On Friday morning, we drove to see G's parents to attend Peter's retirement ceremony. It was neat seeing people within the community coming together to celebrate Peter's many years of being a lawyer and a judge. There was a nice meal served, stories told about Peter, and gifts given. The kids enjoyed helping their grandpa open his presents.
7-2-10 Peter opening retirement gifts.
7-2-10 Getting some help from the grandkids.
7-2-10 Stories being told about Peter.
7-2-10 Carol's big gavel.
I think one of the funniest comments made repeatedly during and after Peter's retirement ceremony was a portion of a phrase he often used when questioning the dead-beat dads that found their way into his courtroom, "What do you do all day?!"
After the ceremony and luncheon, we went back to the house and spent some time picking apricots off Carol's tree and then everyone joined in to set up Melisa's Smurf set that Carol had saved from when Melisa was a child. The Smurfs were a big hit with the kids this weekend!
That evening, the kids were thrilled to have a "movie night" and then to have a "sleep-over" at Grandma's house, which meant they all shared the same room for the weekend.
After being on the go all day, the kids fell asleep pretty quick. C was the last hold-out but not for too long.
7-2-10 Movie Night (the "Out of Egypt" kids movie is not recommended).
7-2-10 Cousins fast asleep.
Yesterday morning was spent outdoors. The cousins had fun playing together on the swing set and dancing in Grandma and Grandpa's yard (their grass is so cushy).
7-3-10 Cousins on the swing set.
7-3-10 More swing set fun!
7-3-10 Dancing little girls.
In the afternoon, we all loaded into our cars and drove down to the main street to watch the Independence Day parade.
We got there early to get a good spot, you know in case it got crowded, and waited for it all to start.
7-3-10 Waiting for the parade.
7-3-10 Still waiting.
Once the parade started, it didn't take long to finish, but the kids enjoyed it. And they were quite happy when it was announced that the fire station was handing out free ice cream and offering tours of the fire engine!
7-3-10 Climbing in the fire truck.
Last night we drove out and parked by the side of the road near the casino to watch the fireworks display. C was terrified and wanted to stay inside the truck. Thankfully I was able to at least coax her out of the truck, but she sat in my lap with her blanket over her head the entire time. She is only 3, so I guess her fear is understandable.
J was apprehensive of the loud booming noises, but he sat out with the others in the back of the truck and seemed to warm up to the fireworks towards the end.
7-3-10 Waiting for the fireworks to begin.
The fireworks were actually quite pretty and well worth the wait!
7-3-10 Ooooh...aaaah!This morning, after mass, we loaded up everyone into 2 cars and drove up into the Pinal mountains to escape the heat and to have a picnic lunch, before we had to head back to our home.
7-3-10 Peter grilling sausages for lunch.
The kids had a great time exploring the small nearby stream, looking at bugs, throwing rocks, and building a small damn.
7-4-10 Playing in the stream.
The adults sat around and swapped funny stories about the past and Peter talked about his beginnings as a lawyer. He gave us his rendition of the "What do you do all day?" phrase!
Despite the fact that we were trying to cram as much activity in as possible, while we were all together, it still managed to be a fun and relaxing weekend.
It was bittersweet to see the kids playing together, knowing that once we move to FL these family gatherings will be all too infrequent. I think that's why we all made sure to take a lot of pictures over the weekend, to store up until we are together again.
Of course, we missed Chris and Lauren and their 2 kids. I know the 4 cousins would've loved to have their other 2 cousins joining in the fun!
No comments:
Post a Comment