Not gonna lie, the United States of America is pretty spectacular.  So it was fun to celebrate it's birthday spending time with family.
   Unfortunately Arizona makes it pretty difficult to be outside for too long, what with obnoxiously high temps.  But luckily after our BBQ we were lucky the neighbors set off firecrackers in the street so we could watch for a bit and then take refuge back in the AC whenever we needed.  I love how the pretty colors and bright lights and loud noises all combined to form a fun, all-American exerience. Another one of the neighbors played the bagpipes, which was pretty neat.  Definitely not a talent I possess.  

  In the morning we played Apples to Apples, Rachel winning with 29 green cards.
  One of my cards was "The United States of America."  Even though it's fun to be silly, we also must remember the real purpose of celebrating Independence Day-- to be grateful for the freedoms we enjoy and remember that we should always be proud to be Americans.