Gazing at the Sky (4th of July)

  We began and ended our Independence Day celebration by looking into the sky - one riddled with morning sunbeams, the other a spread of darkness and stars.  There is so much to think about on the 4th of July, both good and bad, that often I just find myself acknowledging an overwhelming feeling of gratitude for past and present heroes, observance of where we are now and what America means to me and others, and fearful anticipation of what the future could hold if we do not hold our standards dear.  

  But I always escape my thoughts just long enough to enjoy the holiday activities.

  The festivities opened at the unholy hour of 6:00 am July 3rd, where Dustin and I laid in bed until we were running late (it was just too early to actually say farewell to my soft, soft pillow).  Rosie couldn't manage to wake up (since she still likes to get up in the middle of the night for an hour or so), but we took her along for her first Independence Day celebration.

 She slept through the whole thing.  

 The whole point of getting up so darn early was to see the flood of hot air balloons which open the Freedom Festival in Provo, Utah every year.  We met a few friends from Church, laid out our blanket, and watched more than 2 dozen balloons lay out, fill up, and take off.  It's pretty amazing, and I think it will become a yearly tradition for our family.

 

 

 

Rosie slept through the whole thing!  I guess that's better than crying through it, huh?

We look pretty tired, too.

And Rosie met her first mascot - the pink frisbee was a gift from Smokey the Bear!

Our adventure continued that evening with a quick trip up to Rupert, Idaho.  My mom's family is from there, and the 4th of July is what Rupert does best.  Some enthusiastic early-birds began the day with a 10k race, then we all headed to the Church for an Independence Day devotional, complete with donuts and juice (the program is much shorter now--as a child it was really hard to sit through an hour+ long lecture on how great America is, but now it is short and sweet--we get to hear from what few WWII veterans are left to carry on their legacy).

 Next was the Rupert 4th of July parade.  Most of the extended family meets up at the parade, and it is the highlight of the holiday.  This year we added in a little game of "phase 10" which made it extra enjoyable--but we made sure we stopped to watch the horses pass by (my favorite part).

 

 
 Again, Rosie slept through the whole thing :)

 

 This year was also memorable because not only did they throw popsicles, but we were given ICE CREAM as well, to keep cool - best parade ever!

 

  We stuffed ourselves at the traditional BBQ following the parade and visited for hours...then it was time to race back down to Utah.  Dustin, Rosie, and I made it to Provo just in time to meet up with Dustin's brother and head out to find a spot worthy of being our seat for Stadium of Fire fireworks.  I was a little worried about Rosie and the loud noises--but Daddy Dustin had ear protection all ready for her:

 Turns out, we didn't need it.  She LOVED them!  As soon as they started she quit crying and stared up at them exploding in the sky.  She watched for about 3 minutes and then SLEPT through the rest of the show.  What a trooper!!!

 

   I sure love this country and its heritage, full of human victory, mistakes, and endurance.  I hope we can keep her nobleness and her goodness with us for many years more.