PAMPERS AND PEARLS: Weekend Shenanigans...sort of...

Hey Gang! I'm a little slow today with my weekend shenanigan post because, well, there isn't much to report. We had a great weekend doing absolutely nothing. I could talk about what I ingested and whether I wore jeans or leggings to the grocery, but I fear if I continue to talk about margaritas & momma outfits you might start judging or boycotting ;-). In my opinion, some of the best weekends, like this past weekend, are those with zero on the calendar though.

On a separate note Wake, Milly, Joe and I went to the Veteran's Day parade in downtown Jacksonville today. I had a lump in my throat the whole time! It was so wonderful to see so many people out supporting our Vets and our country. I'm a true patriot and I believe that Freedom isn't Free. We are so incredibly lucky to be citizens of The United States of America. My paternal grandfather was 17 years old when he landed in Normandy on D-day & was in his early 20s when he liberated a concentration camp in Poland. He never spoke about it...only once with my father on his deathbed. My maternal grandfather was on one of the first boats to make shore in Nagasaki after the bomb was dropped; I wish every day he had lived long enough for me to ask him about his experiences. My paternal grandmother was a Wave in the Pacific ocean. My brother's best friend (and my "brother from another mother") did three tours of Iraq in five years as a Captain and lead pilot of an Apache helicopter. The list goes on... We ALL have friends and family members who have sacrificed A LOT so that we I can sit safely in the comfort of my beautiful home, writing whatever my big mouth wants to write on a snazzy MacBook, while drinking a glass of wine. We will never understand the things they have seen, done, felt, heard........just the thought is beyond humbling and heart breaking.

Today while watching the parade it struck me how happy every Veteran looked. They were thrilled to be alive and to see so many people loving on them. We are their hope when hope seems lost. We must support them, and love them, and pray for them. We must never let their stories, memories, and/or purpose die. My son Wakeland was named after my mother, it was her maiden name. At his baptism, my brother (Wake's God Father) told me that a "Wakeland" male has fought in every war on American soil. I couldn't be more proud of my family, our vets, and my country.