4th of July

Warning: I am having a bit of technical trouble with this post right now. The pics are not in order, and when I try to edit the post, the pics come up as a message and not as an image. And, when I try to add something like text, I get an error message. So, it is a bit unfinished but I will try again later.



One of my favorite days of the year is 4th of July. Independance Day is really the appropriate name but you all know what I mean.

I took lots of pics but after looking at them, none of them really are that great. Very disappointing as this was my favorite 4th in a long time.

Three years ago, Lenny and I decided that we would try to do an outreach with our neighborhood. We wanted to do something like a dessert night or movie night but never got the gumption to put it together. I know, how hard could it be? you ask. Then June came around and while chatting with a neighbor across the street, we thought "Hey let's have a block party."

We get to have the street blocked off for the entire day and just have fun. We pull out the bike ramps, skateboard pipes and all kinds of bikes, wagons and scooters. The kids up and down the street with no regard to traffic.

Some of our friends and their families came to celebrate the day with us. Lots of people, lots of kids and lots of food. Then later, lots of fireworks, and lots of kids screaming "can I light one now?" I have to wonder about Lenny and I. I think we are pretty cautious parents. We always stress the importance of fire safety (duh), bicycle helmets and other life saving tips. But on this day, we let our kids out in the street with no helmet and apparently, we let them play with fire....



At least they have the good sense to run out of the way.....

For this......


Last year, Lenny and some other guys got this crazy idea to tape sparklers on the end of each of the rake prongs and then light them. Then Lenny gets up on his unicycle and rides around with it, parading up and down the street as if he is carrying the Olympic Torch into Athens, Greece. This year was no different, except that he got a Dr. Suess style American flag hat from the dollar aisle at Target and wore it. (Yes, Platt's I saw yours too!) The picture is awful...but it will have to do.


While we had a wonderful time with our neighbors and friends, we are really truly grateful for WHAT we celebrated. I am very aware of the blessings of this country, but I would be remiss if I did not thank God first and foremost for being the ruler and the supplier of this land. "If we enjoy a great economy, personal freedom and a high tide of justice, we don't limit our thanks to politicans. No, we thank God: "He makes the nations great, and destroys them; he enlarges nations, and disperses them" (Job 12:23). Tally this up. God sets national boundries. He determines leaders. He dispenses blessings. And we are the priviledged recipients of each and every on of his blessings. Can we afford to forget this? Only at a terrible risk!" (taken from the "Word for Today".)

I hope you all had a fabulous 4th of July. I can not wait for next year.