God Bless America!

Some days it seems that patriotism in my country is dying.  I thank God for Independence Day to remind me to be grateful for this great country we live in.  In a day and age wherein "progressivism" is so eager and in a rush to abandon or leave behind, or advance from the principles that made our great country, it is nice to reflect on our history and consider the blessings that still come from living in this great land of promise.  Even still, those of us who profess gratitude to be a U.S. citizen and claims of patriotism, we sometimes forget and get caught up in the hoopla that has become such a fun and wonderful traditional holiday. 

 

Much like Christmas, the true meaning of the holiday is lost amidst the food, fanfare, friends and family; all great things, but not the purpose we set out to remember.  Our family and neighborhood is no different.  We have great traditions and a tight knit sense of community.  All year we look forward to celebrating with our neighbors on the 4th of July.  We even missed our family reunion this year because this tradition is important to us.  That being said, I take great pride in having been raised a lover of my country.  Sarah and I make specific efforts to teach Leah and Dax what it meant and should still mean to be American.  For that is the greatest tradition. 

 

I live in a great neighborhood.  I tried to help bring these traditions to our neighbors for a few years.  The first year the tradition was well received, but in the following 4 years I watched attendance dwindle to near nothingness.  I know they love America. I know they are grateful.  I guess they are also busy.  For the sake of optimism, I am choosing to believe they simply have other patriotic duties in the morning that prevent them from attending the flag raising ceremony and other activities.  I'll be honest, it hurt a little, but luckily, I know their hearts.  I got over it.  They are still the cream of the crop.  I don't think you can find better neighbors.  So, having discontinued the tradition with the neighbors without one word of disappointment for having done so, I turned my attention to my family and instilling in them these things that were important to me. 

 

Every year, Sarah makes it fun by dressing the kids up in some form of Red, White and Blue or in Stars and Stripes.  We get ready for the day and we take pictures as a family showing our national pride.  Next we gather at the front of our home and recite The Pledge of Allegiance and sing The National Anthem.  We then will sit and discuss some interesting facts about our country or flag.  This year we discussed flag trivia and flag etiquette.  I hope my kids learn to appreciate things.  Gratitude is the most important quality one should strive for and it is a quality that makes all other virtues easier to obtain.  One great thing my family has been given is to have been born in this great nation.  I want Leah and Dax to appreciate that and the responsibility that comes along with it.

 

With the most important things of the holiday taken care of first, we are now ready to throw on some swim trunks, fill up our soda mugs, put on sunscreen, grab the chairs and towels and head over to the greatest neighborhood Independence Day block party ever!  The last two years have been wonderful as we expanded the invitation to several blocks outside our own.  We have the world's largest slip and slide...well, maybe not the largest, but it's big!  We have dunk tanks, bouncy houses and blow up pools.  There are nacho booths, cotton candy stands and shaved ice for all to enjoy.  Then, when we've baked long enough in the Sun, we head to the cul-de-sac for a big BBQ and follow the whole day up with the crown jewel event of the day, The 12th Annual Cul-De-Sac of Fire.  A special thanks are deserved to my neighbor, Janette, for organizing the activities the last two years and to my neighbors for feeding the pyromaniac side of us all with a killer fireworks display.  Thanks, Ted, Jared, Brandon and Randy!  Seriously, I live in the greatest country in the world and the greatest neighborhood!  Am I blessed or what?!

 

God Bless Meadowbrook!  God Bless Orchard Hills Ward!  God Bless The United States of America!

 

My American Family.

Red, White and Cute!

The United States of Awesome!



I do love the USA!

 

The kids were on a sugar high all day.  Here is Dax eating his 12th shaved ice.

The Reeds joined us in the neighborhood fun.  Here is Cole, Elijah and Jake
slippin' and slidin' down the hill.

Dax could never really get how to slip and slide.  He fell down to his belly, but
had to propel himself slowly down the hill while the rest of the patient kids
kindly waited for him to clear the runway. 

Here's Emerson getting in on the action.

The kids loved the dunk tank.  I think they liked getting dunked more than
doing the dunking.  Here is Leah ready to take the plunge at the hand of her
cousin, Cole.

My arthritis had me in a bad spot.  I could hardly walk.  Luckily, my Brother-in-Law brought
me a knee brace and took Marley off my hands.  Thanks, Duane!

Jake trying to dunk his cousin, Leah.

This is pretty much what I did the bulk of the day.  Sat around and rested my knee.

After the BBQ it was fireworks time.  Candace helped the kids kill time until
dark by lighting sparklers for them. 

Like Father like Son...Pyros!

Do I have the cutest kids or what?!

My good friend, Wade, came by to check on my well being and gave me one of
his famous massages.  The man has magic hands!

Sparklers, snakes, flowers and poppers all exhausted; the boys wait for the big show. 

Leah likes to find herself in the mix with all the kids in the neighborhood. 
Most of the kids are older than her, but they are so kind and patient towards
her.  She loves each of them so much and I do too. 

Some of the boys in the neighborhood are part of the nationally acclaimed and
well decorated American Fork High School Marching Band, so they started the
Cul-De-Sac of Fire by performing the anthems for all branches of the U.S.
military.  Very cool.

That truck bed is filled with thousands of dollars of explosives.  It was a good
night.  :)

Here I am bringing more to the party.  My friend and neighbor, Jared, found a
supplier that had great aerials named after Utah things such as "Green Jello Salad" or
"The Holy War" or "Molly Mormon". 

Some balloon artists kept the kids entertained while the men set up for the big
show. 

Of course it wouldn't be Independence Day without the glow sticks. 



What a great day and night.  I really am blessed.  I love my country and I worry about the direction it's heading.  I will continue to do my part to teach, at least my children, generations behind me what I believe it means to be American and to love that responsibility.  I'm grateful for my neighbors for being such wonderful people and for helping us to celebrate this important holiday.  The memories we build will always be cherished as are the memories of my childhood during the same holiday. 

 

With the 4th being on a weekend, it was fun to extend it a bit and to celebrate it with family the following day.  We went to Jake and Erin's and had a fun time eating, visiting and playing with fire. 

 

I think the boys considered lighting the fireworks, regardless of the size of
the explosion, was more fun than the actual display of fire.  Typical boys.

Some of the older crowd couldn't make it through the show.  Poor Grandpa Dave.

Little Reagan was not a fan of the loud fireworks. 

It would appear that neither was Leah.

Run for your lives!



Uncle Jake running from the flower he lit as if it were a stick
of TNT!

 

Friends, love your home.  Bloom where you're planted.  Don't take your liberties for granted.  Make your home, your town, village or city, yea, even your country a better place.  For that is what God wants of us.  Happy Birthday, America!