My Favorite Holiday

The fourth of July is my favorite holiday. It has special meaning to me broadly...I love the freedom's that this country offers to it's citizens. I love my religious freedoms and my ability to share those with others. I also love this holiday because of specific reasons. This is the day that my grandparents were married. Without their marriage and children, I wouldn't exist! I also love that the 4th means a family reunion. Before I was married it meant a family reunion with my mother's extended family. Now that I'm married it also includes a family gathering on SM's side of the family!! When SM and I are away from our families for the 4th of July, it means a gathering planned with our friends...such as this year.

For the 4th of July, we started the morning off bright and early by arriving at the church at 6:30 am to help cook pancakes for the Ward 4th of July Annual Celebration. After spending three and a half hours there, we came home. I played on the computer a little bit and then put together a frog-eye salad while SM played the Wii all by his lonesome. Then at noon we headed over to our friends house where we spent hours eating, playing games, talking, and chasing kids. It was full of lots of love!! SM stayed to play games all afternoon while I came home and read a book until it was time to start the evening festivities.

The evening festivities began by driving to the top level of the metro station in our town. We brought camping chairs and a folding table to continue with some games but the weather had different ideas and a steady drip kept us under umbrellas most of the night. In fact, we arrived at the top of the parking structure around 7:45 pm but the fireworks were postponed until 10:00 pm because of the rain. But FINALLY the fireworks went off and they were lots of fun. I forget how loud they are...and always wish I remembered to bring ear plugs. The fireworks were great this year...but the rain made it less enjoyable. In fact, a few friends left before the fireworks even got started because they had tired and wet kids so they took them home early. The only bad thing about being stuck on the top of a seven layered parking garage is that when the fireworks are over...you can't exactly get into your car and go anywhere. There are too many other people slowly leaving and so you are stuck waiting for the crowds to clear. Once again, this is not really a problem if it's not raining because you can just continue playing games. But for our 4th of July, we stood around watching the traffic on the ground and trying not to get wet. The good thing about the rain is that it is not cold rain. With the humidity, it's just part of the warm blanket that surrounds you as you step outside.

I hope everyone had a great 4th of July...I did! What a fabulous holiday!!