Family, Freedom, and the Fourth

Keepin' up with the Joneses has become somewhat difficult in recent weeks as is evidenced by my lack of posts for you to read. It's just been hard to find a chunk of time on a regular basis to jot a new brilliant thought or pondering. Then next thing I know, two weeks have gone by and there's too much to say. So I'll just write for a while about whatever decides to surface to the forefront of my brain and you can read if you'd like.

First, can I just say that it's hot outside? Seriously, having the number 100 being thrown around as the temperature for the day is just not my idea of summer fun. Today has found me inside trying to keep the thermostat as high as possible so it won't run non-stop for 12 hours. We're discovering that having a top floor apartment is not the best choice in the summertime. Hopefully come winter, we'll reap the benefits of the fact that hot air rises.

Well, the 4th of July has come and gone and with it another celebration of our country's freedom. I must confess I wonder how much longer we'll be able to do so, but that's a topic for another day. We had a quiet day with my brother and sister and some of our kids joining us at different times throughout the day as we grilled out the mandatory hamburgers and hotdogs and then went to watch fireworks at Marietta Square. We did have a couple of small adventures that are hopefully exclusive to our family. I can't imagine anyone wanting to experience these, but I suppose you never know.

For starters, after we ate mid-afternoon, we decided to go to Publix where our mom works on the weekends in their Apron's Program. She loves her job and they've been good to her, so she doesn't like to take days off if she can help it. Consequently, we have had several small family reunions in front of her station inside the store as different ones of us have come in and out of town. Maybe we should be a little embarrassed, but as the years have gone by we seem to be getting bolder in our appearances as you're about to discover.

Three cousins making the best of the circumstances.

Joey pointing out steak sauce.

Matthew flashing his buns.

And Grant with my purse.

Here's the surprised and happy mother with her three kids.

And the proud grandmother with some of her grandkids.

Somehow, this isn't what we envisioned holidays looking like. :)

Because we were going to Marietta Square, we three kids decided we wanted to go to the National Cemetery to see my Dad's gravesite. With all of the traffic and blocked streets, we knew we would have to walk. What we didn't foresee was that the "shortcut" my sister boasted of knowing would take us on a rather interesting walkabout in the nearby neighborhoods. Once we emerged into safer surroundings, we found ourselves about a block down from the main opening so we did what any respectful American would do - we jumped the rock wall surrounding the cemetery and headed to our destination. I'm pretty sure Grant will never be the same as he observed the behavior of his father and two aunts. Joey and Matthew never missed a beat so I'm not really sure what that might say about them...or us.

Matthew taking in the view which is actually very sobering.

After taking a much more direct route back to the square, we sampled a too greasy funnel cake,

and settled on our blankets to enjoy the cooler weather that had moved in as we waited for the fireworks.

In past years, we've experienced the 4th of July with over 50 people in our home to sharing it with only 2 others last year in Baltimore. But each year I always think about the cost some of my countrymen and women have had to pay so I can still live as I choose and I hope to never take it for granted. Yet even in that recognition, I realize that there's an even greater price that's been paid for my freedom and sadly I take it for granted way too often as well.

"It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery." ~Galatians 5:1

There's really nothing else to add to that reminder, so I won't.