Memorial Day

So, I started to title this post "My Picture-less Perfect Day" because I took not one picture of all the fun we had on Memorial Day.  But, alas!  I remembered that I had the perfect picture material for this occasion...

These are the masterpieces of my little ar-teest.  In anticipation of our Memorial Day celebration, she spent a large portion of her Sunday afternoon making American flags.  She made two large flags to hang on the handles of the front and back door, and all the little flags were laid around such places as her kitchen set, the TV stand, and the piano.  She also hung some dress-up butterfly wings on the closet door and draped a knitted scarf across her kitchen set.  She came running to me after placing these items, saying, "Everything's decorated, mommy!"  Her Pa-Pop and Ne-Ne were coming for lunch and she wanted everything to be just perfect.  And it was.

We had a great time.  My man grilled burgers and dogs AND made some yummy broccoli salad (which required cooking a LOT of bacon--one of my least favorite things to do).  I was so excited to be excused from cooking duty that I gladly made the tea, and set out the chips, fruit, and condiments.  I know he's grateful; I mean, I could have done nothing.

After lunch, we put on our bathing suits, pulled out the sprinkler, and got wet.  Okay, so maybe not all of us.  The girls and I got wet while their daddy, Ne-Ne, and Pop looked on jealously as we frolicked and played the non-Eskimo way.

After Pop and Ne-Ne left and the girls had baths and naps, we got a wild hair and decided to go buy an ice cream maker.  Obviously everyone else had the same idea this weekend because Lowe's was sold out of all but their display.  We bought it.  Which meant we had no instruction manual or recipes.  Google to the rescue!  Actually...no.  We didn't have the right ingredients for any of the recipes we found; so, like everything else we make, we improvised.  We used 2 cups milk, 3 cups heavy cream, a can of condensed milk, and a few teaspoons of vanilla.  I mean, how can you go wrong with those ingredients?  We had an obligatory dinner of bacon sandwiches (using the left-over bacon my man cooked, of course) just so we could move on to the much-anticipated dessert that was churning outside.  It was yumm-o.

Many thanks to all the men and women (particularly those in my own family) who have fought for the freedom in which we live.  I assure all of you that this little family thoroughly celebrated it yesterday.