Sunday, May 29, 2011

memorial weekend


peace lily (spathiphyllum)

Memorial weekend is time for reflection to honor our heroes who helped us maintain our freedom as one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.  I am proud to be an American.  We may not be perfect, but our states are united, and thanks to our President and the brave Navy Seals, we can all breathe a little easier as the threat of terrorist Osama Bin Laden has subsided.  We will always be on alert for future attacks as we have been trained to be prepared, however, deep in our hearts we know our country will protect us, no matter how long it takes.   To celebrate this, I purchased a peace lily. 
flying our flag to honor our country

I proudly displayed our nation's stars and stripes and will not take it down until after Labor Day this year.  Everytime I glance at it, I smile.  I must share a wonderful tidbit about a 17 year old boy who started a site called PreserveandHonor.com which strives to keep alive the memory of our nation's heroes who gave their lives in support of the Global War on Terror.  This amazing young man researched the recently fallen soldiers at Arlington Cemetary and posted their names so we can always keep them in our heart.  His efforts bring pride that the future of our country will not forget.
it's a tigger theme

As the blessed day approaches, I decided to dig in the attic to see what baby items I can pull out for our little papoose.  I have not seen these things for almost 20 years so it was quite emotional to find the adorable baby comforters hand sewn by my Mom for each of my sons.   A wave of memories overwhelmed me as to when I held my own infants and swaddled them in their own blankies.  I dashed to the store to get Dreft soap to clean them ~ the smell after being washed in this soap is indescribable.  While I was there, I decided to get a few items for when baby is at our home and found cutesy Tigger-themed baby stuff.  This way I have some things in case the kids decide to just drop off baby for awhile. 
bassinet for baby

They only sleep in this adorable crib for a few months, but I had to bring my old one down and ordered a new skirt which I plan to enhance with my new friend ~ ribbons.

ribbon embellishment

The kids are all out and about this weekend enjoying time away and relaxing from their hectic school and work schedules.  While we were invited to go to Michigan, we nodded politely and are taking time to indulge in our newly renovated digs in peace and quiet with our pups.  All our projects are complete and everything is back in order.  What an amazing feeling.  It feels so good.  We'll probably watch a few movies and dine at a new restaurant and visit Brookfield Zoo on Monday if Boo comes home early.  Wayne begins his new job in a few weeks so he can enjoy some down time; we'll ride our bikes around the neighborhood and grill some pub burgers and shishkabobs. 

benes family

Next Sunday, June 5, we will attend the second annual Mother's Against Drunk Drivers (MADD) walk being held in Homer Glen.  We will always hold Kevin in our hearts forever, and this is a little way to keep his remembrance alive and share our love for him and his family.
mom's lilac bush

Wayne and I have toiled over this little guy for a few years.  It seemed as if it might have given up blooming, but we kept trimming and clearing the dead brush and I even talked to it; and sure enough, he came back to share his beauty for Big Daddy and Brother Bo.   Keep the faith!

Warm wishes to all for a wonderful weekend.  Take a moment to remember those who have made a difference in your life, even in the smallest manner, and offer gratitude for all the blessings being bestowed each moment.  Make a new memory and pay it forward. 

As Bob Seger so greatly sings it:   Ooooh, I remember, Oh, I remember, I remember....xo