We have just emerged intact from our very own, 

annual, familial  FEU de JOIE

Father’s Day 2010, Dave and his family.

“Celebrate the little things in life, appreciate tomorrow, love your neighbor…never condemn yourself to a life without cause to celebrate and be thankful for what you have. Never forget the people you love and love them when you have an occasion to do so. Celebrate their life and celebrate yours.”  ~Unknown

Feu de joie, a French term meaning “fire of joy,” is actually a gun salute, described as “a running of the guns” as they are fired on occasions of public rejoicing and celebration.  It can also reference a large bonfire being lit as a token of national joy.

But we have just navigated our way through our very own rapid-fire of joy and celebration.  For during a 12 week period between Dave’s birthday (March 23) and Father’s Day (3rd Sunday in June), we do a whole lotta shaking!  There are 9 family birthdays during that time…no wait!  Amelie was born a few days after Dave’s birthday, so now 10!  This is immediate right-here-local family, people!  Plus, there was a HF fundraiser, a big baby shower or two, the aforementioned birth of a new grandbebe, some travel among us, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, a couple of theater productions for the patriarch, a holiday, tax-day and some end-of-the-school-year plays and programs.  Oh.  And cakes.

I think I feel a summer cold coming on.  A little worn out, but whew! Still, mostly intact.

Jubilate

  

Oh, how Averi loves her little Flintstone-esque car; Gemma said of her big sister, “Guini is so nice.”  Hunter is a great big-cousin to the girls!

“That it will never come again

is what makes it so sweet.” 

~Emily Dickinson

 

Dave with original 5, and with the 6 grandbebes.  On Father’s Day.

 

Make merry

 

 Scenes from good times: Jovan and Aunt Dessa with baby Amelie.  Gemma and the cone.

The family. We were a strange little band of characters trudging through life sharing diseases and toothpaste, coveting one another’s desserts, hiding shampoo, borrowing money, locking each other out of our rooms, inflicting pain and kissing to heal it in the same instant, loving, laughing, defending, and trying to figure out the common thread that bound us all together. ~Erma Bombeck

Dave with grandbebes, left-right: Hunter (5), Amelie Belle (almost 3 months), Gemma (3), Guinivere (almost 5), Averi (2), and Gavin (7)

Celebrate ~ a LIST of reasons:

Birthdays, anniversaries, firsts, promotions, making the yellow light, getting the good parking spot, your husband’s first novel getting published (buy here!), a moist spring, summer arriving, a full moon in an azure-blue sky, the first sip of amazing morning coffee, a grandbebe tying his own shoes and riding without training wheels, tomatoes ripening on the vine, and a new granddaughter.  Also, achievement and success, failures we made it through together, a good movie, really green freshly-cut grass (that deserves an ice cream cone at the very least), a completed project, an upcoming festival, finding out some one is praying for you, healing for dad and brothers in light of heart junk, first teeth, first lost teeth, seeds that sprout, weeds that pull out easily.  Moms.  Dads.  Brothers, sisters, neices, nephews and grandbebes.  Aunts and Uncles and family in the faith.  Growing love and re-ignited passion.  Good times.  And even hard times with people who won’t leave. 

For these and many other reasons, throw a party.  It can be filled with lavish decor and a seemingly endless buffet of tempting tidbits, or as simple as a blanket on the grass with milk and cookies as the stars come out to dance.  Find your reason.

Can you over-do on celebrating?

I guess that remains to be seen.  On our deathbeds, when total clarity and perspective comes to us, we may realize that some of the extra fancy cakes or over-the-top decor wasn’t themost important thing, but I doubt I will ever regret using every possible chance I could to show the people I love the most their great worth to me by planning, scheming and finding ways to celebrate their lives and existance.  And if it should disrupt “normality,” or be a little taxing, so be it.  I’d rather know I did it because I loved them.  And not regret missed chances to say so.

  

My family always complains that when I take pictures, I never count and give them warning.  See left.  Well, when I FINALLY did a one-two-three count, this is what I got (see right).  Improvement?  Not sure.  My photographic philosophy: just snap away and hope for the best.

“Love your life and prove it.” ~You may quote me on this, actually

Nehemiah 12:43 (New Living Translation)

  Many sacrifices were offered on that joyous day, for God had given the people cause for great joy. The women and children also participated in the celebration, and the joy of the people of Jerusalem could be heard far away.

I would say our neighbors, based on what has been “heard far away” would think we have!…Jeanie

 

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