix from Rochester at the same time as us, and while we didn't know each other in MN, we looooove knowing them here!  They are our kind of peeps.

And Jacob is Khaki's kind of peeps.

She lurvs him eso mahch.

Mikel did a great job grilling the ribs!

So great to share a meal with friends.  As a side note, I hope our kids turn out as courteous, kind, funny, and overall great as the Gutierri.

From the left of Mikel are Bella, Ellie, Krista, Albert and Jacob.

It wouldn't be a celebration without some sparklers and poppers.  

This was the kids' first experience with sparklers!  They were all a little leery at first until they watched the adults fire them up.  Once they warmed up to the idea, they loved it!

What a great couple.

And us!

*****

The next day, Nolan and I hit up the Children's Museum (to which we have acquired a membership, thanks to our need to be exclusively indoors).  Nolan spent approximately 47 hours doing this:

He ended up with more beans on the floor than in the scale, but oh well.  Not my house!

When we got home, Nolan insisted on wandering next door to Lyle and Kathy's porch.  They have escaped to their lake house in northern MN for the summer, but Nolan likes to kiss their bunny rabbit sculpture and knock on their door just to be sure.  We miss seeing them!

His red cheeks and sweaty hair tell you how hot it already is.

After nap, we did a little Target shopping...

...and a little Khaki wrastling.

All in all, it was a great holiday weekend!

We are so thankful for the troops and their families, past and present, who sacrifice so very much in order that we can enjoy these little freedoms.

We are so blessed.