The most wonderful/hardest time of the year

Yes, HAPPY 4th of July, or shall I say,

HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY WEEKEND!!!!!

I've lived away from home ever since Brooks and I got married. I've never spent a Christmas at home even....and I've actually been fine with that.

But the ONLY time I year I start to feel homesick is the 4th of July.

(and either these pregnancy hormones are getting to me, or just writing that sentence makes me cry)

Here's some background:

My dad owned a fireworks business.....you know, the BIG fireworks (Disneyland, Superbowl, Olympics fireworks) This was always the MOST exciting time of year for my family. We always had the BEST parties and BEST fireworks (because my dad had a permit and since he was the mayor no one could call and complain about the fireworks being too loud)

But not only that, but my family is FULL of patriots and history buffs.

This is how our 4th of July celebrations would normally go:

-July 3rd, that's when Logan ALWAYS did their fireworks show in the college stadium my dad put on. We always had the best seats and met our cousins there. It was a no brainer, you just would wear red, white or blue.

-But BEFORE that we would eat at the house and have a BIG OL' water sack fight (man, this is when I WISH my scanner wasn't broken, because I've got some GREAT pictures) where you would take brown lunch sacks, fill them with water and throw them at each other. Believe me, they can leave some stingers. Infact, this is how Brooks was "initiated" into my family and thankfully passed the test.

-then on July 4th morning we would be awakened at the CRACK OF DAWN to go out the flagpole and have a devotional. A historical speech would be read or stories of the forefathers of our nation. Then we would sing the national anthem while dad played (you've NEVER heard someone play it, until you've heard my dad), and then dad would light his cannon.

-Then pile in dad's old fashioned truck, with the cannon and go around town shooting it off. Sometimes dad would put his lighter piano in the back and have mom drive around while dad played patriotic music and my brothers shot off the cannon and I just waved like I was the princess in the parade.

-Then off to Village Inn for pie.

Like I said, my FAVORITE time of year.

I just LOVE the smell of sulfur (the firework smell) and it reminds me of how my dad smelled everyday coming home from work and how his fingernails always had gunpowder in them.

I understand this might be getting a little long, but my heart and mind are full at this time. I do, I love this country (infact the first thing I did after we flew in from Brazil when moving back to the US was kiss Miami's airport floor....yes, I loved the US THAT much!) To illustrate the level of patriotism I take an excerpt of an email from my dad. (with his permission, of course) Let me first explain how my family is picky on how the national anthem is to be sung. :) But I sent dad a link of some incredible 4-6 year olds singing it. Musically, it was incredible and spot on, but not with the national anthem. Here are his thoughts:

Thanks for sending this, but its another example of the messenger atempting to draw attention to themselves rather than to the message.

Their portamentos wavering around so many of the pitches - great in country music - is totally out of order in the NA by trivializing both the music and message. It's equivalent to honky-tonking music on the piano instead of playing it straight.

Their tempo is that of a funeral dirge, not the "vigorously, 100-108" beats per minute marked on the "official version."

The only true rendition is when the assembled crowd sings along to the recorded accompanyment of one of the military service bands, or a live local brass/woodwind band, playing the official version.

The original intent of Congress when they adopted "The Star Spangled Banner" as the official NA, was that when it was sung at large public gatherings, was to have each person in the crowd sing, not merely repeat, so they would better remember the message. Each person thus participating was also to symbolize their individual responsibility in insuring that they would implement the message, and that each individual was to participate in the government by voting.

When crowds stand back and let others, soloists or groups, give the message of freedom instead of participating themselves, to me this symbolizes what the Romans did during their decline and fall when they gave up their own participation in defending their country, and hired mercenaries to do the fighting for them.

Man, I just love my dad.

I guess you could say the blood passed down to me is red,

white and blue (what would that make it, light purple?)

I'm full of gratitude when I think of what people did, so I CAN celebrate this wonderful holiday, country and my freedom to worship.

So to all of you, Happy Independence Day!

and to my family at home,

TRUST me, I'll be thinking of you and shedding a few tears this weekend.