I'm Thankful For: Memories

Day 2 - I'm thankful for: memories!

Sometimes memories can be bittersweet, especially if they have to do with something or someone who isn't around anymore. But there's always that quote, "Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened!" 

A couple weekends ago we went to Jerome for the farewell of our fourth missionary cousin, who will be serving in Uruguay for the next two years. While we were in J-Town, Grandma took us to a couple movies (she's such a party animal :). The best part about the double feature was that it was not only two different movies, but two different theaters!

And lest you think that Jerome has gotten big enough for two theaters, let me clear it up, we saw both movies in Twin. The second one we went to was a theater I've never been to before in all my years of seeing movies in Twin. It is called The Orpheum and it is super legit.

As we drove over to it, Grandma told us that this was the theater that her and Grandpa went to on their very first date (July 5, 1957)! That was so cool. Just knowing that made it my favorite theater.

It was so fun to sit in there as Grandma would remember different times they went there and have her say, "We sat right over there." and things like that.

 Grandpa's been gone for over a year so I loved having one more place to connect with him and make him feel that much closer. 

  Also in that same weekend, it was Sunday after church and a big family lunch and a bunch of us wound up at Grandma's house, as we usually do. Towards the end of the evening, one of my aunts pulled out some old favorite piano music and started singing. Another one of my aunts would switch off playing the piano while Aunt Lisa sang. I could listen to her all day, she's always had one of my favorite singing voices.
  As a few of us sat there listening to her, it reminded me of being little at the Farm.There would be a huge group of aunts, uncles, and cousins all over at Grandma and Grandpa's (my favorite thing ever!) and every so often we'd all be hanging around the kitchen and my Uncle Dave would whip out his guitar and harmonica and he'd play old songs that Lisa would sing to. Us little cousins would dance in the kitchen and bang spoons together (there may have even been a wild set of maracas now and then) and if we were really lucky, Grandpa would pull out his washtub base and strum along. It was sooo much fun!

 And another memory that's a little strong this particular week is from last year. Yep, on the 28th (Thanksgiving) it will be the one year mark from when we dropped David off at the MTC!! Halfway there!
   During Thanksgiving last year we had so much fun with him in the last few days before he'd be leaving. After dinner one night we turned on "Just Dance" and had a pretty rockin' time of it. Whether he'll ever own it or not, David is a super good dancer. He would also get into these moods where he was so un-leashed in being entertaining that I would be in tears from laughing at all the random things he came up with. It was great to play "Just Dance" with him, but almost more fun to watch him bust a move. This was just one of his many artistic interpretations of the dance! :)

  There you have it, Day Two! See you back here tomorrow.