We were invited to spend Sunday, which happened to be the Feast of Corpus Christi ( The Body and Blood of Christ) at my sister and her husband's house. Two of their children were making their First Communion at Mass that morning.
Because of serving commitments at our own parish, we did not see the children receive and I didn't get a picture of them dressed up. However, we did arrive in time for a wonderful lunch! This is the view from their front window.
Many of our cousins were there- I counted 18 children and 9 adults. This is just a portion of our family. It had been too long since we last visited there and the kids were ready to have some fun together.
Everyone put on bathing suits and listened attentively to Aunt Cecilia's discussion of the Pool Rules.
The little ones had a blast in this sturdy Lil'Tyles pool which is every bit of 15 years old and in perfect shape. I wish I had bought one of these when they first came out but they were an $85 investment at that time which seemed like a lot. Consequently, I have had to buy a plastic baby pool every year for 25 years because they are so flimsy that they last only one summer! That's almost $400 worth of leaky baby pools!
First, the Uncles got out on 4 wheelers and went trail riding all the way onto the next mountain! Then the younger guys got to take a turn on the many trails on their property.
My sister and her husband made a decision to get their family out of the city years ago and bought a great many acres in the country, conveniently located only 5 miles from a terrific church. It has been very good for them.
When we came to this place where the trail splits, it immediately reminded me of Robert Frost's
The Road Not Taken.
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
and be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth.
Then took the other as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that, the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,
And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I marked the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way
I doubted if I should ever come back.
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I,
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
We thoroughly enjoyed our hike and seeing the kids have so much fun outdoors with their cousins!
It was a great afternoon and a beautiful way to celebrate the First Communion of my niece and nephew on this most fitting day of Corpus Christi!
