some moments, you just never want to forget.

this past weekend we had the 2011 McPhail Family Reunion! with almost 40 people split among two houses we had tons of fun and tons of catching up to do since the last time we had one was in 2004...We spent 3 nights at Lake LBJ in these awesome log houses with pools and lake views. we had lots of margaritas, sangria, unlimited queso from el arroyo, and lots of memories were definitely made.

on friday night since everyone was together, we had the first celebration for my grandpa's upcoming 90th birthday with the entire extended family. we had an awesome airplane cake, lots of stories, some tributes to him from his brother and at the end he wanted to share a poem that he learned in high school that had carried him to where he is now.

needless to say there weren't many dry tears as he recited it (from MEMORY!!...did i mention he is 90??) i had the chance to be sitting right next to him as he got teary eyed and he slowly recited it, i felt like he was drawing memories from each verse as tears came down his face. anyway, that was a moment I will never forget and this poem is definitely one that I feel I will carry with me from this point forward.

Rudyard Kipling "When Earth's Last Picture is Painted"

"When Earth's last picture is painted
And the tubes are twisted and dried
When the oldest colors have faded
And the youngest critic has died
We shall rest, and faith, we shall need it
Lie down for an aeon or two
'Till the Master of all good workmen
Shall put us to work anew
And those that were good shall be happy
They'll sit in a golden chair
They'll splash at a ten league canvas
With brushes of comet's hair
They'll find real saints to draw from
Magdalene, Peter, and Paul
They'll work for an age at a sitting
And never be tired at all.
And only the Master shall praise us.
And only the Master shall blame.
And no one will work for the money.
No one will work for the fame.
But each for the joy of the working,
And each, in his separate star,
Will draw the thing as he sees it.
For the God of things as they are!"

i just love this and am kinda amazed that i have never heard it in my life. grateful that i got to share that moment with my gpa as he shared it with us, seeing how much it affected him, im excited to carry it with me from now on :)