We’ve been out of town the last several years for Labor Day and I have since learned that everything happens over the long weekend. Seriously. We had a whirlwind of events, parties and activities, starting with Denver’s popular A Taste of Colorado with 50+ restaurants and more. I say “more” because we didn’t care about the carnival rides, booths or concerts…we were all about the food and sampled everything from fried alligator (tasted like tortured chicken) to Navajo tacos to frozen cheesecake on a stick.
I somehow found myself throwing not one but two parties. The first, of course, was for the BYU football game on Saturday (read about that here) and the other was for our neighborhood get together. The bad: two parties is a lot of work. The good: we only had to clean once.
On Saturday morning, our family cleaned up the yard, garage, and house, all the while Hadley and Bode sang our praises for teaching them that life isn’t always about play–slave labor is important, too. They’ll be doubly thrilled when next Saturday is spent cleaning the church and rebuilding our retaining wall that Jamie accidentally collapsed last spring while juggling YW volleyball (I’m coaching) and Bode’s first soccer game.
After church on Sunday, we invited our neighborhood over for a soiree. When our kids were younger, they did everything together but now that they’re in different schools and activities, gone are the days of everyone hanging out endlessly (very sad, really). It was the perfect farewell-to-summer bash.
I love these ladies and they all lead admirable lives but none more enviable than Meredith “Sunday Funday” who brought her own soda and ice from her new $3,000 commercial ice machine. Forgot her beautifully-appointed home. Perfectly-cubed ice is when you know you’ve arrived.
Do you see that sandpit to the left of the trampoline? If we’d waited a week, our retaining wall would have been rebuilt so we could house the trampoline back on the sand, not in the middle of our yard. Fat Kitty is the only one who has benefited from this and thinks the sand is his big, fat kitty litter box. Don’t worry, we cleaned it before everyone arrived.
For Labor Day, we got invited over to our good friends the Lara’s house. They recently moved into a new home that needed a complete overhaul (and when I say complete, I mean it because the previous owner was an alcoholic hoarder). So many friends and ward members chipped in (I helped paint one day and then move another) and it’s really coming along.
A rainstorm started just as we were leaving so I called my friend Lisa to see if the party was still on. “As long as there’s no lightning, we’re playing,” she promised. Just as we showed up, the rain subsided and we had a fun afternoon with loads of friends playing in their pool and volleyball (here’s a short video of Bode’s big launch).
With Labor Day behind us, I’m officially ready for fall. Colorado weather: please act accordingly.
I'm a Canadian-born mom of two, former Denver Post columnist, family travel writer, editor of MileHighMamas.com and 9News contributor. Expert on all things Utah, Denver, family and travel. Lover of laughter and life. Happily married to a man obsessed with growing The Great Pumpkin. 