McDonalds Memory Moments for Joshua!

Joshua's Family at McDonalds 2017

McDonalds Memory Moments for Joshua

October 4, 2017

Joshua loved McDonalds!  We often joked as a family that Joshua's love for cheeseburgers and french fries helped the value of McDonalds stock!  

And on this October 4th, 12 years since we lost our special Joshua Boy, I would like to share 12 memories of McDonalds - from his life, and also from after his death.

Joshua's Family at McDonalds 2016

#1 - Cheeseburgers out the Window!  The look on a person's face when Joshua would suddenly throw his whole cheeseburger clear out the car window!  And then french fries might follow!  The total shock and confusion on their faces always brought a smile to our faces.  But Joshua never did understand why we couldn't go back and retrieve his beloved cheeseburger!  (As hard as I tried to keep the windows rolled up, I did have four younger kids in the car and windows did get rolled down quite often!)  Since Joshua loved McDonalds, but loved throwing even more, this was not the only cheeseburger or french fry thrown out the window!  (If they only knew how many times we really did keep the windows and doors closed so this did not happen!) 

Joshua's Grandma Larson!

#2 - The coin collector at McDonalds!  Joshua was always throwing whatever was in reach, and apparently there was a coin within his reach as we drove up to the McDonalds window.  And sure enough, as I rolled the window down, Joshua took his precious coin, and threw it and it sailed quickly right out the window.  But I was completely stunned as it landed perfectly in this little tiny opening in the charity coin collector.  We could not have done that again if we tried!

#3 - Joshua's love for McDonalds cheeseburger, french fries and rootbeer!  I can still see his unique Joshua clap while saying "Donalds" and his excitement as I pulled into the McDonalds parking lot.  

#4 - Joshua's classic "mmmmmm" for yum as he would eat his meal!

#5 - Joshua saying "hi, hi, hi" to everyone inside McDonalds!  (But I had to watch him really close or he might steal someone's french fries!!

Cousins Ashley, Hunter & Ellie at McDonalds!

#6 - The McDonalds workers saying "Hi Josh" as we walked in.  That always touched my heart!

#7 - The McDonalds drive-thru was a lifesaver for me!  If we did not have time to spend inside, I was able to still pull through quickly and get Joshua his yummy cheeseburger, french fries and rootbeer!

#8 - Although the drive-thru was a lifesaver, paying for our food without items thrown out the car window was still a challenge.  But Joshua loved dollars and so I realized that if I gave him a dollar to pay for our food, this diverted his attention from the throwing.  Although I couldn't give him a credit card or $20 bill because his throwing arm was always ready!!  I loved the look on the cashier's face when Joshua would lean his long, skinny arm across me to hand his one dollar bill over, and then the confusion when I would pay for the rest!  It worked, so we just kept doing it!

Joshua's Uncle Chris & Aunt Cynthia!

#9 - McDonalds playland was a favorite!  Joshua loved climbing in the tubes and going down the slides even as he grew taller and taller.  Well one day as I stopped at McDonalds with all of the kids after work, Joshua climbed in the slide, but he got stuck!  Well I was still in a dress from work, but we could not coax him out of the slide, so there I went also, up the tube, carefully, to get my tall, skinny, handsome boy out of the tube!  Ha ha ... I'm sure we had a few looks that we never saw!

Joshua's Uncle John!

#10 - 2013 - It was Christmas time and I was missing Joshua so I prayed for a Joshua moment that day.  As I drove down 820 North in Provo, there was a McDonalds bag standing tall in the middle of the road. So memorable and appropriate!  I couldn't help but think of a double cheeseburger thrown out the window on University Ave with nearby drivers and passengers stunned by this handsome adult young man gleefully tossing that cheeseburger clean out the window!  

Cousins Kenny & Mitchell!

#11 - 2014 - Joshua and Jeremy share a birthday and I bought a McDonalds Gift Card to give to Jeremy from Joshua.  I asked Janson to write a little note to Jeremy with the gift card.  His words were absolutely perfect as if Joshua had wrote them himself.  He told Jeremy "not to throw the cheeseburger out the window."  It really is hard not to!!  

#12 - Each year receiving pictures and messages of family and friends eating at McDonalds on October 4th.  Some of these pictures are displayed in this post.  This touches my heart more than I can say.  McDonalds is the place to be!
#mcdonalds