Happy Birthday America!

Okay, so here is the deal...I LOVE THE FOURTH OF JULY!! I love everything about it, starting with the parade, the BBQ's, the lounging around outside, the water fun, and the greenbelt and fireworks! I would dare say that the 4th is my second favorite holiday after Christmas! I look forward to it every year, and every year it gets better and better!

We have our traditional celebrations. We start out on the evening before the big day with a little neighborhood bash. We all hang out in the cul-de-sac (we all meaning our good friends who live next door and down the road). We have treats and snacks, we chat, we play, we light fireworks, and then we watch two firework shows. One is our little community one and the other is a very wealthy man who lives a few blocks over who does a HUGE show every year. So we sit out in the road and watch both of those at the same time!

The morning of the 4th, we wake up very early and get everything ready. We travel into town and watch the parade. Now, I don't absolutely love parades, but the feeling and what it stands for is what I love to see! The kids love to collect candy and things, so that is fun for them.

After the parade, we have a get-together with either one of our family's. This year was Matt's family. We met at his brother's house for a BBQ. We ate, the kids played in the water, we visited and relaxed. I love that!

We go into the greenbelt around 6 pm every year. We sit in the same spot and we always get pizza for dinner! No different last night. We picked up our pizza, settled into our "spot" and ate. We then walked the entire greenbelt to see my dad's band play. He usually plays somewhere along the river, so that is always fun. We hung out there for a bit and the kids danced and loved seeing grandpa!

We then head back to our designated area and all of Matt's family is there. We sit around chatting, snacking, playing games, etc. until the show begins. Then we watch the most amazing fireworks ever! I love the fireworks! They intrigue me.

After the show, we hurry and load up the car and kids and we are home within 20 minutes! That is something I am very happy about! We have a specific route home and we beat all traffic and don't have to stop and wait anywhere! It is wonderful.

So there's the rundown of our celebration this year. I love living in America and I am very grateful for the men and women who make our freedoms possible. Thank heaven for the USA and God bless!