The Weekend Update...

Here's a recap of what was Memorial Day weekend in the Burleson family:

• Friday Johanna, Hayden and I headed to Austin so Jo & I could get our Pertussis vaccinations. That's the vaccine you get to keep from getting The Whooping Cough, which can be passed on to your infant and that would be bad news. I've had TONS of shots over the years, especially since 2001 when I had my pituitary tumor operation. None have ever had the after-effect pain that this one had. My arm is still sore!


• While in Austin we took a risk and went out to lunch - with Hayden along with us. His first meal out was Jason's deli. But to be honest, his bottle didn't look near as good as my deli club or Jo's grilled chicken pannini.


• Friday night we made a quick trip to Lockhart for a former student's graduation party. It was actually a little too quick, according to the Lockhart police officer that wrote me my ticket for going 41 mph in a 30 mph zone. At least the party food was good!


• Late Friday night my parents and my brother and sister-in-law came in to spend a part of Memorial day weekend. I really think they came to see Hayden, but it was great to get to hang out with them on Saturday and through Sunday morning. We had a great time and my parents, my brother, and me even squeezed in a Cabela's trip on Saturday afternoon.


• Sunday was a BIG day @ TCC. Our Lead Pastor Cole Phillips did a great job casting vision for the future of our church. You can watch it online here. Our executive pastor, Zak White, also made a big announcement. You can read about that here.


• Sunday night at our SURGE, our weekly middle school gathering, we had a pool party. It was a blast but my shoulder is still sore from all the football we played in the pool...If you weren't there, you missed out!


• I spent Monday morning through mid-afternoon with some high school guys along the banks of Lake Bastrop and the Colorado River. We took a little Memorial Day fishing trip that was a ton of fun.


• The remainder of Monday, Johanna and I rented movies, lounged around the house, and had a great time just enjoying one anothers company.


• On a side note, this Memorial Day took on a different meaning than it usually does. If you read this blog regularly, then you know that my Papa was a career military man serving for over 20 years and in multiple wars in the United States Army. He served his country with honor, courage, dignity, integrity, and bravery. He was a model officer, a model soldier, and a model man. He was my role model and my hero. He passed away earlier this year to cancer caused by agent orange in Vietnam. For as long as I remember, I have called my Papa every single Memorial Day and every single Veteran's day to thank him for his selfless service and sacrifice for our country and for our freedom. I'd give just about anything to have been able to make that call this year. And this year I realized this too: While I am 100% in favor of a special day to honor those who've served and those who've paid the ultimate price for our freedom, I don't need a special day in order to remember. I remember every day. And I hope that if you know someone who has served or is serving in our Armed Forces, that you remember...their sacrifice, their commitment, their willingness to serve...and that you honor them. Because it is in remembering that we give them the proper honor and respect that they so richly deserve.