Happy 4th of July!

So, I'm thinking that next to Christmas, the 4th of July is probably my favorite holiday. I love the summer and the heat and everything about it. The food is amazing (homemade ice cream, corn on the cob, BBQ hamburgers - yum!). It is the only time of year we can play with matches, light things on fire, and watch them explode into tiny little sparkling flames. Very cool. I have a long and complicated history with fireworks (thanks to a possessed little flower-like firework that chased me as a kid - very scary), but I have grown to really enjoy them and love watching the kids have fun with them. T.J. is not really amused by fireworks yet. It is something about the smell. He watches them with his hand over his nose. He is not too big on the noise yet either. Give him time.

We are definitely a parade-going family. I love the Freedom Festival parade in Provo and we've been trying to go every year or at least every couple of years. I love everything about it. The kids love the floats and the soldiers, and I love for them to see the veterans drive by in their old-fashioned military vehicles and can only hope that they understand what amazing men and women these people are. I was so proud to see my kids stand for all the soldiers and their families and clap and wave to them. They get so excited to see soldiers, and I hope they understand the sacrifice that is made daily for the sake of our freedom. I actually got a little choked up to see all my kids with their hand over their heart when the American Flag came by.

T.J. really loved the huge balloon of Curious George, and he made a point of waving to all the pretty girls that came by on their fancy floats. My dad came with us, and he loves the bagpipes - he always has. That sound will always remind me of my dad. They had a jet fly-over of course, but then quite a few older planes were also flying overhead all during the parade and even some from the flight school Dave works for. Dave was captivated for sure. All the marching bands, the governor, and even Glenn Beck this year - how can you you not love this parade? I don't even mind the crowd. It is an honor to celebrate our country with an enormous patriotic crowd of proud Americans.

Mostly I am grateful for the 4th because I am so grateful for this country. I was raised in a home that highly valued freedom and patriotism and was taught early to have respect for soldiers and veterans and to show them my gratitude for their sacrifice. My Grandpa Morton was a sailor in the United States Navy and had it not been for one last available deferment that he took, he may have been at Pearl Harbor on that fateful day in 1941. My dad also served in the Army Reserves, and I always knew as a kid that he loved his country and was proud of it and honored to serve it. My cousin Justin is a United States Marine and is currently deployed defending our freedom. Way to go Justin!

It is so important to me that my kids understand what an amazing place we live in. I just think of all the places on the earth where we might be right now, and I am so grateful that we are in the land of the free and the home of the brave. I think that is probably a good cause to "count your blessings."

Despite anything our country is going through or may go through in the future, there is absolutely reason to hope and dream and go on and be happy. There is no cause to despair and definitely no reason for the endless complaining and whining that is so prevalent right now. We're doing just fine. Look around us for heaven's sake!! We have everything here. I can't believe how blessed we are. Americans have been tried and tested before and have come out soaring above those dark clouds, and we will do it again. All of this doomsday stuff floating around in the media (and everywhere else) is so tiring. There are so many good things happening and good people out there trying to do what is right and help their neighbor and defend their country. We have so much to be grateful for, and that is why I love the 4th of July.