Freedom does not ring any louder than that!

I love the story my grandma told every summer about my dad and the 4th of July. He was born on July 1st, and came home from the hospital on the 4th of July. It was a hot, humid day and Grandma hated to see him sweating in his little bed. There were windows on either side of the kitchen table so she layed a blanket on it and put him there. She says he watched his uncles shooting fireworks outside the kitchen window and has always loved the fourth of July because of that. Apparently on July 4, 1954, it was decided that our family would always celebrate our country's birthday. (By the way, I made another cake--check out the flag cake on the table!)

Independence Day has always been a big deal in my family, so maybe Grandma was right. As far back as I can remember, even when a lot of our clothes were homemade and none of us had Nike shoes or name brand jeans...we still had fireworks. I loved that. That is the beauty of tradition. You can depend on it. Tradition creates treasured memories. Tradition is what makes a group of people family. It is what makes our good friends our closest friends. I am trying hard to make sure my kids have traditions that go back as far as they remember. That's why Jaron experienced his first family and firework festivities the day after he came home from the hospital in 2004. Obviously we still make a big deal out of the 4th of July, although it has broadened into a Summer birthday/Independence Day gathering. That means we have combined the traditional fireworks with presents and cake! Birthdays, ours and our country's, are such a great time to count our blessings. I am so thankful for all the choices we are free to make and the dreams we are free to dream in America. Independence Day provides wonderful grounds to utilize our liberty by spending a weekend hanging out with family, playing with the kids, visiting with friends, and oooing and ahhhing over fireworks. Seriously, freedom does not ring any louder than that!