The Fourth of July - what an incredible holiday! I love this day - so much to celebrate and as I heard someone say.....one of the best ways we can celebrate the freedoms we enjoy in our country - is to use them. That makes sense. Although, the school teacher part of me & always within in - would like to throw in a history lesson as well! Some years that works - others the history lesson is a little more part of the daily life that we enjoy here in America - and helping the children to understand how even a simple day is a blessing.
We could say that for this holiday, we exercised our right to assemble this day...although not in the sense to state anything was wrong...everything was done in a tone of celebration. However, there are areas in the world where people are not even allowed to assemble at their will. For fun or enjoyment. Thankfully we are!
Also in honor of America, we enjoyed living out some of the words from favorite patriotic songs.
Such as ~ 'God Bless America'
From the mountains, to the prairies
To the oceans, white with foam
God Bless America! My home sweet home!
{Bryson was helping to count down when he could go into the water after a routine sunscreen application break!}
We are in the state that was the last to enter the United States - making it the big 50 for the states, and taking the Aloha State into formal statehood.
As we sang the song 'America the Beautiful' in Primary on Sunday I thought of the words....
Oh Beautiful for Spacious Skies....
{or sand in this case}
For Purple Mountain Majesties...
{and purple sunsets if there aren't purple mountains close-by}
Above the Fruited Plain! {let's pretend he is holding a pail of fruits that he worked hard to collect...he did work hard to collect this - although it's sand. Not fruit. Still - let's keep playing along!}
America! America!
God Shed His Grace on Thee
And Crown Thy Good
With Brotherhood
From Sea to Shining Sea!
We came home from the beach feeling toasted and rather pink....actually we were red-hot like a firecracker from all the sun that day! Shoulders were tender and eyes were bloodshot - it was a very successful day at the beach, with a lot of swimming, boogie boarding and loads of fun with Papa Lord out in the waves & Nana sunbathing on the beach and keeping tabs on our things.....we just went a little overboard on getting too much red in the day!
We ate our American meal of grilled hamburgers (cooked on the stove - that grill is going to be my nemesis for this trip here. Oh well - everything can't be completely perfect!) and then we got ready to go see the fireworks at Turtle Bay Resort. We went there 2 years ago - but 2 years ago there wasn't a large crowd that attended...this year we couldn't park in the resort but had to park outside on the street and then walk in for a good 10-15 minute walk! We were working off the burgers I suppose :)
After I took a few pictures of the kiddos in their patriotic colored outfits - we tried to find a spot to sit and watch the show. There are SO many people here than 2 years ago...the crowd was at least 3 times the size. We finally found a spot and set our chairs and blanket out - and realized 1) it was drizzling with light rain coming down and 2) when the show started we realized we were facing the wrong way! We quickly adjusted and enjoyed an amazing show of fireworks booming almost directly over our heads, and for coming in so late and not knowing how big the crowd would be - we did fairly well! There were a few times when the fireworks were lower in the sky and due to trees around us we couldn't see them clearly - but overall it was a very impressive show and we were amazing at the variety of colors and the differences in the fireworks that lit up the sky!
After the show ended, we packed the chairs and blanket back up, and started the walk back to the car. We definitely got some nice casual exercise that night! On the way back, the drizzling started again - and then it picked up until it was coming down rather heavily and we started to become a bit soaked. Thankfully the car was ahead - and although we did have to walk quite a distance both ways....at least we got into our car which was parked on the grassy area by the road and pointed in the direction we needed to drive....and pulled out within a few minutes and driving home while other cars were still lined up and waiting to even get out of the resort.
America - what a great land of opportunity! We love you America & are so thankful for the blessings, opportunities and freedom that you provide! May we never take what we have for granted and help us to always honor your name, the memory of those who fought and struggled to make your existence come to pass & to keep the wonderful legacy of freedom in full bloom within our country - and to allow it to help others throughout the world. We are indeed so fortunate to have our freedoms....they are such a part of us, that I know there are times when I forget how lucky I am to experience these on a daily basis - while others do not. I want to be more conscious of my freedoms & to truly be grateful for them each day.
America - God Bless You!
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