O say, does that star spangled banner yet wave, o'er the land of the free, and the home of the brave?

As I sit here tonight, writing this post, I can hear the fireworks popping, screeching, bursting in the night sky! I can smell the sulfur in the air, probably a mixture from the gazillion sparklers the kids enjoyed in the backyard tonight (who knew I picked up colored sparklers which tickled the kids all shades of the rainbow!!! Ohhhhhh I got a red one!!!!! Wow purple!!!! Greeeeeeen!!!!) and the bazillion fireworks going off around me! I am listening to Neil Diamond singing on a replay of the Capitol Fourth Celebration (who doesn't love Neil Diamond??!! I freaking LOVE to hear We're Coming To America!! And man can I belt it out!!!). Not gonna lie here, despite spending quite a bit of time in the pool, i still feel quite sticky from the darn humidity!!!! And in my mind I have a million pictures of a very awesome day!!!

I took so many pictures today! I've learned, over the past three years to capture all the pictures I can of family moments, especially those involving my Grandma LaRue. That woman is certainly one in a million! That she is so involved in our lives is a testament to what family truly is. To be able to spend July 4, 2013 with her makes my heart swell with pride. She sat outside, watching her great grand kids swimming in the pool, all the while with a smile on her face. I am sure she was hot, as the temps and humidity were a tad on the high side today, yet she never complained or went inside. She wanted to take it all in, making her own mental pictures of the day. We took some awesome pictures with her, ones I will cherish forever, and ones I will forever laugh at when I look at them, remembering how comical she became when I said,  "Come on Gram, give me some sass!!"  

Holidays should be family time. And I am so thankful, tonight, that I had a yard fool of family and friends today, spending a successful day celebrating the 237th birthday of this one nation, under God!!!

Until tomorrow, my friends....I sincerely hope your day was as spectacular as mine was!!!!