It was supposed to rain all day on the 4th of July this year (no different from any other 4th in Kentucky) so they canceled our subdivision’s BBQ, games, and fireworks, due to weather. Our plan “B” was to attend our town’s parade and fireworks, weather permitting. Since it wasn’t an all-day rainout, we were able to carry out our plan B. We watched the parade with Aubrey and Claire, melting just a little from the mugginess. Claire was awakened a couple times from the sirens, but we left with pockets full of treats from parade participants throwing candy…mission accomplished!

That evening Brad and I picked up Raul’s three younger siblings and took them to the park to watch fireworks, since they had never seen real fireworks before (they are illegal in Chile). We found the perfect viewing area up by the tennis courts (luckily the bright lights were turned off before the fireworks show), and watched the beautiful sunset while waiting for the sky to turn completely dark. We also enjoyed viewing people’s home, neighborhood, and town fireworks that were popping all around us, and illuminating every corner of the sky. The kids kept asking, “are those our fireworks?” and we kept saying, “no, those aren’t the official ones yet, you will know when it’s ours”. And sure enough, when the park’s fireworks began exploding right in front of us, lighting up the entire sky, we said…”now those are our fireworks!!” I felt so proud, at that moment, of our little Scott County fireworks serenaded by patriotic music, and I reveled in the thrill of it all! There is nothing that brings out the child in me quite like a good fireworks show! Aubrey and Raul were forced to participate in their neighborhood fireworks when Claire refused to go to bed due to all the popping in the sky, and Breck and Iris enjoyed watching fireworks with Camila (with her ear protection) on Myrtle beach NC with Iris’ family. It was a very good ending to another 4th of July, and reminder to me, despite what we view and hear in the news, of our wonderful freedoms, and the great country in which we live!