My other man...

It's true, I went out tonight with another man. My sweet handsome Talmage man! He's come to the Taylorsville park with me for the last several years to listen to the Utah Symphony's patriotic concert in the park. It's such a great time and was so fun to spend time with him.
We rode the bikes the 1.5 miles to the park chatting along the way. I love that. It was so great spending time with him. We found a nice place to throw out a blanket on the grass and enjoyed our bag of microwave popcorn he carried in his backpack and listened to the fun music. We got there late, but luckily in time for my favorite song. They play a melody of all of the armed forces songs and service men and women in the crowd stand up when their division's song comes on so everyone can clap. Neat teaching moment.
That song was followed by the William Tell 1812 Overture where they shoot off real old fashion cannons at the end. We sat right next to the fence so got to be right next to them. I held little Talm's ears tight hoping they wouldn't scare him, and they didn't. He had a great time...as long as my hands were shut tight over his ears :)

After that they played some more patriotic music and shot off fireworks. For some reason I got really emotional then with memories of my Grandma Allan flooding to me. She loved the 4th of July. I loved sitting on her lawn after a long day of the family playing there, and watching fireworks. She would clap along and loved patriotic songs. The very end really got me when the screaming fireworks came out, she even liked those. They were followed by the grand finale and just the burst of color in the sky, holding my sweet little guy who she used to hold, made me smile and think fondly and longingly of her.
This whole growing up and losing loved ones things perplexes me. I don't want to be sad for them. I want to remember them only with fondness. I have a certainty of knowledge that they are happy and in a better place looking down upon us with time passing quickly, and that we will be together again someday, so it must be sadness for us here that I have. I miss them. I love having my own little family, but I miss those that have gone on recently. It's sad to think my kids won't have the same memories with them as I do. It's strange to think of our parents as that role now, the grandparents that my children will build memories with.
What a fun date with my little guy, a sweet time to remember my loved ones and to spend quality time with Talmage absorbing how much I love being a mom.

It is the best.

We walked around afterward and he got to pick a carnival ride to go on. So fun watching his smile. We rode home in the dark on a nice summer night, chatting all the way, and when he got home he told Dad all about his time out with mom and how he wished Kayla could have come too. What a sweetheart. Children enrich our lives so much. It would be a sad world without family. I am so thankful for all of mine and the freedoms we enjoy!