The next week (Wednesday, June 8), Jeff, Jonas and I took the boat out. We decided not to invite a bunch of people just in case the boat didn't start (like on Memorial Day). We left in the evening and enjoyed a quiet sunset cruise. We did pull out the tube, and I finally got on! This is our third summer season with the boat and the first time I've been pulled on the tube. We just usually have so many people on the boat that I'm more concerned with them having fun than me getting a turn. A couple days later, the other boys wanted to join us so we took the boat out again. This time it wasn't as quiet of a sunset cruise, but it was fun watching them on the boards. Jonas even got back out on the kneeboard! (He had a bumpy ride last summer and wouldn't go back out. He's a little older and braver this year.)
Father's Day landed on June 19th this year or Juneteenth, so I decided to celebrate Juneteenth the following day (Monday, June 20). What is Juneteenth? Last year, this was officially declared a national holiday and I'm glad it was! I didn't realize that slavery persisted even after the Emancipation Proclamation. It was two years following that address that General George Granger rode into Texas to finally deliver the news on June 19th; hence, Juneteenth. I have been afforded certain privileges and positive assumptions because of my skin color. I don't know what it's like to live with darker skin. I can't imagine the battles they have had to fight. I am grateful that I can take a day to educate my children (although that education is still probably lacking) about unity, service, and love. After coming off a crazy weekend, I wasn't able to organize anything big, but Jonas and I decided to do small acts of service for each other (and Jeff and Danny) all day. That evening, I made a southern feast (or at least my version) of fried chicken, corn salad, black-eyed peas, macaroni and cheese, biscuits, and of course, strawberry soda. Evidently, this was something the newly-freed slaves indulged in because it was something they had always been denied.
On Wednesday, June 27th, Jonas participated in his Ninja Extravaganza at his gymnastics. He has enjoyed coming to ninja class each week. In addition to basic tumbling, they have mastered a ninja rig, floor exercises that include some version of parkour, and other flips. It has been rewarding to see how much he has grown over the year. There are inverted monkey bars as a part of the rig. In the beginning, he was only able to grab one or two, but now he can traverse them all. The same is true for some of his tumbling tricks. He excited to continue in the fall in the next level.
In addition to ninja class, I also enrolled Jonas in swim lessons. To be honest, he didn't need them. He is a very competent and confident swimmer. I just thought it would be something to do between the Southwick reunions and the Shumways coming for the 4th. Moreover, I decided to enroll Carter (and I) in swim lessons as well. Laurin and Casey moved down to Payson the weekend of the reunions. Since they are both working, I get to watch Carter. He has been so fun! It's also been great to see Jonas interact with him and take care of him. Well, I just figured since I would be at the pool anyway, I might as well do swim lessons with Carter. I was unaware of a previous traumatic experience that Carter had that led to a fear of water. He screamed for the first 3 days! I had so many other moms/grandmas complimenting me on my patience and perseverance. It wasn't hard. He's a cute kid and just needed a little help to feel safe. By the end of the two weeks, Carter led me to the water and jumped in! He even let me help him float on his back. I'm not sure I want to repeat those first few days, but it was rewarding to see the end result.
During that two week span, Laurin and I were invited to join a park play group organized by one of my friend and her daughter (who is Laurin's friend). I was one of the only "grandmas" in the group that still had a kid at home. It was fun to chat with the other grandmas and see the generations interact with each other. It's amazing how seamlessly life marches on. We are caught in a never-ending cycle of evolution. We go from being new moms to active duty moms to veteran moms to grandmas...and so on. With each evolution comes some growing pains as you navigate your way to the new roles you acquire and the old ones you leave behind. This is life - constantly changing but generally getting better.
Our last big event of the month was the Warriors over the Wasatch airshow at Hill AFB. Jonas was beyond excited about this! He was excited to see all the planes and just excited to be on a real AFB. (He wasn't super excited about the crowds, the heat or all the walking though.) He says he's going to join the Air Force. Danny was pretty stoked too. He says that he wants to fly the F35s. His current plan is to join the ROTC and eventually become a Navy pilot. We spent hours watching amazing pilots and exploring awesome aircraft. The event ended with the Air Force Thunderbirds. I was awestruck as I watched their intricate formations and coordinated flying. At one point, one jet flew directly over us! We all jumped as the ground shook from the roar of the engine. It was a crowded, semi-hot day, but it was worth it to see how excited the boys got. I guess we'll just see where Jonas and Danny end up in their careers later in life.
