Trying out the new toy!

Hey we finally got a new digital camera! We had a great opportunity today to use it. JD being part of the cub scouts we were able to participate in the Memorial Day Good Turn day at Jefferson Barracks Memorial Cemetery. The scouts in the area spent a few hours putting a flag on every grave to honor the veterans to observe Memorial day. We didn't actually stay for the whole ceremony but we made sure to put flags on grandpa McC's and uncle BAD's father's graves. The kids seem to enjoy it although they didn't quite get the purpose. JD put the flag on grandpa's, ID put the flowers we had brought, and AD put the flag on BAD's dad (with the help of her foot!). After I had explained that the people were buried in the graves under our feet, I was telling the kids a bit about grandpa McC serving in the navy during WWII on a carrier fighting the Japanese. Then I explained how he had many tractors and dump trucks all the time to run his excavating business. ID was very interested in the tractors. He asked if he had a tractor for moving hay and I said he mostly had tractors that moved the earth around. He was slightly disappointed in this. He was sitting on the ground right next to the grave for this conversation. He then bent down as if talking to grandpa and said "You really should have a tractor for doing hay!"

I do feel a little morbid taking pictures at a cemetery, but it is good proof that we actually did it!

From Trash to Treasure

ID brought home his "creation"( a sculpture made out of trash) he made at school the other day. He was incredibly proud of it and was so excited to have it. I'll try to decribe it; a used Fiji water bottle laying on it's side, glued to a paper plate with straws taped to the side, next to that on the plate was a used paper towel roll with a #3 b-day candle taped to it, all of this taped to the top of a white balloon, which was then taped to another paper plate (it really would be much easier if I had a digital camera so you could see for yourself!). The only discription that is truly relevent is the balloon. Apparantly on the way home from school, ID found a 4 point hook in his daddy's truck, I have no idea what this hook is used for, but to ID it looked just like a fishing hook. So as soon as he got home, he drew up a fish and some bubbles, then taped them to the balloon underneath his hook (RD had attached the hook to some pipe cleaner attached to the paper towel roll). Very inventive to look like the fish was in a tank and about to be caught. Well of course what happens to balloons-they pop! The day after he had brought it home, the tank had popped. ID was extremely unhappy, tears and all! But mom came to the rescue! I gave him a new balloon- a blue one with a skull and cross bones on it! He was exstatic to say the least. Now it is not only a fish in a tank about to be caught, but it is pirates who are catching the fish! Truly a treasure!
The entire reason I have shared this overly lengthy story is to share with my family an understanding I gained and shared with ID after we had repaired his ruined creation. I explained to him this simple reality that sometimes bad or sad things happen to us (or our things) only so something better can take it's place.
He really seemed to get it and felt much better about his new creation. So much so that the next day when our stup-I mean silly cat popped the blue balloon, ID didn't get so upset. We simply replaced the balloon again and hung it up out of the cat's reach!
My family members came to my mind after this ordeal with ID. Between mom and dad lossing their job, BAD about to be out of a job, RY possibly lossing his job, and EM and elka's completely stressful move and now having to deal with renters, yuk and with many obsticles yet to get through, it seems our family is going through quite a transitional period! I have to say I'm feeling slightly nervous for RD right now! But I have to hope and believe this is all leading up to something much better for everyone! (Any body thought of us all moving to the farm and creating our own family compound? Ha Ha, just kidding elka!) I hope I can hold onto this attitude when my family trial comes about. Everyone is in my thoughts and prayers.