Kickoff to Summer

Memorial Day weekend. A special time - great family weekend, time to reflect, time to think about the summer ahead and the fun times to be had. Even though the weather was up and down in Raleigh, we still managed to have a great one! Highlights of the past 3 days include:

• Matthew and Ainsley deciding to "recylcle" half consumed bottles of gatorade by... using the remnants in their water guns and spraying each other head to toe with the sweet, sticky syrup water. Blue hair and all!
• A family picnic that moved from park to playground to finally back home - as we tried to outrun the rain! In the end - our back deck was the perfect spot, and the food tasted better simply becuase we ate it outdoors, and all together.
• Ainsley *finally* letting me play with her hair, putting it up in ribbons and bows (red, white and blue stars) yesterday - prooving that she can be a girl some of the time - even if she's a tomboy most of the time!
• Ellie and Max doing their very first sleepover with friends at our house on Sunday night!
• Matthew laughing so hard during Memorial Day/Kelly Birthday cookout festivities that he barfed all over the O'Brien's driveway...

Even though our kids were scheduled to be at school yesterday, we opted to not send them, and spent the day together as a family with some of our best friends. We raised a glass to toast the men and women that made and continue to make the USA such an inspiring and amazing place to live... many of these people paid the ultimate sacrifice so that I can raise my family here in a free country.

Hats off to you all.