July 4 - Let Freedom Ring!

This Fourth of July we originally had plans to be back in Kansas. We were going to go down a little early and go visit Jeff's family and then we were going to head to my parents' for the 4th and celebrate with my whole family. As we know, plans were changed and this day started with the plans of it being a small celebration in our cul-de-sac with just mom, and dad who just stayed in "his room". The kids and I had purchased a few small fireworks for them to shoot throughout the day. We were going to just grill out some hotdogs, make some homemade potato salad, cut up a watermelon, and open some baked beans.

Lighting Smoke Balls

Preston with his homemade citronella torch.

Snakes

Around 2:30 in the afternoon we got a call from our friends Kevin and Marty and they said they weren't doing anything and so they we going to be able to come over. Okay...get out a few more potato's for the potato salad, grab another package of hotdogs out of the freezer, and mom runs to King Soopers to get strawberries that I had a raincheck for.

Around 3:00 we got another call from our friends who we had the privilege of serving side by side in Hugoton together but they now live in Louisiana. They happened to be in Colorado for their vacation and they were going to be headed out the next day. They were staying in Brighton which is maybe 15 minutes from us. We had to invite them over because how can friends be so close from so far away and NOT see them.?. So it was....get out some more hotdogs out of the freezer, make a pasta salad that we had ingredients around the house for with the exception of the red bell pepper. Make some tea and lemonade. Clean some more strawberries.

When everyone was here, we grilled, we ate, my kids shared their fireworks with their friends, we watched, we talked, we laughed.

Everyone enjoying Preston's creation.

We then used it to light sparklers.

At 9:00 we walked up the street to some friends who are in our life group and they, with the rest of their family, opened their yard to us to sit and watch Thornton's firework display.

The beginning of the show, a parachutist with an American flag and all lit up.

After the show we headed back home and got some pictures.

The kids are very close to age. There are three sets that are just months apart: Preston (10), Tanner and Madalynn (8), Landon and Justis (almost 7 & 7), Dawson and Kaylie (4), Jillian (3)

Travis and Jae were such encouragers to Jeff and I in the short time we were together in Hugoton. They were supportive in their words, their actions and definitely in their prayers. I believe it was just over a year that we were together, but the bond that God created was much more. Every person in ministry needs and should have someone like these two behind them. I encourage every Christian out there to be that type of person to their pastor(s) and not the "other kind". We are blessed to have them in our lives and to have them share this 4th of July with us.

Then Jeff took Travis to see the church, Jae and I talked, and the kids were out!

...well most of them any way.

So our private, quiet 4th of July turned into something more and we enjoyed it!