memorial day

And finally, ladies and gentlemen, for your viewing pleasure I will recount the details of our journey into the southwestern regions of the land known as Arizona on that day which memorializes those soldiers who have fallen.

Or in other words, that time we went to Yuma for Memorial Day.

It was a pretty great weekend, let me tell you.  It was the first time Tim has had two days off in a row in like...well, forever.  We drove down on Saturday night, and as soon as we got there, they fed us steak.  Have I mentioned how much I love visiting Yuma?  Talk about a regal welcome.

Then hilarity ensued when we all decided to play "Just Dance" on the wii.  I have rarely - nay, never - seen my husband dance so enthusiastically.  The hilarity was magnified tenfold each time Tim and his brother, Billy, danced side by side, each executing completely different dance moves simultaneously.

Sunday was a Special Day [or is that supposed to be Saturday?  ...bad Mormon joke] which involved considerable amounts of time spent at church and with family.  And tacos.  Very, very yummy steak tacos.  [Have I mentioned how much I like visiting Yuma?]  Plus, we watched Baptists at our BBQ and I just think that movie is hilarious to the nth power.  Anything good that happened in addition to that movie is just a bonus.

On Monday morning at the crack of ten o'clock, we woke up to go tubing down the Colorado River.  I have very fond memories of swimming in it as a kid [remember how I lived in Yuma?] and was very excited to repeat the experience.  Nevertheless, everyone kept telling me how crowded and crazy it would be on this, the Monday of the Day of the Memorial.

You guys, I have floated down the Salt River in Phoenix.  This was not crowded.  We pretty much had the place to ourselves.  And it was fantastic.

The group involved made for uncommonly pleasant company.  In addition to Tim and me, Tim's parents, Tim's sister (Melissa), and Tim's niece (Kylie) all came.  [Though I like them so much that I would rather claim them as my parents, my sister, and my niece.]

After we got home, we quickly showered and headed over to visit Tim's cousin, Cale, and his wife, Sarah.  They didn't have too much time, as they were getting ready to head to a BBQ in true Memorial Day fashion, but it was fun to see them and to catch up with them.

After we got home, I found this picture of my Grandpa:

He fought as a Marine in WWII, and although he lived for another sixty-some odd years, I can't help but think of him on any day which commemorates our great country.  He was a hero in my eyes.

And then we had a BBQ of our own, complete with hamburgers and corn on the cob!

On the way out of town, I made Tim drive by my old house:

So many good memories there.

I feel so blessed to be part of such a wonderful, loving family.  I was already a part of one, but now my family circle has expanded immensely, and I love it.

And so, my friends, as you can see, our journey into the nether regions of this the United States can be termed an outstanding success.