Memories of the 4th.

Today is the 4th of July. This 4th of July is going to be pretty layed back for my family, and I think that is ok. I am ready for layed back. But as I sit here and think about what kind of post this should be I thought about 4th of july when I was a child, 4th of july used to be a huge event. We were members at the swim club called lakelawn which is now home to lakeside water park, lakelawn was nothing like lakeside water park. It had 4 pools. A baby pool, an itermediate pool, a big pool with a diving board and a high dive in the deep end. the 4th pool was a lap pool. Every 4th we would spend the whole day at the pool. from early afternoon until after the fireworks were over. We cooked out and when it was time for the fireworks every one sat together friends, and family.. it was alot of fun. I remember playing games in the pool. Pass the greased watermelon in the pool, penny search under water.. All that kind of stuff kids love. When I got older we no longer were members at lakelawn and we would have cookouts at my mom and dads, with family and then the space of choice for fireworks was on the hillside at lincoln park. My grandma was one of the most fun loving people I know. She loved fireworks I don't mean watching them... I mean shooting them off. When she visited my uncles in georgia she would always bring fireworks home. One year she shot off a rocket in her backyard in galesburg as my cousins and I watched.. That rocket took off so fast it landed on a neighbors garage. We all laughed, she panicked and ran for the hose. luckily it came out ok. Sparklers were also one of her favorite things. I remember my boy cousins derek and jason throwing the sparklers up into the air so they would land in the ground... I know they would both deny this. ;) The 4th was always a big family time. As the years moved on, family has moved, my grandparents have passed, and I think now is the time to start maybe some new family traditions. Today we are just relaxing and letting the kids get in our little pool and fireworks later. But next year I think we may try and go somewhere. But I think lots of times we forget the reason we celebrate the 4th is because alot of people gave their time and lives to make our country the way it is. with that I would like to say how happy and proud I am to be an american.. Happy 4th to you!!!