Happy Fourth of July!

What a fun holiday this is! I just love celebrating the 4th of July for many reasons. Of course there is the traditional BBQ and homemade ice cream, along with the fireworks at the local park. It always takes me back to my childhood when my parents would pick up both sets of grandparents and bring them up to our home for a BBQ and fun with the family - we'd have a "real" BBQ with charcoal briquets, which I still to this day prefer over gas grilling. At the end of the day, we'd drive back downtown to Rose Park and watch the fireworks before dropping the grandparents off at home. I remember vividly the smell of firework smoke and crowds of people. One memory I have was when we stopped off at a Safeway on the way back to our car to buy some cold treats. We splurged and picked out the new Jello pudding pops that had just come out - those were the days! My favorite flavor was banana on that particular 4th of July. I'm always shocked at the things I remember from my childhood. I'm certain my parents would be surprised to know how much those pudding pops meant to an 8 year old. It makes me wonder what Laurel will remember from her childhood.

I think the best thing about the 4th of July is the opportunity we have to celebrate this great country we live in. We are so lucky to enjoy the freedoms we enjoy and I always feel a sense of deep patriotism for this country and those who have defended its borders and freedoms with courage, and in many cases, their own blood. Living in Philadelphia strengthened my love for this great nation.

Today we enjoyed a wonderful BBQ with our friends, the Neddos and Christensens. We swam, ate, swam, and then ate some more! Here is a picture of Dale with the kids in the pool. We also enjoyed face painting, thanks to our friend, Denise Blue. Didn't she paint a wonderful picture of Blue on Laurel's face?

After our BBQ, we walked over to the local high school and enjoyed a wonderful fireworks display. We enjoyed visiting with our good friends, Denise and Jason Blue. They have two really cute boys that we love to have over whenever we get the chance. Here is a picture of 4 really cute and excited kids.