4th of July: Part 1

I love this day!

I love the summery feel of eating watermelon, grilled hot dogs, lemonade, & potato salad outside.

I love dressing the kids in red, white, & blue.

I love going to parades.

I love getting together with friends & family.

I love my country.

I love fireworks.

This is one of my favorite times of the year from which some of my favorite childhood memories stem

such as:

 picking out fireworks and setting up our own show in the front yard with my brothers...

I vividly remember catching fireflies with my little sister as we impatiently waited for it to get dark enough to start lighting our fireworks,

writing my name in the air with my sparkler,

the smokey smell fireworks leave behind, 

the year I was old enough to get my own punk for lighting my own fireworks,

the stinging feeling of the blister swelling up on my right shin after being hit with one of the said fireworks...good times!

And so we begin creating such patriotic memories for our children...

(minus the actual getting to light our own fireworks...apparently it is illegal here...I grew up in Missouri where you could have bottle rocket fights in your front yard)

Starting with AJ & Girlfriend's first 4th of July parade...

Girlfriend was all decked out in her red, white, & blue...

not having as much fun as me...

AJ got to see lots of police cars, fire trucks, & horses...

& ate a lot of suckers...

& now we venture off to the traditional neighborhood BBQ, followed up with homemade funnel cakes with friends as we wait for the fireworks!

God Bless America!