Memorial Day weekend was a good one for us this year. I am so thankful for those who have fought and died for our freedom and I hugged my boys a little tighter this weekend. Dennis was in the military for nearly 14 years and we are so grateful for his service but even more so for the fact that we get to have him home with us.
We had a ton of visitors in town over the weekend to celebrate Theo’s baptism. On Friday my mom and I took Theo to meet my grandma Ruby before everyone arrived. My sister and brother in law drove in on Friday and my nephew arrived Saturday. Dennis’ mom and stepdad arrived on Friday evening and his dad and little sister arrived on Saturday.
We spent Saturday morning at the farm hanging out and enjoying each other’s company. After naps for the kiddos we went to the hotel where Dennis’s parents were staying so we could all swim. I haven’t been swimming in forever and it was a blast. Duke loves the water and is a little too fearless for my taste but it was so much fun watching him splash around and “swim”. After the kids were seriously exhausted, we opted to order dinner for the adults, pick up happy meals for the kids and all head back to my parents house to hang out.
On Sunday morning we were in baptism prep mode. I headed over to the local grocery store to pick up the cake and food I had ordered. I made a pit stop for coffee which ended up taking forever and then stood in line behind the chattiest folks at the grocery store so I got home around 9:45 in a rush to finish getting ready before 10:30 mass. Dennis was working on getting the boys ready and discovered a mystery stain on his shirt minutes before mass was supposed to start as I was running out the door. I decided to leave with the boys and he met us there with his dad and sister once he found a replacement.
We were feeling rushed and a little out of sorts but settled in at mass and were trying to help Duke sit still and listen when he slipped on the kneeler and fell headfirst into the pew in front of us. I assumed he had just hit is head really hard and immediately scooped him up into my arms before noticing his mouth was filling up with blood. I rushed him out and started to panic with every step I took to the bathroom. Dennis followed behind us after my dad said “go with her…” because he also saw the blood. I was convinced there was something stuck in Duke’s gum…I thought a piece of wood had broken off of the pew or something and I’m sure it was a combination of sheer panic and all the blood but I just felt like we needed to get to the ER to get him looked at. He was sobbing and clinging to me and I was doing my best to keep it together.
We sped the 2 blocks to the ER and after what seemed like the slowest process ever, got the all clear that his front tooth had completely come out, root and all and it didn’t appear any foreign objects were stuck in his mouth. My dad had followed us to the ER and asked if he should tell the church we were still on for the baptism. We decided we’d head back for it because so many people had traveled from Colorado to see it plus I had a kitchen full of food to celebrate afterwards. Duke was so brave and had calmed down as long as he had me and his pacifier. He had completely bitten through the one that was in his mouth when he fell and the doctor said that probably helped to protect his mouth by absorbing some of the force from the fall.
I swapped Duke’s blood covered button up shirt for a superman shirt I had in the car and borrowed a cardigan from my sister + used Theo to hide the blood stains on my dress for pictures. The baptism was perfect- the priest was so patient and calming and Theo was a little angel, sleeping through most of the service. Unlike Duke’s baptism, I was really able to listen and be present and after the chaos that morning, I felt like I needed to hear the priest more than ever! Duke’s fall could’ve been so much worse and I know it’s probably one of many injuries he’ll sustain over the years but I was really thankful for everyone’s care and help while we made sure he was okay. I am also so grateful Theo was able to have such a beautiful baptism – our sweet boy is a blessing and I am happy to raise him in our church.
After the service we went back to our house. Some of my aunts and uncles and cousins had come to celebrate with us so we had a house full of people we love. We ate, drank, opened presents, and just enjoyed each other’s company. After everyone headed out and the kids took naps, we went to my parents house that evening to grill out. The kids played outside, Duke “mooed” non-stop at the cows, and Theo was passed from one doting person to the next before we all ate our weight in burgers and brats!
Monday was departure day for all of our guests and everyone staggered their goodbyes throughout the morning/early afternoon. I love when everyone is together and I’m thankful people are willing to make the oh-so-boring drive across Nebraska to come visit us! We napped the afternoon away and walked downtown for ice cream that evening before calling it an early night all around. A very successful 3-day weekend in the books!
-T-
