Around the Fire

 This eyesore caught my attention each time I looked out of our living room window.  What could it be? Why that's our barricaded fire ring...and it's taken on a bigger and bigger significance in our minds. You see, Josiah was ALWAYS up for a fire. He loved to sit around the fire and visit, share memories, tell stories...and so do we. However, many of our favorite campfire memories include Josiah. 

We were sitting around the campfire in Crescent City, CA in 2016 when Josiah told us he was moving back to Alaska. He invited us to move up with him and said he'd help us with Michael's newly diagnosed (at that time) health concerns. 

There was the first time Liv joined us around the campfire for s'mores when Josiah and Carrie had first begun dating. 

Who can forget the night when a young rooster jumped into the campfire and back out - earning himself the name Phoenix? 

Josiah, Jamin, Jared, Michel and Stephen around the fire ring after Josiah and Carrie's wedding. 

There were also campfires on New Year's Eve. NYE has long been our family's biggest celebration. Since moving to AK, it included a firework display (funded and shopped for by Josiah and Michael) and a bonfire. Michael laid out wood and covered it up last fall just as the first snow was predicted. It was ready and waiting for our NYE celebration. 

NYE this year did not find us sitting around a bonfire or even at our home. Josiah was newly departed, and we were in the throes of deep grief. 

The weather changed and still none of us had the heart to light a fire. AND the wind hasn't cooperated. Carrie had a fire at the lake over Memorial Day with her family and encouraged us to light the fire....and so tonight we uncovered the fire ring and lit the wood beneath. 

Yes, there were some somber thoughts. I may have shed a few quiet tears, but it was good. His memory was with us around the fire. Michael read a chapter of McManus and one from one of Allie's favorite books. Allie's new guitar was a rousing success. I read a chapter from McManus. We had s'mores. We chatted. We laughed...and it was good. 

Fixing the perfect s'more

garden sleeves to allergy proof Stacia

10:30 p.m. 

Allie's pet stink bug 📷by Allie 

My turn to read 📷by Allie 

And then, there was the moment when Michael threw a box onto the fire...I promise we learned our lesson! Please, don't hesitate to join us around our fire this summer.  We've noted which things need to be moved to make it safer for young ones. In the future, Michael will be much more careful about throwing waxed boxes onto the fire...and I will be more careful about staying much further than 2 feet away from the fire ring. I took a photo and still didn't realize I was in trouble. 

  I tried to get up and it was far too hot for me to stand - which requires taking a step forward out of the chair.  It took a few moments for them to realize I needed help. My yelp of, "I need help!" probably alerted them. ::grin:: Michael jumped over and pulled me out of the blast zone...and that is how I ended up with a flash burn on my legs from a box of broccoli. 

This is a much better view from the window.