And the Star Spangled Banner in Triumph shall wave!

I've spent hours staring and marvelling at the spacious skies while laying on my back on a grassy hill on a warm summers day. I've spent hours pondering the spacious skies at night and all the star-lit wonders to be found. I've driven through waves and waves of amber colored grain ready to harvest. I've driven through several states where all there was to see was beautiful perfectly straight rows of corn for miles in every direction. I grew up looking forward to the majesty of the purple and blue mountains that surrounded my home at dusk each night.


I've walked pulling hand-carts in the footprints made by pilgrims feet. Feet who beat a thoroughfare of freedom across the wilderness. I'm two generations removed from heroes proved in the strife of World War II. I'm friends with active-duty heroes proved in every day liberating strife abroad currently. Friends who are looking forward to brilliant firework explosions instead of that of warfare --the explosions they saw last 4th of July.


I often consider the patriots dreams our forefathers had that saw beyond their years. And I too have dreams that I'd like to think see beyond my years. I've lived in the alabaster glow of the biggest city in the Nation. I've lived in and seen the alabaster glow of several cities across the US --not dimmed, but brightened by the blood sweat and tears of the people who make the cities thrive by living out their American dreams.


Irving Berlin once wrote:


While the storm clouds gather far across the sea,
Let us swear allegiance to a land that's free,
Let us all be grateful for a land so fair,
As we raise our voices in a solemn prayer:


God Bless America, Land that I love.
Stand beside her, and guide her
Thru the night with a light from above.
From the mountains, to the prairies,
To the oceans, white with foam
God bless America,
My home sweet home.


May God truly bless America. We are so fortunate to live in the land that we do. I grew up in the mountains I've driven across the country through the prairies and stuck my toes in both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, white with foam. There is no place better than the Land we live in. Wherever you live. It's beautiful.


I spent today on Lake Merridian in WA at the home of one of the physicians I work with. I sat on the dock, I swam and played in the lake, we barbequed, I ate apple pie and watermelon slices. I lounged on the dock and watched an immaculate sunset followed by a brilliant fireworks display over the water. And I had watched the Yankees play ball earlier in the day (sadly, it was not in person but on tv ...still though) It was just about as American of a day as you can get.


And still on the way home, a few tears escaped, longing for home. No fireworks show I've seen compares to Logan's. Seriosly. And, more importantly, no matter how old I get or where I am geographically located ...no matter the brilliance and patriotism and camaraderie of the day... To me the 4th of July will always be me in my pigtails waking up at the crack of dawn with my family excited to go to the Lewiston and Hyrum parades in small farming towns in Utah. It will always be rodeos and weenie-roasts over a camp fire. It will always be popsicle-sticky faces and watermelon seed-spitting contests with my brother sister and cousins. It will always be huddling on one little small blanket in a corner of our front yard with my little brother and little sister --trying our hardest to keep our drooping eyes open and watching dad light our family fireworks, one by one from the box on the tailgate of his truck. It will always be ending the night with sparklers hoping that a stray spark doesn't fly away and light one of my braided pigtails on fire. It will always be getting tucked into bed with a kiss on my forehead as I sigh with an satiated and exhausted grin, "What a good day mom! Good-night, I love you!"


So in the absence of all that, I've brushed my teeth and gotten all ready for bed. I'm about to tuck myself into bed, and I just wanted to say, "I had a good day today Mom, Dad, Cody, Chelsea, and Heidi, but I missed you all! Good-night, I love you!