Happy Birthday, America!

We went to Symphony on the Prairie again this year.    That experience will never get old!  Sitting at the top of rolling hills under the setting sun while listening to an orchestra... beautiful!

I don't think he was upset... he was just trying to maneuver a mouth-full of grapes :)

Okay... so Lucas has played around with my camera several times, and he loves taking pictures of everything.  I set up the camera and told him to have at it.  The next four pictures are by him.  I mean, wow!

After each picture, he turned the camera around and said, "Do you want to see your picture?" :)

Oh, and of course, the fireworks pictures... (no, I didn't bring a tripod... I need to get a slightly more portable one.)

Independence

I Am The Flag

 

I am the flag of the United States of America.

My name is Old Glory.
I fly atop the world's tallest buildings.
I stand watch in America's halls of justice.
I fly majestically over institutions of learning.
I stand guard with power in the world.
Look up ... and see me.

I stand for peace, honor, truth and justice.
I stand for freedom.
I am confident.
I am arrogant.
I am proud.

When I am flown with my fellow banners,
my head is a little higher,
my colors a little truer.

I bow to no one!
I am recognized all over the world.
I am worshipped -- I am saluted.
I am loved -- I am revered.
I am respected -- and I am feared.

I have fought in every battle of every war
for more then 200 years.
I was flown at Valley Forge,
Gettysburg, Shiloh and Appomattox.
I was there at San Juan Hill,
the trenches of France,
in the Argonne Forest,
Anzio, Rome, and the beaches of Normandy.
Guam, Okinawa, Korea and
KheSan, Saigon, Vietnam know me.
I was there.

I led my troops.
I was dirty, battleworn and tired,
but my soldiers cheered me
And I was proud.
I have been burned, torn and trampled
on the streets of countries I have helped set free.
It does not hurt, for I am invincible.

I have been soiled upon, burned, torn
and trampled on the streets of my country.
And when it's by those whom I've served in battle -- it hurts.
But I shall overcome -- for I am strong.

I have slipped the bonds of Earth
and stood watch over the uncharted frontiers of space
from my vantage point on the moon.
I have borne silent witness
to all of America's finest hours.
But my finest hours are yet to come.

When I am torn into strips and used as bandages
for my wounded comrades on the battlefield,
When I am flown at half-mast to honor my soldier,
Or when I lie in the trembling arms of a grieving parent
at the grave of their fallen son or daughter,
I am proud.

My name is 'Old Glory'!
Long may I wave
o'er the land of the free
and the home of the brave.

Howard Schnauber

This picture was submitted in Epiphanie's July Photo Contest (Theme: Independence).

4th of July

Happy birthday, USA! Thank you, God, for our freedom!

Lucas and I made flag fans before the parade (well, I did...) to try to beat the heat: printed a picture of a flag off the internet and hot glued it to a piece of kid's craft foam and a popsicle stick; No matter how hard we practice, Luc still hasn't gotten the hang of blowing bubbles... he usually ends up swallowing the soap :); This picture of Jack was the best I could get, considering I couldn't put him down and I was shooting blind... not bad, since his eyelashes are what ended up in-focus :)

The picture of the horse actually turned out pretty cool; it's cropped from another photo I took at the parade. However, once I did the cropping, I noticed that my focus ended up being the horse's eye... which happened to be looking right at me :)

This was my first attempt ever at taking the boys (or even boy) to a parade by myself.  Jason had to work again this morning :(.  I'd say we did pretty well!  Both boys were on their best behavior (actually, Jack ended up just curling into me and falling asleep... it was so hot out there!).  Lucas totally didn't understand the concept of diving for the candy thrown at him... He sat there so politely and adorably on the curb with his hands folded and his bucket between his feet.  The parade participants (and all the older people sitting around us) ended up coming up to him and putting it directly into the bucket!  It was overflowing, and he didn't even have to do any work for it!  Why didn't I think of that?

Symphony on the Prairie

Clockwise, top left: Christine and Jack; Lucas saluting the soldiers; My mom, Carol; Luc clapping for the orchestra

Clockwise, top left: Jason's mom, Leah, holding Lucas; American Flag and State Flag; My dad, Jim; my sister, Megan, holding Jack; orchestra

July 3rd, we met up with several members from our church family to see Symphony on the Prairie: Beautiful orchestra music honoring our country, soldiers, and founding fathers. Unfortunately, Jason had to work and wasn't able to come with us.  There were also supposed to be fireworks at the end of the program, but those were cancelled due to the burn ban (dry and 100 degrees!!!)

(Oh, and I think I took... maaaaybe 1 of the 100 or so pictures... my dad and Leah stole my camera).