memorial day wrap up

Not to be cheesy, but we do live the life of an Army family... 

With that in mind, we are so very grateful that this sand-castle-building-little-girl-loving man pictured above is part of our lives.  There are so many who didn't get to celebrate a 3 or 4 day weekend with their dadas. their husbands. their sons or daughters.  

After 3 deployments, I'm ever so grateful.  And grateful to those who have literally given their all.  Grateful to their wives and the families they left behind.  Because make no mistake, they've offered their share of the sacrifice.

We spent our day soaking up the sun and sand and saltwater (very cold saltwater) at Fort Monroe, our new favorite beach.  When the girls realized just how cold the waters were, they moved on to treasure collecting... and collecting, and collecting.  

 

Despite Lila's extreme aversion for sand, even she managed to reach out and collect a few shells of her own.  Which I would've saved... had she not insisted on trying to eat them.

By the way, have I mentioned how much I love her distaste of the sand?  I simply bring a blanket along, plop us both down, and enjoy being a lizard (soaking up the sun).  (Well, and rescuing collected sea shells from her mouth.)  It really is quite glorious.

  

I've attended my fair share of homecomings, both for JD and for those of friend's husbands.  It's an experience that's forever stamped in my memory.

I've never had to witness the homecoming of a casket.  

But I know JD has lined the FOB to watch many a Soldier leave in one.  His Battalion alone lost 27 Soldiers during his first deployment.  I cannot even begin to imagine all that is stamped in the memories of our Soldiers.  Of my Soldier.

On Memorial Day we played in the sun and the sand and the saltwater.  We listened to little girl laughter, watched giant ships go by, and wrote our names in the sand with sea shells.  We ate chocolate sandwiches and cheese sticks on a picnic blanket.  That night we cooked and ate watermelon and ice cream sandwiches with friends.

We remembered those who have gone before us.  Those who could not enjoy the ones they loved so dearly.

Hooah.