Relay 2012

After some afternoon work in the flower garden and soon-to-be vegetable garden, we decided to go to the Relay for Life event at the park. This is the third year we've gone, and Dennis had a wonderful time (we all did). He liked visiting all the different tents and checking out the bouncy houses and hanging out at our church's tent. He made some attempts to wet some folks in our dunking booth, and he got really close but didn't quite manage it. I was very impressed with the questions he asked me about cancer today, and when it was time for the Luminaria Walk, he solemnly bowed his head during the prayer and quietly walked hand-in-hand with David and me, observing all the names on the bags. He saw the one we set out for David's dad (who would have loved Dennis) and he saw a girl that beat leukemia a couple years back as she found the luminary with her own name on it and smiled a very beautiful smile (she is only a couple years older than Dennis and I remember all the times we prayed for her at church--what a miracle!). Dennis says we should Relay every single day because "cancer is yucky and I never want to get it." He is right!

After we got home, he read to us the next lesson in his reading primer (thank you Uncle Denny!). When he finishes the book, he gets a toy of his choosing. Sometimes bribery just seems necessary! It's working, though. He was reading the words on buildings and signs as we drove through town today.

He met the principal of the elementary school that he'll be attending this fall. She was at the Relay event and she shook his hand and introduced herself. He will be going on a kindergarten tour next week with the 'graduating' preschoolers, and she told him she would see him then. He was very mature as he shook her hand and told her who he was. This growing up business is all of a sudden happening SO fast!