Fireworks!!!

Happy 4th of July!!! What a great day to celebrate the wonderful country we live in and celebrate our freedoms that we often take for granted. Special thanks to our troops, who live in harm's way, so that we can be free. [See...I do have serious thoughts...not often but it does happen.]

We drove up to the top of the apartment complex [i.e. The Deliverance Gathering Place] to see the fireworks on Friday night. Gabe fell asleep before we could make it to the mall so we decided that we live close enough we could just catch them here. [Plus, we beat the traffic and all the people...we are so smart.] Of course, Emma wants to change into her pjs before we ride up there [Considering some of the attire we've seen around here lately, we said OK.] and Gabe suddenly finds new life. When we got to the top of the lot, Gabe refused to get out of the car. [When I say refused I do mean refused.] He told us he wasn't even going to watch them and he pulled his blanket over his head and covered his ears. As soon as the fireworks started, he went into survival mode. Seriously, the first loud boom nearly sent him into a frenzy. He really hates loud noises. [Some of you are shaking your head and wondering why I subjected my curly headed baby to loud noises if he doesn't like them. I really have no good answer. I like fireworks.] We did catch him sneaking a peek at them a few times. Thank goodness they only lasted like 13 minutes or we might have been in trouble.

Last night we decided to take them to the fireworks in Kings Mountain. [Now some of you are shaking your head again and you are wondering why I subjected Gabe to the these loud noises he so desperately hates....stay with me, people, and let me tell the ENTIRE story before throwing me under the bus.] Our first idea was to go to the pressbox at the stadium and sit up there. But when we got there, we realized the walking track lights and the tennis court lights were on and that might interfere with the fireworks. [Plus, I was so totally not into climbing the pressbox and watching Gabe and Emma way up there.] So we headed to the overpass at Oak Grove Road. [For those of you not familiar with the fireworks in KM it is really a great place to come watch them. You can actually park right off the road....you don't have to search for an empty parking lot or get into tons of traffic.] We picked this spot for two reasons: It was close to the stadium and the noise would not be loud because we were so far away. [See...I'm not such a bad mommy. I took him somewhere so that he didn't have to hear the noise.] Of course, he was not convinced that he couldn't hear them. It took him about 5 minutes into the show to realize I was right and he finally enjoyed a good fireworks show. [This one lasted 35 minutes as compared to the Shelby fireworks' 13 minutes.] When the show was over, and we were headed back up the road, Gabe told us that he really liked the fireworks:

Gabe: Those fireworks were really good tonight!
Me: Yes they were. Did you enjoy that?
Gabe: Yes! Those Shelby fireworks sucked.
[At this point, Craig and I began to laugh...uncontrollably!]
Gabe: Well they did suck!
You can't argue with honesty can you?

Today, during our lunch, Craig made us watch the Coney Island hotdog eating contest. Ok, first of all, I think it is totally disgusting to force food into your mouth. Secondly, I cannot stand to watch other people gorge themselves with food...nasty. Lastly, who wants to eat a soggy hotdog bun? [Yet, we watched it....all 10 disgusting minutes.] Thank goodness Joey Chestnut kept his title...the world really is a better place.

Please continue to pray for my dear, sweet friend Mindy. If you want to join our team and run or walk in the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure in October, then just leave me a comment or shoot me an email: pigskinchick@gmail.com. If you want to buy a t-shirt then do the same. But, above all, if you will simply pray....pray for Mindy's upcoming visit with the surgeon [Wednesday, July 7]; pray for the doctors that will be taking care of her and designing her treatment plan; pray for her girls [Mallory and Natalie] and for her husband [Ronnie] as they prepare to be strong with her and for her; pray for her sisters [Jenny and Sue] and for her parents [Daddy Bill and Jannine] as they also will be her comforters and strength during this time; pray for her as she faces this monster we call breast cancer. God has a plan and Mindy's faith is strong....she will be victorious! Love and hugs to Mindy!!

As always...life as a Short is good :)