Enjoying Family and Fireworks

This year the 4th fell on a Sunday. We went to church and had a nice dinner. Ethan had invited us out to their house for desert and sparklers but we felt they had too much company so we decided to just stay home. I was in my sewing room working on a quilt when Rich came in and said, "get ready we are going to Scottsdale to watch the fireworks on the balcony of Billy Jo's home." That was the first I had heard that idea thrown around. Rich has been blessed to have some very generous clients that he works for all the time. They went to spend the holiday on their boat in California and offered their balcony for our family to enjoy the fireworks. It was fun but at 9:15 p.m. we were getting restless with not being able to see much, so we left the building and headed down Scottsdale Rd. We ran right into the Tempe Town Lakes and saw a TON of fireworks. It was a fun night, something we hadn't ever done before.

I remember when I was pregnant thirty years ago, the time went by so slow. I would get my calendar out every week hoping that I was farther along than I really was. Some of my friends looked really cute pregnant and they said they felt really good also, I didn't look cute or feel well and couldn't wait to get that big baby out. The only way I could get through it was to list all the events I had to get through like Thanksgiving, Christmas, Valentines sometimes even Easter. Last night we had all the kids and grand kids over for swimming, a cookout and sparklers. The cousins always have fun and in a couple of weeks Spencer and Annie will be gone until the end of the football season. The 4th of July will be the last celebration before Jenn and Annie have their babies. These two will put us up to fourteen grandchildren. We feel so excited to have them join our family.

July has always been a hard month to survive because it is usually the hottest month. When you add in the humidity it makes life almost unbearable. I was talking with a friend yesterday and she told me how isolated and depressed she becomes during the summer. We both talked about how we don't even like to leave our homes. July also is hard now since it is a reminder of the passing of Kamber. I remember listening to a show where Natalie Holloway's mother was talking about the disappearance and probable death of her daughter in Aruba. I was impressed when she said, "I don't celebrate her birthday or death, I try to honor her every day of my life." I thought that would be such a great way to honor Kamber also. Maybe I should try to honor her everyday by doing an act of service or kindness. If our whole family could do it we would have a legacy of good works. It has been two years now and even though at times I feel at peace with it, there are times when my heart is so sad I feel it can never be repaired. I guess that is what life is all about, going through trials that change our hearts and hopefully make us more like the Savior.