Welcome to July!

It's here! The seventh month of the year! Officially over half way through another year, at least by month count!

July is busy and not busy for us!  In prior years, I'd been more actively involved in organizing certain elements of VBS with our church.  It would be very time consuming (can't imagine the hours our co-coordinator's put in if I was putting in those hours!), many hours of phone calls, errands, computer work, meetings, work up at our church.  This year, there is a lot less that I am doing and it is a welcome change!

We successfully got our oldest off to Boy Scout Summer Camp.  It's the fourth year that he has gone, although, he'd correct you that the first year was Cub Scout Camp (but still sleep away).  It has gotten easier to let him go each year, but having a Mama's heart, I still worry, just not nearly as much as I used to.  The leaders that are with our troop are great and they'll all have a pretty good time!  I am totally expecting one worn out, smelly kid back.  Yes, the air purifier and washer/dryer will be going a lot come Saturday!  The washer will get a good cleaning after as well!  :)

Celebrations for July 4th have changed and evolved a lot over the years.  When the boys were very young, we didn't do a whole lot.  There were a few years we were in VA Beach visiting family.  My folks neighborhood would have a parade we'd watch, burgers would be grilled, play in the pool, and watch fireworks on TV.  When Thing One first became a Scout, back in June of 2006, he participated in a local parade.  That was a very hot day!  A Gatorade and play in the wading pool after (under the deck even) kind of day.  We had a family over for grilling later in the day and fireworks in the court thanks to a couple other families.  One year had our son's Cub Scout Den Over for a cook out, water balloons, and such.  We've been invited, other years, to go to the Pentagon to watch fireworks and more recently, kept it way small with just 3 out of the 4 of us (Thing One's Boy Scout Troop goes to camp the week that includes July 4th).  This year, Thing Two asked if we could go over to another street to watch fireworks, if they are having them.  Shary ~ don't know if your read my blog, but he was talking about your old street which I think still does a lot of fireworks.  We can just see them over the trees!

We'll probably get some light school in, too, this month.  ~ reading and introductions to formal writing ~

For now, enjoying the slow pace of only having one child home and he LOVES his sleep.  I love not having to race off for therapy!  A win/win situation!

What things do you love about July?  Is it the fireflies?  The fireworks?  Trips to a lake?  Wish we could do that!
 

234 years ago

. . . our founding fathers signed the Declaration of Independence. It was the desires of this group of men, that we become a nation, independent of British rules. The beginning is beautiful, so instead of paraphrasing it, I'll copy and paste it:

"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. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security. — Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world."


These fifty-six men believed that they could, together, create a governing set of rules that allowed all to be free and to be ruled equally. At times, it feels that America is beginning to loose her way. That we've forgotten the simple truths that our nation was founded on. I will continue to believe that we "are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." I will continue to believe that the pursuit of happiness is based on Biblical principles, standards based upon my Creator ~ God.

Have a fun and safe July 4th friends. Remember who your Creator is and rejoice in the freedoms our founding fathers desired to give us.