Memorial Day is a very important holiday in the Barfuss family. When I started dating Max, a million years ago, I was invited to participate in one of their family traditions. Boy was I in for a surprise. It is the day for what many people would call their “family reunion.” Although it isn’t a family reunion in the way you might really think of a family reunion. Plus I don’t think Max’s mom ever thought it would actually turn into a reunion. It was just a day she planed a great family activity… that they did the next year… and the year after… and still do.
THE BARFUSS MEMORIAL GAMES
Every year they start the Memorial Games the same way. They sing military songs: the Marines, the Army, the Airforce, the Navy. “Off we go, into the wild blue yonder…” Usually I pick up a camera andtake pictures at this point. I really don’t want to offend anyone with my terrible singing. After that the games begin.
ACTIVITIES (every year they are different)
Art (I am usually in charge of this.)
Track & Field (This is Sally’s activity every year.)
Guns & Shooting (this year with rubber frogs you flipped like an elastic.)
The Treasure Hunt (Pat is always in charge of this and it is a blast.)
I can’t even begin to tell you how serious the Memorial Games are. The first year I joined I was excited when I got SECOND PLACE in an event. That was when Nick told me that second place was FIRST LOSER. After that I saw the competitiveness in their family and knew I needed to step it up or I would always be a loser. I’ve only placed once in all these years… and it wasn’t first place. /sigh Yeah for being a loser.
This year we started off with a family picture. It was raining hard and that is why we had umbrellas.
Luckily Pat had reserved the church so we even held the games in the gym. Otherwise one of our houses would have been trashed. The gym was easy to clean up. Here are some pictures from the day.
Look… I am a pirate. Aye!!
My first activity was to write a pirate song. They had to use at least 10 pirate words. Here is the first group on stage.
My brother-in-law Andy and sister-in-law Sally, their kids Nell and Mable, my mother-in-law Pat, and my son Mason.
My father-in-law Rick, my brother-in-law Nick, Nick’s son Isis, Nick’s friend Daniel, and Sally and Andy’s daughter Lilly.
Max and Natalie, and Sally and Andy’s son Luke.
My sister-in-law Jasmine and me.
My second Activity was Pirate Potato Heads. Look at how creative you can be with some pipe cleansers, some felt, some fake rings and a potato.
These are the potatoes designed by the adults.
These are the potatoes designed by the kids, and the kids who designed them!
This was the first shooting event. You would take these squirt guns and fill them up with water from a bucket. Then go shoot them at the pirate. The first team with the empty bucket won. My team totally kicked butt if I can gloat. HEHEHE.
Look at Max being funny. The kids couldn’t stop laughing that he became the pirate.
This was the other shooting game. You had to flip plastic frogs into the hoop. Yes, and you even had to walk the plank to get there. How creative my in-laws are!
Don’t fall in kids!
Here is Max and me.
And the winners are… kids and adults are scored independently to be fair.
1st place… Max/Luke
2nd place… tie Pat & Nick/ Isis
3rd place… tie Andy & Sally/Natalie
