4th of July

The Fourth of July is one of my favorite holidays. It captures the essence of summer with barbecues, staying up late, fireflies, and hanging out with family and friends. This holiday is also dear to my heart because it gives me some time to reflect on how wonderful our country is. As an infant, my parents came to this country in hopes of a better life for us with nothing but the shirts on their backs. They started out as janitors, working at nursing homes, flipping burgers...any job that you could imagine (that no one wanted to do), they did. They have become successful citizens of a great country, now reaping the rewards of their labor. They have taught us to be successful by seizing the many opportunities this country has to offer, through hard work and education. I truly believe that this country is what it is through our Father's hand. I am honored and thankful to be a part of this great nation!

Here are some shots of all of us at the parade. I think by the end, the kids were ready to go, but we had a wonderful time. Cedric's family came to visit from NY and we went and saw fireworks later in the evening off of a nearby lake. This is the first year that the kids did not plug their ears or were scared, so we were all able to enjoy them. Hope everyone had a wonderful 4th!