Happy Memorial Day! I hope many of you are enjoying this un-official kick off to summer. And I sure hope you have nicer weather than we do. As I write this, snow is falling out our windows. Yes, snow. It isn’t really sticking, and it is supposed to be back up in the 60’s and 70’s by the end of the week, but for the moment it is snowing.

We had some fun this weekend and Benjamin experienced another “first”. We went to the big Memorial Day rodeo here in town. Ben was excited by the loud music and all the people (many of which we know), but when he saw the cowboys and the horses and the bulls, his eyes went wide. He couldn’t even sit he was so excited. Finally he looked at me and said, “Mom, this is SO funny! The man go on the cow, then he falls of the cow, then he run fast. This is SO funny!” He danced to the music, clapping his hands, stomping his feet and whistling and cheering with the rest of the kids. At one point I said, “Benjamin, it’s your turn to ride the cow,” just to see what he would say, and his eyes went wide and he got a huge grin which told me he knew I was teasing, and then he hollered, “NO WAY Mom!!!!!!!”

But back to Memorial Day. After having traveled to Asia and Africa and several places in between, I know how truly blessed we are to live in this free country. We are so lucky to live in a country where we can have the families that we choose, belong to whatever religion that we choose, have the right to vote on the individuals that will govern us and the laws that they will make, and to live in a place where there seems to be endless hope and opportunities for anyone and everyone willing to seek them out.

I am grateful to be an American, and grateful for all of those who have fought to help make and keep our country the place that it is. We have family members and friends who have served and are currently serving in the armed forces and today and everyday we remember them, thank them and salute them. Happy Memorial Day!