America, America, God Shed His Grace On Thee…

The 4th of July is a GLORIOUS day!!  I love that we get a day to celebrate our freedom and all of those who have died keeping our country free.  It really is a HUGE deal!  Sometimes I feel like many of us take it for granted.  The words seem almost trite as they leave some lips.  I would celebrate more often, but I don’t ever want to come off prideful or have anyone think I’m ever concerning myself with which country is better or worse.  Most days I just have a huge, but quiet, inside my head, kind of celebration.  I just LOVE America!!  I have lived enough places in my life to know that I truly LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it here!!  We are blessed!

So when the 4th rolls around every year, I love for everyone to be spangled to show their appreciation for their country.  It’s on outside manifestation of the gratitude I feel for all of those soldiers out there defending today!

Our 4th took us from Coronado for a 5k run(Brian placed 36 out of almost 1,000, needless to say, he left me in the dust.  I was in the 200s). to Old Poway Park for an Old Fashioned 4th – gunslingers included.  Who doesn’t want to be a part of a good old fashioned train robber, some great band stand music…or enjoy a quilt museum?!  Looking at the detail on those things make my fingers ache and I haven’t ever made a quilt.

It was fun bumping into familiar faces who helped make this 4th of July happen(I won’t mention names so as to not splatter people all over my blog).  But their hard work didn’t go unnoticed or unappreciated!

I’m so glad  my sister, Heidi, Shane and Colson could be here to celebrate with us!

By the end of the day, Gracie looked the way I felt.  You might laugh, but it was the truth.

What a great day!

High-5K

I don’t think there is a better way to start out the 4th of July.  Now I can enjoy the BBQ guilt free!  I’m not so sure about my dad…nice dough…you nut!

My Mom, brother and I woke up and headed out to Coronado at 5 this morning for their 4th of July race.  My mom walked it and Brian and I were supposed to run it together.  We get 5 seconds into the race and Brian is jumping up and down telling me he just needs to get out and run.  I released him from his obligation to run with me and he took off.  The end of the race looped so he and I passed each other around the last mile.  It was then I realized he was around the 25th-ish runner.  We high 5k-ed and I cheered him on.  I think he was one of the first people across the finish line.  Yay, Brian!!

Star-Spangled

I was lazy about taking picture over the 4th so Amy was nice enough to email me these.  Our 4th of July continued into day 2 where we did a little BBQ, kicked back and relaxed.  The kids made a tree swing and did a few crafts.  It’s nice having them old enough to sit for any sort of extended time to do an activity.

We sat around and chatted as the kids did their thing…just another sunny, San Diego day.  The shade we could find brought welcome release from the heat of the day.

What’s More American than Baseball?

Since the 4th of July is on a Sunday this year I have been struggling over appropriate activities.  This has resulted in a 3 day long celebration.  We commenced the celebrating with a Padres games.  Really, what’s more American that baseball…the 4th of July and Uncle Sam?

The kids got to go to their first baseball game.  We had some fun seats down on the field up the 1st base line so they could watch the action.  I felt a little guilty for bringing them in the beginning since they completely ignored the game and were coloring.  Once the Padres started scoring I couldn’t peel them away.  They were loving the crowd, the cheering, the music.  Of course the firework show at the end was the icing on the cake.

Let the Countdown Begin!

I find that I struggle whenever it comes to making big announcements.   Parties, galas, radio announcements, proposals on the Jumbo Tron, the list is endless when it comes to proclaiming good tidings to the world.  Break out the banner flying airplane because, “We’re going to Brazil!”(Just kidding, we aren’t really leaving the country.  I just couldn’t resist.)  There is a place and a time for everything and to each his own.  In those cases, just sometimes, the actual tenderness of the moment is trivialized or over looked.  Believe me the irony of my making any sort of announcement via blog just kills, but what can I do?  So when you read this, just pretend we’re sitting in a little bistro chatting and eating PinkBerry or maybe sharing some peanuts at a baseball game.  What better way could you tell a friend that your family would soon grow a size bigger?  What’s that you say?!  Yes, we have been packing away the Halloween candy like it’s going out of style, but the growing of my waistband due to candy was not the reference I was making.  So watch out!!  Will’s expecting firework from me come the 4th of July…ok or technically the 5th.  Stay tuned.  We’ll try to keep you updated as we start the expansion process.   For those of you who feel I’m being a bit elusive, our countdown to baby #3 is at 32 weeks  or 224 days.