Memorial Day Weekend

Wow, it's only been 21 days since my last post. I'm doing better! ;-)

This was a great Memorial Day weekend, and Jon wasn't even here! Jon left at 4am Friday to head on a men's retreat in France at an Abbey. The kids and I got to go to mass on Friday with our homeschool group, then one of our good friends and 2 of her kids came over for a while. The evening was laid back, but then I was awake until 1am and not sleeping so well with Jon gone.

On Sat., we were going to go on a culinary walk with our friend, but I was just too tired and exhausted. I sent the kids otu to play and tackled my kitchen. It took 2 hours, but it looks MUCH better. I have counters again! Again, a relaxing evening.

Sunday I actually got up at 6:30 and made it to church at 8:15, which is normal. The people who usually run setting up for mass were all out of town, so another gentleman and I were doing it. (I usually help, but am not in charge) We were really able to work together to make sure everythign was set up correctly, and it just felt good. I love being a doer (Martha much?). Mass went surprisingly well and even though the kids weren't perfect, I left not frustrated with them. SO we went to grab some breakfast. We saw our friend there, and she joined us for breakfast, which was nice having some adult conversation and getting to see her for a bit. CAme home and decided to clean up my room and put my new duvet cover on... the one I've had for about 8 months and haven't used yet ;-) It looks so pretty and fancy in our room!

Monday, I was determined to stop letting the fact that hubby wasn't here stop me from doing things. I"m very much a "Ehh, I'd rather do it with him" so not go type person. I know I can do things without him. We do the grocery store all the time without him. It's just the sight-seeing stuff. It's more fun with him. But alas, it was Memorial Day. I know there is an American Cemetery from WWII just an hour away (Plus the great French grocery store right down the road from it) so our plan of leaving at 10, turned to 11:15, took place to head there with me, the kids, and a picnic lunch. We got in the car and decided we were hungry already so started eating. When we got to St. Avold, France, i realized I saw no signs for the cemetery like I was expecting. Thank Jesus the French put maps on their streets everywhere, so I pulled over and was able to find it. Or so i thought... I found the GErman cemetery. Another map stop, and I finally found the American one. 10,000+ crosses and stars, making it the largest American cemetery in Europe. The kids kept themselves busy as kids do by counting all the stars. They were SOOO well behaved. We had a large conversation about where we were going, how to behave, etc. and they did great. This is the 3rd American cemetery we have visited (Normandy and Luxemburg being the other two) We then went to the grocery store and got our favorite, Speculous and Speculous cookies- YUM! and headed home.

Hubby came home about an hour and a half after kids were in bed. We spent a good 2 hours sitting on the couch talking about our weekends. He had an amazing and spiritually refreshing time at an Abbey in Font Gumbault with a bunch of monks. This has been a bi-annual trip with several men in the area for a few years, but this was the first Jon was able to make it. I can tell it was really good for him.

He has an amazing end to his story. One of those give-you-goosebumps type. So I decided I'd share. On their way back, they also stopped at an American cemetery. This was one from WWI- Aisne Marne American Cemetery. They had all of the Memorial Day festivities on Sunday. As they were talking to the curator, the cemetery was about to close and he asked the men (9 Catholic Knights of Columbus military men) if they'd like to help him take the two flags down. They said of course. Then the man said one of the flags had actually been retired, but they couldn't find it on Sunday, so they had used this one instead. Then he said "Hey, would you guys like this flag?"!?!? They of course said yes, so he took them in to the office and printed out a certificate, etc. The flag that flew over this important cemetery during the Memorial Day celebrations. As they talked on, he told them that the cemetery was on Knights of Columbus Road (Ok, that's not the name, but it was the French name for that, although I looked it up and it's not on google maps, so I don't know) ANyway, they were confused since KOC is an American group. Come to find out, the KOC had come in and helped rebuild the cities around the cemetery after WWI, so it was named in honor of the KOC. They are taking the flag back, getting a shadow box for it, and hope to hang it in the priest's office.  It was such a neat story!

Thank you Lord for all the men and women who have given their lives for our freedom.