Reflecting on Memorial Day

Okay, so by now I guess it's pretty obvious, Mike and I love to fish! So, naturally, this Memorial Day was a perfect day to do some fishing!

Mike, his dad, and I went to our "secret" fishing spot, set up the BBQ and started fishing. The guys were all excited because his dad just got his new Featherlight Spinning Rod fishing pole that he ordered off of the Internet. It's a nice fishing pole and it apparently did the job 'cause his dad caught 4 fish! But, we'll get to that later.

We BBQ'd up some steaks and my favorite, BBQ chicken. It was nice to just relax and chat about all kinds of things, relevant or not. We all got some good laughs at our dog's expense. He's afraid of the fishing poles so he kept running to the car every time someone cast out. It was good family quality time that we haven't shared in a while. I even learned a few pointers on grilling, like how to gauge cooking time by the thickness of the steaks. (I'm good in the kitchen, but grilling is really Mike's thing!)

*If you need some grilling tips, I found this great video on You Tube you can check out.*

Not only was the grilling going good, the fish were biting good too. As I said, Mike's dad caught 4 bass with his new fishing pole and Mike caught 3 himself. I only got a few bites here and there myself since the fish seem to avoid me. It was a catch and release kind of day, nothing sizable enough to take home.

Of course, Memorial Day isn't just for grilling and fishing. It's to remember the ones who made the ultimate sacrifice to make our great country free. Monday I remembered my brother, a heroic soldier. PFC Richard DeWater, 21, made the ultimate sacrifice April 15, 2009 in Korrengal Valley, Afghanistan. He was a good man and a great friend to all who knew him and he was most certainly a hero to be remembered this Memorial Day.

All in all, it was a good Memorial Day. A good family day full of fishing, food, stories, laughs, and, of course, memories of our beloved Rick. I hope your Memorial Day was as full of love and laughs as mine!