Memorial Day Weekend Happenings and Such

 Happy Memorial Day sounds a bit like an oxymoron... it is a day of remembrance and mourning of soldiers - not really a happy subject... and like most holidays, the true meaning tends to get lost in the shuffle. Memorial Day is basically a kick off to summer which made it into kind of a national BBQ weekend... maybe attend a party and a parade and start your summer. We, following suit, attended not one, but two BBQs in this weekend and also the town parade. We really did have a great weekend... Maris actually asked me what Memorial Day was for and asked why flags were everywhere (she said she loves Memorial Day bc of all the flags now... the kids are rather obsessed with "America Flags") I took it upon myself to read up on Memorial Day so I could better explain it to her and came across a few facts... 

**New York was the 1st state to officially recognize Memorial Day. (Go NY!)

** The south refused to honor the dead on Memorial Day until after World War I when the meaning of Memorial Day changed from honoring civil war dead to honoring Americans who died fighting in any war. (The Civil War fascinates me... I blame my Mom's obsession with Gone With The Wind...)

**President Bill Clinton issued a memorandum in 2000 on the White House Program for the National Moment of Remembrance that encouraged Americans "to pause for one minute at 3:00 p.m. (local time) on Memorial Day."

**President Barack Obama will pay tribute to the nation's fallen soldiers on Memorial Day, attending a ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery. When it comes to Presidents, many visit Arlington on Memorial Day and some don't.
Ronald Reagan spoke at West Point one year, and went to his California ranch another year.
George H.W. Bush, a war veteran, did not go at all.
Bill Clinton went to Arlington all eight years of his presidency.
George W. Bush attended from 2003 onward.

**Why is Memorial Day celebrated on May 30? Three years after the Civil War ended, on May 5, 1868, the head of the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) established Decoration Day as a time for the nation to decorate the graves of the war dead with flowers. Maj. Gen. John A. Logan declared that Decoration Day should be observed on May 30. This date was chosen because flowers would be in bloom all over the country.

 

**Ever wonder who started the custom of wearing red poppies? In 1915, inspired by the poem “In Flanders Fields,” Moina Michael replied with her own poem.

We cherish too, the Poppy red
That grows on fields where valor led,
It seems to signal to the skies
That blood of heroes never dies.
She then came up with an idea of wearing red poppies on Memorial day in honor of those who died serving the nation during war. She was the first to wear one, and sold poppies to her friends and co-workers with the money going to benefit servicemen in need.


(I wore mine!) as shown below... I chose that picture bc my daughter had my camera and I thought it was an amusing shot :)


 

 The Saturday of Memorial Day weekend kicked off with my yard sale adventures in a previous post... then onto a BBQ at my friend's house. We got to meet Tina's new baby Owen as well!

 

Sangria, friends, great food, and fireworks.. it was a great day.

 Sunday was a laid back day of recuperating and getting things done around the house... Monday was back to the busy schedule. It was crazy hot so we went outside in the sprinkler. The kids LOVE this 3" ball that sprays water. its amazing :)

 our little ballerina in the water haha

 Here are the kids lounging in the sun drying off before we head to the parade.

 Check out the patriotic socks! :)

 the rare family portrait of ALL of us. We ended up running into friends at the parade (the same from the BBQ the day before) and were invited back over to help finish up the aprty food leftovers and to have some kiddie pool fun. It was insanely hot out... Early 90's in the spring. phew its going to be a hot summer.

Love America and Love our Life :)