This past weekend was one of those weekends that had so much fun packed into it, that I really needed another couple of days off to recover. I love weekends like that! Especially loooong weekends like that!!
Last Thursday, my mini-vacation began with a trip down to Raleigh to see my best friend from high school, Catherine, and her husband Jason (and of course their two adorable girls). I have known Catherine since our days in the marching band (she was one heck of a cymbals player!) when I loaned her a pair of Umbro shorts. We've been great friends ever since! We lived together after college for a year and a half when I first moved to DC. And ten years ago, she and Jason got married in one of those truly storybook-type weddings. I was honored to be a part of it and of all the bazillions of weddings I've been to over the years, it is most definitely in the top tier!! So ten years later, they wanted to get as many of the bridesmaids and groomsmen together as possible. So of course I signed up!! :) I even took my beautiful Vera Wang bridesmaids dress in hopes of getting another wear in to get my money's worth. It turns out that might have made a scene but for the record, I could still wear it if I needed to! Anyway, I had so much fun hanging out with their family and celebrating ten years! The most excellent thing is that I don't think either one of us has aged in the past decade!!
Then Saturday morning, I drove home so I could continue the weekend celebrations. The first party on the docket was for my friend Joe's graduation from law school on Friday. I am so proud of him! He's made it through law school all the while being a great husband to Katie and father to Ella and friend to everyone. I do agree that this graduation is as much Katie's as Joe's but his name was on the diploma so he got the card and gift. It was great to see so many people who have been a part of Joe's life in the past four years there celebrating this great accomplishment!! 
After approximately 15 minutes at home, I headed to the next party which was for Caryne as she graduated from William and Mary last week. I have known Caryne (and her family) for years as we played together in the church orchestra when she was in high school. I remember when she got her driver's license and of course her high school graduation. And she went to W&M and that automatically made her both smart and cool. When she was accepted there, I taught her the W&M alumni song. You might realize that I am not a W&M alumni but since both my parents went there, I'm just nerdy enough to know the words. Anyway, Caryne has become such an absolutely lovely young woman (which comes to no one's surprise!) and I was honored to be able to help her celebrate this big moment in her life!! 
Then on Sunday, I had another honor to help celebrate another moment in a friend's life. My little friend Jack, whose family is very dear to me, was baptized at my church on Sunday morning. His mom is one of my great friends and his father, Billy, passed away about four years ago. I have known Jack since he was a baby and for the last seven years, I have watched him as he's grown up. I told him that this was the most important decision he could make in life! I was honored to be able to celebrate with him and his family on Sunday after church.
After a much-needed Sunday nap, I headed to the US Capitol lawn to celebrate Memorial Day with the annual concert that airs on PBS. I hadn't been in a couple of years but it's totally worth your time to go (or watch it on PBS). I will warn you though. I usually end up crying or at least tearing up when they tell the stories of those who have sacrificed everything for our freedom. This year was no different. It really puts things into perspective when you hear stories of young widows who have lost their husbands at the age of 22. Or a guy who saves his buddy's life in a battle in Korea. Plus the patriotic music. Seriously, sitting on the lawn of the US Capitol at that moment makes me feel so incredibly proud to be an American. In my family, my brother-in-law George served in the first Gulf war and then my mom's uncle (who died long before I was born)served in WWII. But we also have a history of stepping up to the plate when needed and in any way possible. As my mom reminded me, both of my grandfathers were too old to serve in WWII but my grandfather (her dad) was an axillary policeman during the blackouts and my grandmother (my dad's mom) uprooted her family from Roanoke to go work in a factory in Norfolk during the war. So while I don't have any direct link to someone who sacrificed their life for our country, I do have a deep appreciation for those who did and the others who sacrificed in their own way for our nation. I hope to continue to make that celebration/concert a tradition for years to come! 
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