We had a beautiful Memorial Day weekend here in Omaha, with perfect weather for food, family, and some patriotic outdoor activities.

I kicked things off Friday night in downtown Omaha for the Memorial Day parade and concert. I’d never attended as something so fun and festive on such a solemn holiday, but it seemed quite appropriate, with veterans and gold star families taking prominent roles.

There were a few giant balloons of an American flag and a Purple Heart, as well as several trollies and buses full of veterans riding along. There were a handful of politicians, such as Gov. Ricketts and Congressmen Bacon and Fortenberry who lead the parade (with a few Grand Marshalls). A few other participants wore historic costumes, and there was a troop of nurses handed out candy. The Budweiser Clydesdales came toward the end of the parade, followed shortly by the Omaha Jitterbugs, who I nearly missed seeing.

Afterward, in the Durham Museum parking lot, there was a gallery of fallen heroes and also free hot dogs and apple pie served by Hy-Vee. Hal Daub played emcee before the concert, introducing opening act Camille Metoyer Moten and recognizing a few politicians in the audience. Then Lee Greenwood took to the stage, bringing with him a few people to lead the crowd in singing happy birthday to a little boy and his grandmother. Then he sang his signature song, “God Bless the USA,” inviting the crowd to stand and sing the chorus with him, which gave me legitimate goosebumps.

After Greenwood’s performance, we got to hear some more patriotic music from the Omaha Symphony Chorus, who sang the anthems of each branch of the military. The evening concluded with the Grateful Hearts gospel quartet, who sang a medley of patriotic and gospel songs to finish off the night. It was an uplifting event that didn’t seem a bit tainted by political partisanship — something I wished I could see a bit more often these days.

I had a nice long walk with Hannah bright and early the following morning, going all the way down to Chick-Fil-A for breakfast together. We stopped by the Sandy Park on the way back and then swung by my parents’ house to say hello before returning home. I kept busy the rest of the day cleaning gutters, mowing the lawn, and getting some groceries for our Memorial Day Dinner.

Then on Sunday, we got T-shirts at church for their new sermon series, “Not Today, Satan,” (which I wore over my patriotic shirt and tie afterward). I went by my dad’s house to help set up his smoker for our Memorial Day brisket, and the kids came along to climb a few trees and play with some branches. Then we returned home to have fresh-ground burgers for dinner with frozen bananas for dessert.

On Memorial Day, I took a nice long walk up to Bellevue Boulevard and back, just to burn a few calories in anticipation of a big brisket dinner. Vivian made two delicious kinds of potato salad at home as Hannah celebrated Jane’s birthday and made a doll out of string.

Then at four, I walked over to grandma and grandpa’s house with the kids, where they played with some trains and blocks as grandpa finished up the brisket. Grammy and Pop-Pop came with bakes beans and a patriotic dessert, and Nathan dropped in with a bunch of tomato plants, which he helped plant after dinner. We had a lovely, beautiful evening sitting outside and eating way too much together, and Pop-Pop finally got to use the steps my dad installed back in 2019 for him to use, which was nice to see.

We had some gorgeous weather on Tuesday, which was Aaron’s last day before heading off to summer school, so Vivian and I took them to Elmwood Park around noon for one last park visit. We had some burgers for lunch and then let the kids swing for a bit. Then we took a nice walk along the trail, finding a fairy house on our way to the grotto, where the spring water was flowing once again. We hiked further into the trees and encountered some painted trees and fallen logs, as well as a bog. We also found the brick remains of an old sewer pipe, which was quite picturesque somehow.

Then that evening, my Uncle Tom and Aunt Barb came by to visit — the first time we’d seen them since Ben and Carol’s anniversary back in 2014. We had some ice cream and cookies together and caught up with them about family, jobs, and life in general. Then before we left we got a few group photos. Barb took one of my whole family, and I realized afterward it was the first time the whole Johnson clan — grandma, grandpa, uncles, wife, grandkids, and me — had all been photographed together. Ever. That was something.