The Biggest Weekend Of The Year::

Thursday, June 3, 2010

For as long as I can remember we have spent every single Memorial Day weekend at my aunt & uncle's Farm. I remember missing one several years ago because I was sick and probably another in there somewhere but for the last 30 or so years, that's where we've been. It really is the biggest weekend of the year in my mom's family.

On any given Memorial Day weekend at the Farm you will find up to 60 or more people. Aunts and uncles, cousins, friends and even relatives that drive from Alabama just for this weekend.
There is a chicken fry on Saturday night, golf outing on Sunday morning along with a big send-off breakfast for the golfers before their big day. The rest is just a whole lot of hanging out.
 There is a tire swing that has swung countless children, an old cabin filled with pictures and memories,  lawn chairs, tents, kids, a fire outside every night and enough food to feed everyone there for at least a month. Seriously.

Some of the best memories and funniest stories come from this weekend, they either happened there or you heard about them there.
 Family holidays and traditions are very important in my family and this one ranks right up there with Christmas.



Homemade blackberry cobbler, a few of the tents, sitting on the porch at night,  cousins riding in the back of a pick-up truck hoping to catch a glimpse of the Goodyear Blimp....

An Election poster for one of my aunts in the running for "Farm Queen" and
one of  the coolest discoveries of the weekend; a box turtle. 


The Farm has been in my uncle's family for probably close to 100 years and when his great-grandfather
 first started going down there they were travelling in a horse and buggy. Can you imagine?
My uncle passed away four years ago and although we could not imagine going down there and having this Memorial Day celebration without him, one also can't imagine it not going on without him either.
I know that it would mean so much to him that we are all still spending this Holiday together and by celebrating this weekend as a family and making memories for our children to talk about some day is just the perfect way to honor his memory....and really, that's what it's all about.

14 comments:

  1. wow...what a wonderful tradition. family gatherings this big are always memory-makers. i'm loving that picture of the ponytails! classic...

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  2. LOVE this post :-) Love the tradition, love the food, and love the family.

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  3. That is such a wonderful tradition to continue. I love family gatherings, unfortunately ours seem to get smaller and smaller each year.

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  4. Oh, dear.
    That blackberry cobbler and sitting on the front porch looks so good:)
    We don't have a front porch. Only steps...and they're not really sitting ones at that.
    *sigh*
    What a wonderful get-together!

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  5. That blackberry cobbler looks heavenly!
    What fun memories you are making for your children, your family farm looks like a lovely place to spend every Memorial Day!

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  6. There is so much goodness here.

    *I want that cobbler.
    *Sitting out on a porch gossiping is the best.
    *Those ponytails are the bomb.
    *Turtles are cute. Mega-cutes.

    All of it...so fun. SO cool.

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  7. WOW! That looks and sounds like a great weekend!!! You captured some real beauties too :D
    Love it.

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  8. Looks like it was a beautiful weekend, yay for traditions. Your pictures are gorgeous, as always!

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  9. what an amazing thing to be able to share with your kids. your uncle is smiling right now, that is for sure.

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  10. How freakin' cool! I'm so completely jealous, my family is spread out over many states. That porch picture says it all.

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  11. how cool is this post? Love it! 1 love your blog header too.

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  12. Oh wow.
    This is so totally fabulous.
    I LOVE your blog header. The way those handles are positioned towards each other...there is so much personality there.

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  13. memories for your children....
    traditions....
    your uncle *knows* you're all there....he just does....
    that must be an amazing day...so much family...
    you're very lucky...
    AND......your new header is totally GORGEOUS!!!!
    melissa x

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  14. *LOVE* that Farm Queen poster!

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