Summer Magic

 Last night was our first campfire of summer.  S'mores, fireflies, the sound of the creek, and scary stories.  It's funny that despite my youngest kids being 15 and 13, they still want the old stories that I told them when they were young.

On the Fourth, we will be having our annual badmitten tournament.  My writer son will come home to participate and to try to retain his title.  It's going to be rough going for him.  We've practiced.....

I love this holiday.

There is something so calming about the Fourth of July.  No pressure to do anything other than to appreciate our freedom and give thanks to those who have given and offered up the ultimate sacrifice so that we could just have fun.

I'll never forget the first year my oldest daughter was in Iraq.  The kids and I once again were enjoying a campfire and someone, off in the mountains, was setting off the most beautiful display of fireworks I've ever seen.  My daughter called me and while the fireworks were dancing behind the mountains, we realized that we were looking at the same moon from opposite ends of the world.  It was the farthest apart we've ever been but yet we felt so close.

My thoughts and prayers are to all of those in the military and their families - past and present.

Thank you.