Land that I Love

I absolutely love the 4^th of July. I’ve always had great memories from this particular holiday. Recently, I decided that it’s my favorite holiday of the year. (And let me tell you, as a Baston, that’s a pretty big decision. We love to celebrate our holidays.) Even as a young kid, I enjoyed the day. We would pack up our car for a roadtrip to spend time with the relatives on my mom’s side of the family. Hand-cranked homemade ice cream, carnivals, sparklers, and patriotic colors were always on the agenda. We would play outside, climb trees, go to a water park, make sand castles, and do whatever else caught our fancy.

Throwback, July 4, 2007. Yeah, that's right; we should have
all become career models.

As the years passed, our holiday traditions changed somewhat, and our house became the spot for hosting activities. Friends would come over and we’d grill out for lunch, play yard hockey, pull out the frustratingly hard American History trivia game we owned, watch patriotic movies, and hang out downtown in the heat for hours on end to save the perfect spot at the capitol to  watch fireworks shot over the Missouri River.

Capitol festivities. Good times. July 3, 2008

Sisters! Happiness. July 4, 2010

This year was different though. For the first time in 25 years, I wasn’t able to be with my family to celebrate. A day off in the middle of the week meant a chance to sleep in and “catch up” on studying. I didn’t paint flags on my toenails, eat a hamburger, make a red, white, and blueberry pie, or watch The Patriot, but it was a good day nonetheless. I was able to get some sun, and in the evening, a friend met up with me to watch fireworks over a lake in a nearby city.

Fireworks, July 4, 2013

Fireworks, July 4, 2013

It’s always interesting to see how other people do the same thing. In this case, how Iowans celebrate American freedom. Even though I wasn’t able to participate in some of my family’s traditions, that doesn’t change what the day is about. We are so blessed to live in America, and I love the freedoms our Founding Fathers valued enough to protect in our Constitution. To all those who have worked and died for our freedom as a nation, thank you. To those who strive to uphold justice and liberty, thank you. Happy birthday, America! You don’t look a day older than 237.

Until next year...

Let freedom ring.