My cousin graduated from high school over the Memorial Day weekend. He was the last of the four of us grandkids and I had to miss his brothers a couple years ago because I could not get any time off to make it up. This weekend was also special in another way because Mike's parents were traveling up with us. I have been waiting for this to happen for a long time and now that it was finally here, I was super nervous.
Early Saturday morning, we hit the road up to Red Lodge and Mike's mother road with me. We talked the whole way so that helped the time go by faster while Mike drove his father's pickup. We stopped and had lunch at Pat O'Haras Brewery in Cody, WY before getting there around one. Once we got to the ranch, everyone meet and I think that went really well.
At two, we all walked over to my aunt and uncle's house for my cousin's graduation party. There Mike's parents meet all of them and my grandparents. They had just came back from Hawaii a few weeks ago. I then decided to show them around the ranch a little and up the canyon towards the Beartooth Pass before going into town to do some tourist stuff like shop. That evening, Big Jim and the Twins were playing at the Pollard Pub so we had a fun evening dancing the night away. Whenever they play and I am in town, I always make it a point to go listen to them. Ever since I can remember, me and my sister were always out on the dance floor when we went to their shows. I would consider it a family tradition and all of them are like family to me. My God mom showed up to join the party a little while after everything was rolling along.
On Sunday, Mike's parents and him had to head back to Rock Springs and back down to New Mexico to pick up his brother from the airport. He has been in Mexico for the past two weeks visiting his girlfriend. They were able to take my BBQ grill down and the outside furniture for me. Before they left, my parents and his meet at Cafe Regis to have breakfast and oh my gosh their fruit bread was amazing! It was really sad for all of them to have to leave so soon and everyone wished that they could have stayed longer.
That afternoon my parents and I went to the high school for the graduation ceremony at four. Their was 35 students graduation RLHS this year. and when I graduated my class size was 39. The ceremony went on a little longer then planned because of technical difficulty. Red Lodge plans for theirs to be two hours consisting of having the president, salutatorian and valedictorian, and guest speaker speak. Then there is the announcement of special awards and a slideshow presentation of each graduation student which is my favorite part. Then lastly is the presentation of diplomas spoken by the superintendent. Once it was over, I was truly happy that I was able to make it up because it was a much needed trip to see everyone. We then went to another students graduation party afterwards and the father had made some amazing bacon wrapped jalapeños.
Monday was memorial day and normally I stay to watch the veterans march down main street and then head up to the cemetery for the service but I needed to get back home to unpack more. But before I left, I made it a point to stop by my grandfather's grave, whom I never go to meet because he died when my dad was in his late teens early twenties, to put a flower there. After arriving back in Rock Springs, Mike told me we were invited to go over to our friend's Gravel Bar for a small BBQ. It was a really nice evening and some needed quality time together before heading back into the crazy work week.
I hope that everyone out there was able to take a moment and pay their respects for the ones who have fallen for our country.
Comments
Post a Comment