A Different Kind of Independence Day

I wouldn't say I generally have a super exciting Fourth of July, but this year was very odd. We didn't see our normal friends and family, we didn't go swimming, we didn't have baseball, we didn't have a parade. But we substituted! It was different and I wish it wasn't but it wasn't bad.

Some friends of ours do a fireworks show every year. Their dad loves to do it and has been for 20 years!! It's an amazing show - on par with city fireworks. Spectacular. They invite tons of friends and it's just a night of fellowship. We don't go every year (because it goes late and we usually have to be up early for a parade the next morning) but we have gone a few times. This year, our grandparents came, as did my uncle and one cousin from New York were here and came too. My uncle has a drone and got some really cool video of the fireworks from a view we'd never get to see!

It was just my family and grandparents this year on the Fourth of July. We taught my grandparents the game Codenames and we watched the Fourth of July scene from Holiday Inn. As if things weren't different enough, we had ribs for dinner instead of hot dogs! Might as well, right?

I mentioned my uncle and cousin. We've had a tradition where we take turns every other year going out there and them coming here. This year was their turn to come here but only my uncle and older cousin could make it. With so much being closed still, we didn't have a ton to do but we played lots of games and watched some movies. My cousin got to meet several of my friends so now she can place faces with names! I've decided that my family likes to laugh together :) That's our "thing".

This has been the most patriotic I've felt on the Fourth of July. Honestly, this year has been the most patriotic I've felt ever. Events have really clarified things for me. I'm proud to be an American. To paraphrase Eeyore, "she's not perfect but I'm kind of attached to her." That's how I feel about my country.

How did you celebrate the Fourth of July? What was new? What might you keep doing in future years?

Cousin selfie at the fireworks! Got to love lowlight phone photos!!

These are my favorite kind of fireworks!!

I'm amazed at how well this turned out!