Day 1251

Today was the Anoka Halloween Parade! What a wonderful event with bands, floats, candy for the kids and so much more. The chairs were placed out in the middle of the night (thank you my son!) and the guests started to congregate in the morning. This year, we had house guests who stayed with us, but others met for breakfast and lunch at The Big White House where we ate, laughed and headed down to wait for the runners in The Gray Ghost Race to cheer on the creatively costumed racers. It was glorious!

One would think that after the spectacular parade, nobody would expect more. However, the best was yet to come!

Upon returning to our home, carrying folding chairs and blankets, the scene was a bit confusing. Family and friends had been playing in the front yard and our newly-married cousin had accidentally flung her ring into the leaves! A crew of helpers was digging through those fallen beauties in an attempt to recover it! Being a bit larger and shinier than a needle in a haystack, we did not feel hopeless. With the help of some rakes and a whole lot of luck, the ring was found! With relief and gratitude, the cousins continued to gather the leaves and clean the front yard!!!! Win/win for everyone…especially our much-loved bride!

Gathering inside to warm up, another cousin called and brought over tater-tot hot dish (how Minnesotan) to share around the table. Laughter and love surrounded us all and the sun set on a perfect day.

Simple pleasures…

Sharing…

Laughter…

Love…

Family and friends…

It doesn’t take a lot of money, thrilling adventures or extravagant planning to make memories. We all felt so lucky to be part of this day!