4th of July

The week before we moved, we were getting the yard sale signs at the store and I walked past all of the 4th of July decorations. We had been so busy, I had completely forgotten that this holiday was coming up. I always love the 4th and all of the fun festivities that go along with it. But then I got sad thinking, this 4th of July is going to stink! It's such a friend and family holiday. Dave will probably be at the hospital all day, and Anna and I won't have any friends yet to go do anything with. Bummer. So I was very excited when we got our first neighborhood newsletter last week to see that they were having a 4th of July parade! I was so happy because our old neighborhood did this and I loved it!

So the 4th came and Dave was of course at the hospital, but Anna and I had fun meeting some more new neighbors and joining in the parade.

Here is Anna in her patriotic wagon, excited to go to the parade.

We got to be the caboose of the parade. So this was the parade in front of us.

And this is what Anna was doing during the parade. She loved her windmill and watching all of the other kids ride their bikes.

This was the first year they did the parade and I hope they keep the tradition going. We had strawberry shortcake and cookies and Anna's white shirt didn't stay that way for long. I am so happy we ended up in this neighborhood. It feels like a real community and everyone is so nice. We've had at least 10 neighbors stop by and welcome us. At our old house we only had 1! We've even gotten cookies and a warm apple pie. I sort of feel like I'm on Wisteria Lane. I sure hope nobody has something weird locked up in their basement. So far, I love it and I'm glad we could go to the parade and get to know more of our neighbors.

The rest of the day was kind of a bust. Dave got to come home from the hospital around 3:00, so we drove to a park to go for a walk. Then his beeper went off. Some guy fell of his motorcycle. He said it would be quick, so I dropped him off at the hospital. Anna and I went for a walk, but it sort of creeped me out because everything was abandoned and the park was scary because there are so many trees, no one would see me if I got attacked by some strange Independence Day mugger. So after an hour, Anna and I went home figuring Dave was there for the night. He called around 7:30 for me to pick him up, but then I got lost getting there because our GPS has the hospital under Blake Forest instead of Wake Forest. Long story. Anyway. I pick him up, he has to come home and get his car to go back. Anna and I watched the NYC and DC fireworks on TV and she did her favorite twirls to the music. I let her stay up late to party for the holiday, then we both were ready for bed. Poor Dave came home at 11:30 tired from a long week at the hospital, but as soon as he got into bed, that darn beeper went off again. Guess we should get used to it! Some guy's propane tank exploded in his face at his BBQ, but he decided to wait until his BBQ was over first before he went into the ER. Smart. So Dave went to go fix his burns and spent the night at the hospital. The hospital always fills up on holidays with all of the partying and stupid things some people do.

Dave is really liking his rotation. Did I mention he's doing Plastics right now? Sorry I'm so random. My head still isn't it it's right place yet. Anyway, it's cool to listen to him answer his pages when people have questions. I think it's amazing that he knows what to say! And also kind of scary! It was funny at the parade I was talking to one of my neighbors and she was asking what Dave did. I told her and she said, "Oh, He must be Dr. Kelly! My best friends little brother put a nail gun through his hand yesterday and saw Dr. Kelly and loved him!" That was a coincidence! But it was funny for me to hear someone call him Dr. Kelly. I guess he is now, but it took me off guard for a minute. He's Dave!

And that should wrap up this random Independence Day post! I really love this holiday! I even loved it just at home with Anna. No BBQs, just us, in our home. Dancing and watching TV fireworks. I loved it because that's what this holiday is about. Freedom and our families. We can do whatever we want. And I'm grateful for those men who stood up for what they believed in so that we can.