Happy 4th of July 2012

We had a great 4th of July this year. Our ward had a flag raising ceremony followed by a children's bike parade and pancake breakfast in the morning. It was very great to watch the flag raise and say the pledge of allegiance with a large group of people. I haven't done that for a really long time but it does provoke very powerful emotions. Despite the uncertainty and divisions within this great country, I still feel blessed to live here and enjoy the freedoms that exist. I feel privileged to be a citizen of the United States of America and reciting the pledge helped me remember that. 

We currently don't have any bikes or scooters. These are things we will be getting but with the apartment living and moving. . .we currently don't have any. The girls still wanted to participate in the parade so I helped them decorate the double stroller. Emmeline called it "The Float." Brett and Emmeline pushed the float with Mabel and Maddie onboard. They were very cute.

This is our first picture with all 6 of us. :)

While we were at the picnic, some new friends invited us over to their house for a bbq. They had invited several other families as well and we had a good time swimming, getting to know some new people, and of course eating great food. You just can't not have a bbq on Independence Day. :) They also gave us some insider tips on watching the city fireworks. They told us the Stake center is just down the street from the high school (where they launch the fireworks). Not only will you get a great seat but if you park on a certain side road you will miss most of the after firework traffic. We tried it out and they were right. The stake center was an awesome place to see the fireworks. There was a huge grassy area for families to sit and many people were playing frisbee and tossing around balls. Plus many of the kids had glow sticks and other glow toys. They were all playing together and comparing. There was just a great feeling of community. The fireworks were nice with a pretty long show. The only negative for me was that there was no music to go along with the fireworks. (In Birmingham there was a musical score created and timed specifically for the fireworks show which was aired on a certain station. You just cranked up your radio and enjoyed. It was awesome!!) But I'm thinking I'll bring my own little patriotic mix next year to play from my iPod. :)

Happy 4th of July. God bless America!!