Happy Fourth of July!

This is the first year we have taken the kids to see fireworks. We're in luck because they love them! Last night we went to the Charlotte Symphony's summer concert series finale. It's a picnic-y setup and we camped out on a tarp and blankets with friends and listened to the music and let the kids run relatively wild (with about 5,000 of our new best friends). The fireworks display at the end of the concert received these stares.

Tonight we went back for a repeat performance. We walked a few hundred yards to the country club across the street and camped out on a tee box to watch their fireworks show (the gentry historically turns a blind eye to the regular folks squatting on their manicured lawns for a half hour every year). Makena spent half the time running in circles with various friends and Reese clapped and hollered "more more!" over and over again. I'm so glad- fireworks always make me happy!

I hope your long weekend celebrations are filled with fun and friends. Take a moment to consider what we're celebrating and who we have to thank for that. It's rather overwhelming when I consider how little appreciation I have for the life I lead and the sacrifices other people made to provide it for me. Our generation can't possibly thank the ones who went before it enough. Try.