I love the 4th of July! I really do. I love the history, oh how our family loves the history. I love the weather, it's summer of course. I love that Daddy gets a day off (not always been that way). I especially love the community activities. And as any normal American, I love the fireworks.
This year was so amazingly fantastic! It was our first year for fireworks on island and it was great. We went to down to Hickam beach here on our base in the morning and then went to Schoffield for an outdoor concert and fireworks. It was so fun!
In the morning, Chris and Ronda (grama) took the kids to the beach - all except Vaughn who needed a nap! They had a blast. There was a boat ride and games and the best Hawaiian Shaved Ice.
*Just a note here for those of you on the mainland: Hawaiian shaved ice is not a regular snow cone, they have those unique flavors you find here, but then it's the way they start, not the way the end. All Hawaiian snow cones, if they are to be called truly Hawaiian, start with ice cream at the bottom. My favorite is vanilla because it mixes with all the other flavors so well, but Chris loves to try the pineapple ice cream or any other flavor the vendor happens to have. Needless to say it is an even bigger sugar overload than previously thought!*
They got home just in time for lunch and a happy baby boy. After a short break so mom and Grama could pack the car and get directions, we were off on our 4th of July adventure. You may wonder about my calling it an adventure, but we have five kids, two parents and two grandparents all trying to get somewhere they've never been. It's always an adventure with our family!
We got to Schoffield without problems and even found parking, though it was a bit further away than we had anticipated. Walking is always good for us, right? When we finally got to the field where the festivities were being held it was crazy! Tons of people, lots of food, and a gigantic stage with even bigger screens on either side of the area so everyone could see. They even gave away a brand new car during this thing!
So we set up our chairs, go over the rules for our kids (and grandparents), and off Chris and I went to get dinner. By the time we got back we were all STARVING and within about two minutes we lost Ally. I mean we
really lost Ally! There were so many people there and all Grama kept saying was "she was right here." Now some moms freak out, some get angry, and some cry. I totally understand. But I have come to realize that no matter how I'm feeling (see previous sentence), I suck it up, stay calm, and try to think. My kid is missing. My meltdown is not productive and will not find my daughter. Searching the area carefully and then finding an MP is a wiser course of action. So after about a good five minutes I found myself an MP. He wrote down my daughter's description and full name and then took me to the lost and found children's booth. (no, seriously, they had a booth of MP's and nurses for lost/found children. Love the military organization!) Of course as I get closer I find that Ally was listening to the rules and found herself an MP too! That's right folks, my 2 yr old found a man in uniform and told him she lost her family. He walked her to the booth and they were playing a game with her when my MP brought me to her. So grateful that of all the kids who was going to get lost, the one that did get lost also happened to be the one that listened.
After that great escapade, we had each kid in sight the whole time! We locked V and Al in the double stroller to eat and had them all with us before they went to play again. Right after we ate the main attraction began: a free concert by One Republic! I know! It was so fun and we got to see all of the band up close thanks to those huge screens.
We had a great time. Then I passed out the glow necklaces and little American flags. V especially liked the flags. So cute. then just as the last song finished the fireworks began. It was great.
What a wonderful day! Happy Birthday America. Thanks everyone for all you do to keep our country fantastic! Thanks Grama and Grampa! We love you all!
that's me! see, I was there too!
even got to cuddle two of my little ones.
1 comment:
Man we have had some really great experiences here. That losing Ally was something else, that girl did a good job and so did mom. Unlike dad who did 'panic', I did a radius sweep at each angle of the arena to no avail. Finally by the time I got smart and talked to the provided military, Tamy was already collecting Ally. What ago awesome wife! I loved the view with the mountains in the background.
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