Memorial Day

Every summer my Grandma & Grandpa Strong have a BBQ for all of the holidays - starting with Memorial Day. I love this little kick-off to summer, and do everything I can to be there every year.

I love the Strong side of the family - my grandparents have 57 grandchildren (yes, I have 50 first cousins on one side), and my Grandpa said "60 some odd great-grandchildren" - I believe I heard someone say the actual number is something like 67.

Anyway, I've never really taken pictures at these "little" gatherings, so I decided to start.

Here's one of Lauren getting lost behind the huge fitzers.

My grandpa - one of the greatest people I'll ever know. He's the sweetest man, he always lets you know you're loved. Yesterday he said "if everyone loved their wives like I loved mine, you would never have a fight". I'm sure it goes both ways. They are the greatest example of unconditional love I've ever seen, and I love them so much! Oh, and my grandma was MIA for a while - she's always busy taking care of everyone, so I didn't get a chance to get a picture of her. Next time!

I truly believe this tree is sinking, because when I was a kid we had to put a table under this branch to barely be able to touch it, and Lexi here isn't a big kid. Either that, or I was left at far too young of an age unattended to climb a tree :)

Will wanted to climb the tree and is now having second thoughts

Lauren, of course, didn't want to climb the tree. She did, however, want to stand there and give everyone else a play by play of what was going on:

"Oh no, oh no, oh no, he's gonna fall!
He's not gonna fall.
Grandpa's not gonna let him fall.
Oh no, oh no, oh no!!"

Jones - this kid just cracks me up

The tire swing

Ah, the tire swing

I have spent many an hour on this swing in my day

I have also spent many an hour bugging every male tall enough to pahleeeease push us

And laying down with my head resting on my dad's stomach "waiting for his food to digest so he will push us"

Lauren, of course, is terrified of it.

It's not like she's seen a chain break and someone go flying off of it - I've seen that, and I'm still not scared of it!

The boys playing volleyball

I wish I had taken more pictures, but I was only able to get a few while my mom gave me a break by taking the screaming Mya in the house to give me a few moments of sanity.

We still have Independence Day, 24th of July, and Labor Day!

I LOVE SUMMER!!!!