Happy 4th of July!!!

As Americans we celebrate this day with parties, grilling, fireworks, and being with friends and family. And we should do this with pride. We fought for our independence with not much more than the will to be independent from all other countries, and monarchies. We fought, and still fight, amongst ourselves to free those that we had enslaved. We fight for the freedom of others.

No matter when or how our families arrived here, someone in the family had to fight for that freedom. This is the day to remember them, to remember what they did to give us the freedoms that we have today. It is a day to celebrate the sacrifices that they gladly gave to see their families live in peace.

My grandfather was a sailor, my father is retired Army, my husband was also in the Army, I was in the Air Force, I have a son that is a Marine, and his brother is a Sea Bee. When my boys come home for a visit they occasionally bring a friend, when they leave we thank them for serving their country, for choosing to keep all of us safe, for being patriotic, for doing a job that isn't easy.

We should all take the time to say thank you to all the men and women that have served, and are serving their country, for sacrificing their lives and time away from their families, for doing that which many cannot do, for keeping our freedoms intact. If you know a veteran or an active duty military person, tell them thank you. If you don't, or would like to send a card to someone who is in the military now to say thank you, go to this site: Let's Say Thanks. The art for the cards is done by children, and there are several to choose from, there are several messages to choose from, or you can write your own.

We may not like the fact that we have military fighting any where, yet there is fighting and we are there in it. The men and women that are now in the military have chosen to serve their country and we should support their choice.

Live fully.......