Memorial Day Block Party

You don't hear about good 'ol fashioned block parties anymore. Remember when we were growing up and they would barricade a street, crank up the music, and fire up the grill? Well as a new resident on Shumark Trail - I decided to host such a party for Memorial Day.

(Note: Chris absolutely loves it when I come up with these hair-brained ideas. Ha!)

So I made up a flyer announcing the Shumark Trail Memorial Day BBQ, hosted by the LaPierre Family. We had such a good turnout and were able to spend some quality time with our neighbors and their kids. We learned that we have several military families amongst us. We have three nurses on our street - which is great news if someone gets hurt! We have a retired couple who keeps a close eye on the new homes being built on our street.

And we do have one slightly obnoxious neighbor, but there's one in every crowd, right?
The kids enjoyed the baby wade pools, sprinklers, bubbles and sidewalk chalk. Kennedy and Brady tested the little pool before everyone arrived.Kennedy and Serena liked the bubbles the most. They are classmates at Cypress Run Child Development Center and will both go to kindergarten together at Legacy Elementary School next year. I have a feeling these girls will be playing together a lot.

And of course we had some of our fabulous friends come over as well, including the oh-so-stylish Aubrey Sneed. Unfortunately she was not in a party mood and fussed most of the time she was there, but we enjoyed seeing her sweet little face anyway.
So, with Chris' blessing, we might make this an annual event. He's the Grill Master, so I need his approval first!

It's very nostalgic for me to have events like this. We live in a world where every day is a rush to get the kids to school, get to work, run errands, attend birthday parties and ballet class. But do we really know who we live next door to? Do we know who our kids are playing with down the street? Forgive me if I am extremely naive (June Cleaver-ish) in my thoughts, but I really want "that" way of life for my family. We can turn off the TV for a while and go outside to play. We can put away our Blackberries for an hour and visit with a neighbor.

So here's hoping that you will do like I did... and take a few moments, invite your neighbors over for a hamburger and enjoy life on your street.