Picnics

There is something altogether comforting about the idea of a picnic to me. Spreading a blanket on a bed of grass or moseying up to the side of a worn old table. Pulling food out of a wicker basket or fun bag. I just love how it's something out of the ordinary, a change in scenery, a breath of fresh air.

Since becoming a parent, though, there is a new dimension to a picnic's beauty.

No crumbs to be swept up and no dishes piled in the sink.

Hold on, let me get a tissue. That last description really moved me. :)

This past weekend we pic-a-nicked with the best of them. Friday and Sunday were in honor of two families, one moving from our area and another who stopped by enroute to a move. Grilled hot dogs and bbq chicken, watermelon, cold salads, chips and salsa. Best of all, there was sweet fellowship-- which next to my first attempt at homemade peach pie, is by far the best kind of dessert.

Saturday was a day for family, though, and a day that I realized I needed even more than usual. So we packed up the girls and attempted our town's free outdoor movie night.

Oh, we jumped or waited on the jumpers depending on which girl you happened to be...


We got our sweaty, little faces painted...

We took full advantage of the free food, while wearing a beloved $2.98 Dora shirt that could very well walk on its own from the constant wear...

We danced barefoot in the grass, even showing off Daddy and Hope's classic move entitled "Angel Fall"...

And we forgot that we can never actually make it to the movie part because it takes so long for it to get dark. So about 8:45 pm we packed up our stuff and our two out of three worn out babies and headed home with the promise of a rain check on the movie part for Hope.

Which got me to thinking... wouldn't it be fun to rig up some sort of outdoor showing of "Mary Poppins" one day soon on our own turf?

Ooh, better yet... "Mary Poppins" with another side of picnic.
Mmm,
~Katrina