Happy Birthday, America!

We started the day's celebration with what has become known as "The Candy Parade". I'm not exactly sure what candy has to do with acknowledging and celebrating our nation's freedom, but it's all in the name of fun, I guess. I remember when I was a kid and the 4th of July parade was all about cool and festive floats, and people in uniform - Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Military, Veterans, law enforcement, fire and rescue workers, and other civil servants. Flags abounded and the sound of a marching or military band filled the street. We were lucky to be thrown a Tootsie Roll or two, but my kids fare just a bit better in the candy department...
I'm so grateful to be living in America, a land of complete and total freedom. I'm married to my best friend, we have four beautiful kids, and great extended family and beyond. We live in a home that we own, in a town that we chose, in a great part of the country. I can drive, walk, run or skip down the road and be relatively free from fear, for my safety or that of my children, no roadside bombs or armed militia patrolling our streets. We attend a church of our choosing, we travel where our hard-earned money takes us, we vote for leaders that we choose to represent us. It's hard for me to fathom living anywhere that all these things aren't a free and personal choice. There may be some complaints about the state of our union - the economy, gas prices, corrupt and immoral politicians, lack of adequate health care, poor schools and education, all of which may be legitimate issues important to most Americans. But today I just wanted to send out our family's personal "THANK YOU!", to all those who've sacrificed, and greatly, for this country to exist. My dad, who served in the NAVY, Chris' dad, who served in the AIR National Guard, my cousins who have fought and served in the current war, all our other extended family members who serve diligently to preserve our liberty. God Bless America!