Happy 4th of July

O! say can you see by the dawn's early light,
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming,
Whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight,
O'er the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly streaming.
And the rockets' red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there;
O! say does that star-spangled banner yet wave,
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

On the shore, dimly seen through the mists of the deep,
Where the foe's haughty host in dread silence reposes,
What is that which the breeze, o'er the towering steep,
As it fitfully blows, half conceals, half discloses?
Now it catches the gleam of the morning's first beam,
In full glory reflected now shines in the stream:
'Tis the star-spangled banner, O! long may it wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

And where is that band who so vauntingly swore
That the havoc of war and the battle's confusion,
A home and a country should leave us no more!
Their blood has washed out their foul footsteps' pollution.
No refuge could save the hireling and slave
From the terror of flight, or the gloom of the grave:
And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

O! thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand
Between their loved home and the war's desolation!
Blest with victory and peace, may the heav'n rescued land
Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation.
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto: "In God is our trust."
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!


The Star-Spangled Banner by Francis Scott Key


We had a slow start to our day. We are still trying to get back into the swing of things and fall into our old routines. I was the last one to go to bed last night, and the first to rise. The rest of the family snored away into the morning. We ended up easing into our morning eating cereal, getting pedicures, and dressed for the 4th of July. This year's theme is pink and stars. At least that's what it is for the kids. Robert and I sported our reds and blues.

Robert made Aquadito con Pollo, while I got our picnic ready for our evening at the the Laguna Hills Community Center and Sports Complex. We finally found a great place to watch a FREE fireworks show, get good food, FREE games, crafts and face painting, a playground for the kids to run around in, and music to go with the fireworks. There were a lot of people, but we still found great parking at the high school at 5 pm. There was also plenty of places to spread out our blanket and browse the food booths. Robert even got a kabob plate for a decent price, plus all the money benefits the high school.

The most awaited part of the evening began around 9 pm. The girls were enthralled by the colorful, sparkling display of fireworks that lit up the sky. I can still hear the booming and crackling of the fireworks, and see the lights dancing in the sky. It leaves a smile on my face, as I picture the look on their faces. I am so glad that they love it as much as I do.

Most of all, I thank God for the freedom we have in this country and the freedom we have from sin's grasp in our lives through Jesus!

Waiting for Sleep

I remember having sleepness nights. Then I would hear Savannah get up and make her way down the dark hallway, open our door, and crawl into bed next to me. As soon as she is with me, snuggled down under the blankets, I could finally close my eyes and drift off to sleep. Tonight is one of those nights. Goodnight Savanah ...I love you!

Summer Time

I love summer! The birds seem to chirp louder. The sun shines brighter and warmer. The days last longer. The ice cream and watermelon tastes much sweeter.

I'm looking forward to BBQ'ing and baking cookies with my little bakers-in-training. I can't wait to take them to the lagoon and watch them go down the water slides, wade in the water, and build sand castles. I can already smell the sun block, and feel the sand and grass beneath my bare feet.

I've switched my work schedule to accommodate our summer activities. We have our traditional Tuesday movie dates at the Irvine Spectrum or Foothill Ranch. There are a lot of repeat favorites from the previous years, and a few we've been waiting to see. We hope to schedule some play dates with old and new friends, and maybe a couple of beach days at our newly found favorite baby beach at Seabridge Park. And, depending on how my schedule and cousins' and sister-in-law's schedules go, we would like to set up a day to visit the water park in La Mirada, hang out at the pool with Auntie Kelly or Auntie Pearl, and go bowling.

A new activity for us this year is gymnastics and jazz and ballet. I was hoping to enroll both Savannah and Gaby into gymnastics, but I could only get one to work my work schedule. Gaby started her first day of July taking her first class at Wildfire Gymnastics. Although Savannah is typically the one climbing poles and swinging on bars, Gaby is not far behind, trailing after her big sister and attempting to copy all that she sees Savannah doing. I hope to see her get more comfortable and confident in what she can do, to let go of some of her fears, and do her best learning something new.

She had a great first day in class. She learned some terms and positions, like "pike" and "candlestick". She got to stretch like a cat, and lay on her belly like a dolphin. She walked on the balance beams, with help from Mommy. She seemed to enjoy jumping on the trampoline and was somewhat okay being thrown a few times by me into THE PIT. At one time, she wanted to stop but I urged her to finish her task. At the end of class, she got stamps on both hands and feet. She also got to see all the trophies on display. She definitely has her eyes set on her prize, for at the end of her 4 weeks, she wants to earn a trophy!

As for Savannah, she will be taking Jazz and Ballet starting next month. I know she is dying to walk the balance beam and swing on the bars as she watches Gaby playing in the gym. Still, she is also anxious for her own class to start. Nina is still a little young for these classes, but we will see about getting her started in taking a Mommy-and-Me swimming class.

It is an exciting time for our little ones as they discover new things this summer!!