BBQ Times

             

It was a family BBQ at my home a year after my mother's stroke, I excitedly setup the kitchen with finger foods and sodas.

I had the toy box out on the guest bed with arts and crafts stuff for my soon to arrive niece and nephews. 
I setup a TV tray by the recliner for my mom to be comfortable to help avoid her constant hurting back while we visited.

The cats and dogs ran in and out while my teenage brothers check out our new place, my sister and my father were talking outside as my husband Tony and brother-in-law Phil watched the BBQ meats cook on. The fresh air and open home was very inviting, having the whole family together was so wonderful for me too.

As my brother Derek pulled up in front of my house under the big old trees and sidewalk of bushes, I race out to greet him with my arms wide open saying "Hey hey hey There Brother, Welcome to my new home!"

He hugged me as he looked around cautiously, I chatted on and on with him about everything going on as I said "Oh weird, I thought the boys were right behind me???"
  Derek suddenly grabbed me in front of him shouting out to "Nope! Nope, Ya shot Debby instead there!" He laughed and dodge around the shooting sounds coming from Daren and Doug.
I squealed back at Derek as I tired to get behind him instead I declared "You used ME as a human shield!?!? What the hell dude, Aren't you guys a little to old to still be playing this game???" 
Derek darted around my landscape and lean against the side of my home, He had 2 brothers down on the ground with his finger shape gun. They seemed to like falling to the ground in such dramas...I rolled my eyes and loudly followed Derek in my protest and surprise of this greeting game my brothers always did while growing up and they STILL kept it up as tradition.

I realized out loud "Ooooh now it all makes sense as to why Davey shot out into the backyard right when you pulled up! I was wondering why he said he had found THE perfect spot.....it all makes sense now." 
Derek stopped walking beside me in alarm and glanced all around him in panic asking me "Where IS Davey????" 
I smiled on secretly knowing Davey really WAS in the perfect spot. 
Derek asked me again "Where's Davey? Come on, help me out here." He had just one more brother to get, I shook my head saying "Davey will get ya for using me as a shield, I just realize now where he is....and You won't win this time."

Derek was greeted by everyone else by the BBQ on the back patio, He was still looking for Davey all around him while trying to say hi to the rest of the family. But Davey had a perfect spot to shoot just as Derek turned his back to the hidden garden trail and gate.
 Davey popped up with such pride, such delight and I laughed on watching him get Derek perfectly. He really did surprise Derek completely, waiting and waiting like that.
Derek fell to the ground as silly as the other brothers of mine, so I stood over Derek with a clever smile saying "...And you thought I would make a good human shield, once I realized where Davey was I knew he would get ya back for me! HA!" I helped Derek back up to his feet again as he said with smirk "Well, You were the one just standing out in the open like that, Good one Davey! Good one!" 
As I went back through the side door to my kitchen I told our mother all about the shooting game of the boys and how it took me a moment to realize what they were all doing. 
She chuckled explaining "They are always running around trying to shoot each other, I always know when Derek arrives because the boys take off somewhere suddenly." 
I laughed at their silliness and sat with my mom awhile sharing finger foods with her, as we could hear the rest of the family laughing, talking and hanging outside by the BBQ.