independence day!

I love Indpendence Day! This year I didn't do much--well any planning or preparations because we arrived home early in the morning on the 4th from Alaska, but it was a wonderful day none-the-less. 

In the morning we went to a neighborhood breakfast at our church and spent a couple of hours unpacking then took the crew out for some fun! I wanted to make something special for dinner and dessert, but we ended up getting pizza and bringing a few store-bought treats to watch fireworks throughout the valley. We told the boys they could stay up past their bedtime (which is actually quite early). They were super excited, but after flying all day the day before and running around playing and chasing one another, Abe told us at 9:00 that he wanted to go home! I think he wasn't used to seeing nightime--especially after almost 24 hour daylight in Alaska! He kept wanting to turn on the flashlight on my phone. So we went home (a very short drive) and had the boys change into their jammies and watch some fireworks. They felt totally fulfilled with a day of celebration!  

My husband is so good about talking to the boys about the importance of liberty and our responsibility to uphold and protect our God-given freedoms. Freedom isn't free, and I hope as my sons grow, they will find ways to uphold and protect it.  

One of my very favorite places is the Jefferson Memorial in Washington D.C. Some amazing and inspired words are inscribed there and among my favorite are these: 

"God who gave us life gave us liberty. Can the liberties of a nation be secure when we have removed a conviction that these liberties are the gift of God? Indeed I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just, that his justice cannot sleep forever. " --Thomas Jefferson 

When I think of the meaning in those words, I cannot help but think of our role as parents to teach our children of God and of His Divine Hand in blessing us with such freedom--especially as many in the world do not enjoy the freedom and prosperity that we cherish but instead live out their days under tyranny and oppression. I want to raise patriotic hearts--hearts loyal to God and His ways.  

Just feel so grateful for our rich blessings of liberty! xo