Time to Celebrate 

 

It’s springtime in the Rockies and my tulips are popping up between the rocks. 

Snow is melting and I can see three more things outside my window. 

 

Fruit trees are budding along the west fence. 

Lilac bushes have leaves pushing out onto new growth out in the north lawn. 

 

The trampoline is ready to be cleaned and bounced on for one more year in the south forty. 

 

All of these things mean it is time to celebrate! 

 

Here is what else this time of year means for me. 

 

Soon we will also be celebrating the one who helps me pause and pay attention to each of these incredible things around me. 

 

Every year, this week brings me to a moment and space to reflect on what fruit trees, budding leaves and trampolines mean. 

 

To me, they always bring me back to the bouncing, resilient son of ours who was born this week.  

 

The leaves tulips were popping up and leaves were pushing out as Dallin came into our life.  

 He was grand and quiet yet beautifully impactful for eternity. 

 

Picture in your mind what we did to celebrate. 

 

Then it meant gathering smiles with new blankets and food for our family.

 

Over the years, the joy multiplied with more smiles that grew into laughter, jokes, grand changes and yes, even more food. 

The time to celebrate came near.

Food became one of the things that I looked forward to this time of year, as the time to celebrate came near. 

 

The good memory food was important for me to remember over the years and that has included some of the following. 

 

Popsicles and jello eaten with pudgy fingers that held the cold, slippery food close. 

Spaghetti eaten from a bowl with those same fingers until a fork made sense.

 

There were grilled cheese sandwiches and french fries dipped in fry sauce.

Then chips came along with the ability to pull a full bag out of the top cabinets.

 

Veggies of all kinds were also dipped into a creamy ranch dressing with as much being scooped onto each piece as possible.

 

Chocolate cake with candles to blow out for each year.

 

Can you see the food trends that were coming into play?  

It was delicious and delightful to see!

 

One of the places we go when it’s time to celebrate this week is to get our favorite french fries.

 

This place started to become a favorite many years ago during an early time to celebrate Dallin’s birthday. 

We found it by chance one year and then found that the fries were perfect for dipping. 

 

In fact, that first time of going to get fries and a grilled cheese is when Dallin found out that he could eat his own fries, dip them into the fry sauce and then grin while taking the fries of those around him, especially if they were his dad’s fries. 

 

Here is what we also found, my friends. 

We took time to celebrate more than birthdays.

Time spent eating and being out as a family is where we took time to celebrate more than birthdays. 

 

We found that it was important to celebrate when new things were learned and with other things such as running with team members at Special Olympics, helping family members move into new homes, and doing work at home. 

 

It was all worth going out to celebrate and taking the time to do it together as a family. 

 

Now, we make time to do the same to keep the memories present as we pause with smiles in our hearts. 

 

Yes, we do get fries.

We also smile wide as we dip them in the sauce and look for what to celebrate next. 

These moments came next.

These moments came to me next as I watched this time of year budding. 

 

Let’s look at the trampoline for a moment as there has been one in our life for many decades. 

We do have one in our yard even now and this gives me more time to celebrate. 

 

It was on Dallin’s birthday every year that this bouncing fun was set up by the two of us. 

Somehow, we would stretch each spring to get the mat ready for a new season of jumping and laughter. 

 

Now, the jumping is mostly done one person at a time with the mat at ground level for easy access. 

 

I can feel the joy coming through to me as I think about a full season of enjoying this fun filled part of spring. 

 

As I pause here, I wonder if there are moments coming to your memory about this time of year. 

 

Perhaps ones that come popping into your mind, like the tulips coming up around me, as you take time to celebrate with those who are near you, or who have been close to your family. 

 

Think about who has brought those to you. 

Sit with them for a moment. 

 

Can you do one or two things that will make you smile with those around you? 

Take time to celebrate and maybe find some french fries with sauce.