Our Four-Day Fourth of July

Sunday, July 11, 2010

Independence Day--one of my favorite holidays! And with a four-day Fourth of July weekend, we really had the chance to party, and party, and party this year! I've got to get it all down before I forget everything.

We really kicked things off on Thursday, July 1st, when the choir James is in (The American Festival Chorus) had a patriotic concert with special guest Peter Cetera. WOW. So, so, so much fun! Let me tell you, I got teary-eyed more than once. I especially got so emotional when the choir sang the songs of the different armed forces and had people who have served our country stand during their song. I always get so choked up when they do this! And this year was a little different--if the person who had served wasn't there, we could stand for our loved ones in their place. So we stood for my Grandpa Higham during the Navy song and for my Grandpa Johnson during the Army song. I sure love those men, and I am so thankful for their service to our country!

Anyway, after the choir sang their salute to the armed forces, and a bunch of other beautiful patriotic songs (sniff, sniff!), the rest of the concert was turned over to Peter Cetera. It was so fun hearing all of those old Chicago songs as well as songs from his solo career! I knew every word to every song but two. (Is the song "25or 64" about drugs?) But talk about a blast from the past! Peter's was the voice I danced to at just about every high school and college dance, so it was really fun for me to hear him sing live. I'd put a pic of him here, but I don't want to risk him getting grumpy and sicing his lawyers on me. He's kind of a diva, it seems. (Or is it divo because he's a guy? Or is he just a lonely, misunderstood man who has been famous too long? He seems complex.) But here's what he said on his official website of the experience:

"We traveled to LOGAN, UT from SOUTH AMERICA for another great show on July 1st..WOW!, what a place!(I promise I won’t tell everyone about how beautiful it is up there)..Thanks again to everyone involved, especially CRAIG JESSOP and his FESTIVAL Orchestra and Chorus, for making it a wonderful welcome back to the States show… Early the next morning, we all, and I mean we ALL, including CRAIG and his entire ensemble, drove to SUN VALLEY, ID. for our show that night, July 2nd….It was surreal driving back and forth for sound check and gig but it was an awesome evening and show…. "

As Peter just said, James and the choir travelled up to Sun Valley, Idaho the next morning to do another concert that night. Which was a fun experience for him (apparently, the ampitheater up there is amazing) but we really missed him around here! Especially during the fireworks that night. If there's anything the James and Jenny Lyman family loves, it's sitting in the stadium and watching Fireworks West do a fantastic fireworks display! Bethany and I went with my family, and we missed James sorely!

The Airforce fly-by is always SO cool! We dig it.



Bethany just had a ball the whole night. There's just nothing like being in the stadium and being part of that super-charged patriotism! One of my favorite moments is when the whole stadium with thousands of people all recite The Pledge of Alligence together. Can we say CHILLS!????!!!



Here's a shot of most of the group--the camera frame didn't catch everyone. My apologies if you were there and didn't make the pic! Get a load of Macy's face--she's my niece in the white dress. Love it.



The camera just can't capture how really, really awesome the fireworks are. I tried, and it's kind of pathetic:



So just use your imagination. In a nutshell, Logan City outdid itself on fireworks this year--every year gets better and better! After the fireworks, we went home and crashed. I let Bethany have a "sleepover" in my bed, since Daddy was gone, and we just died. We were SO tired.

The next day, after a pancake breakfast at my parents' house (SO fun having them live around the corner!) we headed to Ryan's Place Park for a little picnic/birthday party with the cousins. Bethany has two cousins who turned three on July 10, and as Bethany's birthday is June 1, we had a little party for the three of them. Here are the big three-year-old girls, Cambrie, Bethany and Ruby!



Bethie is all about the frosting. Lick it off, get a new cupcake. Lick off the frosting, get a new cupcake. I love this outfit her birth father got her--it says, "I'm with my rock star mom!" (It makes me feel cool, and let's face it, I need all the help I can get.) Anyway, we had a great time--the weather was perfect! Not too hot, but just right. Here are Cambrie and Bethany in the park's airplane. When I asked them where they were flying to, Cambrie said, "To see Heavenly Father." (Is there room for me on that plane?)



The girls were really spiritually-minded that day, apparently. As they swung on the tire swing, they belted out "I Am a Child of God" at the top of their little lungs. SO cute. Three girls are just the right number for a tire swing!



We had a great time at the park! And that night, after James got back from his gig with Peter Cetera in Idaho, we headed over to our friends, Chris and Maren's, house for a lavish BBQ and fireworks party. We had a great time. Bethany especially enjoyed the watermelon, although I had to feed it to her so her hands wouldn't get dirty (this child has a MAJOR fetish about her hands not being sticky). Note: I do not have a small baldspot on my head, as this picture suggests.



We also enjoyed the HUGE box of fireworks that Chris and James set off, one by one. And Bethany liked the sparklers, too. :0) The next day was Sunday, and the ACTUAL Fourth of July. That night, our neighborhood had a BBQ where we all brought our own meat and a potluck dish to share. It was fun to go--especially as it was a good opportunity to introduce Mom and Dad to the neighbors. Love our neighborhood!

On Monday, we woke up and headed to Lewiston for their annual Fourth of July parade. Cousins Cambrie, Tate and a slew of relatives met us there. It was really fun watching the kiddos--especially Cambrie, because having lived in Philadelphia all of her life, she'd never been to a "small town" parade where they threw candy. When candy landed at her feet, she just looked at it and seemed to be like, "Well, that's weird." And not pick it up or anything! SO funny. We finished the day with a visit from James' cousin Tim, his wife Vonalin, and their two boys.

All in all, a very satisfying (and tiring!) four days. We sure love our country, and enjoyed the many opportunities we had to reflect on the blessings of living here and the sacrifices made by so many to protect our freedoms. God bless America!