4th of July Pictures

For the 4th of July we went to the Baseball Game and Sky Show at Knight Stadium.(yes I know it is the 9th and I am JUST NOW getting the pictures up and talking about it. I am a slug)

A few years ago they moved the Skyshow fireworks from Uptown Charlotte to the baseball stadium.( We have a minor league team called the Charlotte Knights)
Skyshow is the largest fireworks display in the Southeast and they are AMAZING!
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We went for the first time last year and just had so much fun we decided to make it a yearly tradition.
This year, instead of sitting in the nice seats right behind home plate, we waited until the day of to buy our tickets. That meant we were sitting on the lawn. But hey, for $5 a ticket, you cant beat it.
We spread out a picnic planket and watched the game and then had perfect seats for the fireworks. All we had to do was lay back and they were right over our heads. It was incredible.
I am really glad we went.

Can you tell what Finn enjoyed the most?? That Blue Cotton Candy turned his poop green.

I have to admit I myself enjoyed a bag of Pink cotton candy. Nothing like pure spun sugar to make you enjoy an outdoors event!!

I am not quite sure what this expression is. Fear? silliness? potty time? I guess I'll never know.

The fireworks started off with a big bang and both the boys had their ears covered at first.

Just me and my boys after the show. It was almost 11pm, the humidity had its way with my hair, Finn looks drunk and Peter has on his typical 8 year old smile: the tightlip.

We will be going back next year as well. I think we may just stay in the lawnseats. You cant beat a family outing , fun time and fireworks for a mere $20.

Happy Independence Day

Today is My Country's Independence Day. Today is the day we celebrate living in the land of the free and celebrate the men and women who have sacrificed their lives making that possible. In the United States Independence Day commemorates the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, declaring independence from Great Britain. Of course the King of Great Britain was not happy about these turn of events and thus began the American revolution and the war for Independence.

The opening paragraph of the Declaration is so beautiful and moving:

"When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of happiness..."

Some of my relatives sailed over from England on the Mayflower in 1620. Others sailed as poor German immigrants at the turn of the century. They sailed into Ellis Island and saw the Statue in the Harbor. They felt that thrill of knowing anything was possible in the land of opportunity. I can only imagine the hope and optimism that ran through their veins as they disembarked, and set out to start their lives afresh.

To quote Lee Greenwood, "And i'm proud to be an American, where at least I know I'm free. And I won't forget the men who died who gave that right to me. And I gladly stand up next to you and defend her still today. "cause there ain't no doubt I love this land. God Bless the U.S.A"

So Happy Birthday my dear country. God Bless the USA.