35 YEARS AND COUNTING!

Happy Anniversary Dad and Mom!

My parents are high school sweethearts and today they are celebrating their 35th wedding anniversary! This is one of my favorite old photos of them, from a high school dance. After all these years, they still hold hands when they walk down the street, go grocery shopping together, and do cute things like go out for coffee on Sunday mornings. My Dad attributes their happy marriage to his 3 key phrases: "Yes dear", "Anything you say dear", and "I've never been happier dear". Personally, I agree with him! Honestly though, I know my brother and I both hope to have loving and lasting marriages like my parents (and grandparents, who are due for their 57th anniversary next month)! So congratulations Mom and Dad, we love you!

GOOD SATURDAY

We had a busy and really fun Saturday in Vicksburg this weekend! We started our morning at the "new" Vicksburg Farmer's Market (this was the 3rd weekend of the event, which takes place each Saturday through September). We bought a HUGE Smith County watermelon (they are especially tasty because of a mineral in the soil), some corn-on-the-cob, lima beans, and purple hull peas (pictured below).

When we got home from the market, we made a picnic lunch and took it into the backyard to enjoy the birds and the shade before the heat set in. The babies are out in force in our yard! There are little frogs, tiny anoles, and many more cardinals, titmice, and chickadees than we had last month (I guess we're having a successful nesting season here)!

That evening, we attended a Mississippi "reception" for Jon and Blaire, who were married early last month up in New York. Sandy put the whole event together, her niece cooked some amazing Asian treats, and the whole gang showed up in fancy clothes. It felt great to get dressed up in Vicksburg! The party took place in the New York themed suite at the Warehouse. We watched a slideshow of wedding photos and had a nice time just hanging out and catching up with folks we don't see too often. Thanks for another great party Sandy! Here's a photo of Jon and Blaire, surprised by the party location:

RAINBOW, RAIN, FIREFLIES AND FROGS

In between storms the other night, Jay and I saw this amazing rainbow. My photo doesn't even begin to capture it. This rainbow covered the whole sky, a semi-circle from one end of Jackson to the other, and it was so bright! We could tell folks around here don't see rainbows too often because there was a huge crowd in the parking lot, and we had to admit, it was nice to see so many people appreciating it.

Tonight we had another big (yet very short) storm come through Vicksburg at sunset. I couldn't resist standing out in the carport, listening to the frogs and watching the wind, lightening, and fireflies. It was cool, until a big clap of thunder scared me (and the cats) inside.

OUR FATHERS, OUR COUNTRY

In honor of Flag Day and Father's Day, we wanted to share a little family history and celebrate our fathers and grandfathers.

My Dad enlisted in the Army in 1969, trained at Ft. Campbell and Ft. Sill, then served one year on a missle base in Turkey. He returned state-side to Ft. Hood, then was released from the Army on an early out because the Vietnam War ended and a large military force was no longer needed, so he served another year in the Wisconsin Army Reserve. He had 3 honorable discharges (Army Reserves to active duty, Regular Army, and National Guard) and his service ended right before he married my Mom in 1973.My Grandpa Jackson's military career started off when he faked his own death (he left his bike on the shore of Lake Superior to fake his drowning) and joined the Army at age 16 (using his deceased brother's birth certificate). When he was eventually caught, his parents gave permission for him to stay in service. He fought in the Korean War and was wounded in the leg, a time of his life he rarely talks about. He spent some time in Japan, and was on active duty when he married my Grandma, in his uniform, and later when both my Mom and Aunt were born. Jay's Dad graduated from the US Naval Academy in l962 as a Line Officer and Weapons Specialist. He earned his Master's in Electrical Engineering from Naval Postgraduate School in 1969. He then served as Weapons Officer aboard the USS Little Rock, flag ship of the Mediterranean, and took part in the reopening of the Suez Canal. His last tour was as Weapons Officer in charge of bringing back 4 battleships. After serving 21 years in the US Navy (plus 4 at the Academy), he retired as a Commander in 1983.

Jay's Grandpa Lindsay joined the US Army just before he was drafted in 1943 and he served under General Patten, whom he believed was the greatest person he ever knew. He drove a tank and had three shot out from under him, and he helped liberate Buchenwald Concentration Camp.

I'M A WINNER!

That's right, I won! I'm a sub for a BUNKO team made up of members from the ERDC-EL, and I won Most Bunkos last night (my prize was an awesome 3ft-tall candle holder), even though I was robbed and didn't get to count one of the Bunkos because I was "tricked" into rolling before the bell was rung to start the round! I would have won Most Games too, but you know the rules, only one prize per player... I even won the Travel once (I'm pictured with my Bunko hat and Travel glasses above - trying to smile while laughing). I know many of you reading this are thinking "You nerd, why are you bragging about playing Bunko?" and the rest of you are thinking "There goes Denise again, bragging about winning, no matter what it is she won..." Sorry, I could not resist. This blog works just like hanging my winning Yahtzee scores on the fridge (watch out Robyn, you're going down next month)! Anyway, Bunko is a fun game and I like the ladies that let me play with them once in a while. They're loud and funny, and there's always great dessert (bonus)!