Observations on the 4th of July

The 4th of July is an awesome date to have a birthday!  And it just so happens that I know 3 other people that would agree with me.

Rockford tends to let this holiday slide, it's got too much going on for other events and our neighboring towns have plenty to do and see.

Larry and Terri invited us over to see the fireworks on Lake Oakland Wouldn't you know, they have their own website!  Anyway, we'd seen them 16 or more years ago.  We went and we were amazed, they were way better than the ones in Rockford for Start of Summer Celebration.  Every time they were cranking up, we'd be thinking it's the grand finale, then it'd start up again.  Awesome show, awesome party, Thanks guys, we really enjoyed the time we got to spend with you.

After that we dashed to Camp Gerber to drop the boys off for a week of Boy Scout Summer Camp.  Usually I accompany them, but I have taken a hands off approach for a few events to see how they're really doing.

Once we dropped them off we went home and chilled out, then off to downtown Grand Rapids for their 4th of July fireworks.  Holly got us tickets at the Grand Rapids Public Museum and we had incredible seats.  They shot the fireworks off about 4 blocks away over the river, we were in the best seats in town.  They had an incredible show, with lower level, kind of fountain stuff and the high stuff.  Really impressive, not as long as Lake Oakland, but man was it intense some times.

During the waiting we saw fireworks displays in pretty much every direction that we looked, up at 5th/3rd ball park, Bell Nap Park, then off to this way, off to that way, no real idea where they were coming from.  It was on the drive home that we figured it out.  Everyone had been to Indiana and had picked up a few really cool fireworks.

This was the first year that we'd done this much for the 4th in a very long time and it was pretty awesome.  I mean, remember, I'm a guy that grew up thinking that fireworks were supposed to be on my birthday, not that I felt neglected, but I was missing the show, that's for sure.

On the way in, we met a famous person that I knew the boys would have wanted to meet.  Here's our newest close personal friend, Big Boy.  I was worried that Holly was going to dump me, but she assured me that her cholesterol couldn't handle that.


I see now that many have continued to grow and expand their own home fireworks show.  Theirs were so cool that I may never do the $20 variety pack from that street vendor again. 

Sorry boys.


It was really interesting to be able to go out as a couple on a Holiday.  It's been awhile, not in a bad way, but with them at camp, a date on the 4th to see fireworks just seemed natural.

Someone pointed out that it's pretty odd that a peace loving country celebrates their freedom with fireworks, don't you know that that could be misconstrued as aggressive.  I tended to agree at first, but as I pondered and thought, realized that you need remember a couple of things;
1 - Fireworks are just a great way of celebrating
2 - The defenses of our freedom was typically not exactly diplomatic events.

Have a great July!
Pat