Hello again. Long time, no write. Sometimes, if I don't blog much, it's because life seems to be getting the better of me and I don't have the time and emotional bandwidth to process what's happening here on the blog. Sometimes it's survival mode and I'm just glad to be surviving.
Thankfully, we're in a season (however long or short it may last) in which, I haven't been sharing much, not because life is hard, but because we are so busy living our best lives and enjoying almost every moment! Also, I may not be a psychiatrist, but I'll tell you what-- SAD (seasonal affect disorder) is a REAL THING and I am LOVING the sun and warmth of summer.
And on that note, I don't know what has come over me, but I am actually quite enjoying this summer. I confess that I have struggled to enjoy summer for the last lots of years. I think the expectation/pressure I have felt to "have fun" has uncomfortably clashed with my unhealthy compulsion to "be productive". This resulted in a lot of ANGST in my brain and a tragic desire for summer to hurry up and end, so we can get back to work. Somehow, this summer has been different. Or I'm different. This year summer has been wonderful, fun, relaxing, and stuffed with family and fun, and I dread getting back to work. Is this a good thing? I think so!!
So where to begin? Chronological order be darned! I'll just dive right in--
(Note: All good things Ben and Bethany are still coming in a later post)
We enjoyed absolutely perfect weather for Memorial Day and we had the whole family there-- It was heavenly.
Memorial Day isn't the same without Uncle Lane, but thankfully we still have Aunt Diane.
Cousin Christy (middle) does a great job of following her dad's footsteps.
I love this picture.
Apparently, babies make Ben "nervous", but he's sure doing a good job of bonding with Daniel.
It's Daniel's first Memorial Day
The gang at Valley View Cemetery
We were all so glad to see Grandpa don the flag shirt again. Last year he was feeling discouraged about the state of America, and for the first time since anyone could remember, he did not wear his flag shirt. The funny thing about this picture is the bagpipe player in the background. Grandpa is NOT a fan of bagpipes anywhere, but especially not in cemeteries on Memorial Day. We all had a good chuckle and got his picture with his nemesis.
The Jolley legacy
Uncle Clark
How cute is this!!!
One of the sweetest moments of the day was Peter volunteering to retell the story of his great-great-uncle Abram Hugh Cannon-- a radar man who died on the USS Johnston in the Pacific in WWII. He's heard his grandpa tell the story a couple of times and it made a lasting impression. Besides mistaking Japan for China, he was pretty spot on.
I believe Memorial Day is one of the healthiest holidays for your soul. And you'd think all these cousins would dread being dragged around to cemeteries for several hours-- but that is not the case. A spirit of gratitude and honoring ancestors feels good in a way that even children can recognize.
Our kids do like to joke that they feel like Memorial comes about three times a year versus the other holidays. They revise a line from Narnia and say, "It's always Memorial Day and never Christmas"
I think our Peter bears a striking resemblance to his Grandpa Peter.
Adorable.
The cousins
The water was very cold
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