At the beginning of last week, I didn't know that I would be going home this weekend. My mom came up with the great idea for me to catch a ride home with my brother. And I am so glad I did - it was the greateat weekend that I've had in a while. Friends, Family, Fun - it can't get much better.
It started off with taking the afternoon off of work on Friday which is always fun. The drive home was long (as usual). I originally thought we were going to see Pirates that night but we went putt-putt golfing instead. Eric won - even after I bragged about how good I was. And I was doing good - I fell apart at the end! After that we came back and watched The Family Stone - one of my favorite movies. Side note: that movie makes me want to have a big family, so I can have crazy holidays like that haha :)
Saturday me, Eric, Kyle and Andrea spent the day at Universal. And I am sad to say after five years, they finally took my ID. I am no longer employed there :( Thank goodness I brought an extra comp pass just in case. We had so much fun. The lines surprisingly were not long even though it was a holiday weekend. We spent most of our time in Universal. This led to two of the highlights of the day - Boris and Herbert the Dronkey!
Sunday we went to church at First Baptist. The service was commemorating those that have died fighting for our country. It really made me appreciate the fact that I am blessed to be an American. I loved learning about what each fold of the flag represents when it is represented to the family members of a fallen soldier at funerals. For those that may be unfamiliar, here is what the 13 folds mean:
The 2nd fold is a symbol of our belief in eternal life.
The 3rd fold is made in honor and remembrance of the veterans departing our ranks who gave a portion of their lives for the defense of our country to attain peace throughout the world.
The 4th fold represents our weaker nature, for as American citizens trusting in God, it is to Him we turn in times of peace as well as in time of war for His divine guidance.
The 5th fold is a tribute to our country, for in the words of Stephen Decatur "Our Country, in dealing with other countries, may she always be right; but it is still our country, right or wrong.
The 6th fold is for where our hearts lie. It is with our heart that We pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States Of America, and the Republic for which it stands, one Nation under God, indivisible, with Liberty and Justice for all.
The 7th fold is a tribute to our Armed Forces, for it is through the Armed Forces that we protect our country and our flag against all her enemies, whether they be found within or without the boundaries of our republic.
The 8th fold is a tribute to the one who entered into the valley of the shadow of death, that we might see the light of day.
The 9th fold is a tribute to womanhood, and Mothers. For it has been through their faith, their love, loyalty and devotion that the character of the men and women who have made this country great has been molded.
The 10th fold is a tribute to the father, for he, too, has given his sons and daughters for the defense of our country since they were first born.
The 11th fold represents the lower portion of the seal of King David and King Solomon and glorifies in the Hebrews eyes, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
The 12th fold represents an emblem of eternity and glorifies, in the Christians eyes, God the Father, the Son and Holy Spirit.
The 13th fold, or when the flag is completely folded, the stars are uppermost reminding us of our nation's motto, "In God We Trust."
After the service, each member of the congregation received a flag that had a label with the name of a soldier who has died attached to it. We were directed to a field to place our flags in the ground so that when people drive by they will see that "we remember."
Then we went to lunch and the Florida Mall for Andrea to buy her new MacBook. Now she is a part of the cool club! :)
And my Dad came home! Which when I originally decided to come home, I didn't know he would be there as well so it was a wonderful surprise and it was so great to spend time with him. So we all went out to dinner on Sunday night and hung out and cooked out on Monday.
I would have to say that is a pretty amazing weekend!
I would like to thank Kyle of being the picture taker and documenting the whole weekend :)
No comments:
Post a Comment