Rites of passage

Last night I joined some fellow TNTers and attended a memorial service for Sarah's dad, who passed away last week. Sarah's dad was born on Feb. 29, so this year instead of celebrating his 72nd birthday like everyone else born the same year he was, he celebrated his 18th birthday-- typically a year when we celebrate the rite of passage into adulthood. During the memorial service, the minister who gave the eulogy said that what we were celebrating last night was a different rite of passage that we all go through. (She said it a little more eloquently than that but you get the point :D) I never thought of it that way, but it really makes sense, and makes it seem less sad somehow. Celebrating this "rite of passage" seemed to be the theme for the weekend...

Friday night I spent the evening with my friends Bryan and Jen who had just put their sweet dog Callie down. She was old, and not doing well, but it was still very hard for them both to do. To help take their mind off their empty house, they threw a little memorial Margarita party! There were tears, laughter and of course some shots of tequila in Callie's memory!

Callie, Bryan and Jen's Great Dane

Saturday I made the drive home to Yuba City to spend Easter (another celebration of this rite of passage) with my parents, and brother who was down from Portland for a few days. We spent Saturday enjoying the beautiful, sunny weather (I spent a little TOO much time enjoying it and ended up with my first sunburn of the year :() and getting some food ready for the next day. Sunday we all went to church together and then enjoyed a yummy BBQ with my great aunt at our house. I came back to Walnut Creek with clean laundry, leftover potato salad, deviled eggs (my favorite!!) and BBQ'd chicken, and a bag full of easter candy from my basket-- YES, my brother and I still get Easter baskets :D

(Stay tuned for pictures... I'll post some once I get them off my camera :D)