Happy Independence Day!

Wow! Can you believe that it's July 4th already? Where did the first half of this year go already? Things have been really busy around here. We are in the midst of the summer tourist season and my dear husband has been working alot of hours lately. As a matter of fact, he's working right now. Yes, he's working on a holiday, something that happens quite often around here since we do live and work in a tourist town. We really don't have big plans for the day, just relaxing when he gets home, a nice grilled chicken and fruit salad, and then, if he's not too tired, maybe we'll go watch some fireworks at Big Cedar Lodge.

Last Sunday night we took my mom and dad to the Honor America celebration at The College of the Ozarks. We started with a fantastic BBQ buffett dinner. there were BBQ ribs and grilled hamburgers out on the patio.


Inside we had choices of bratwurst, BBQ chicken (I had seconds), and hotdogs with all of the fixings. Potato salad, coleslaw, fresh fruits and cheeses rounded out our meal. Oh, and yes they even had miniature cupcakes that I just had to try ;)




After dinner we retired out to the patio to enjoy another beautiful ozarks sunset before the fireworks. The weather finally gave us a break and the evening air was very enjoyable. There was popcorn and strawberry lemonade, homemade ice cream and even old fashion popsicles for dessert. Then, as dusk aproached we heard the firing of the cannon letting us know the fireworks would soon begin.





We were not disappointed. The fireworks were absolutely beautiful! Blazing reds, greens, pinks and blues filled the night sky. There was oohing and aahing all around us. My husband's favorites are the ones that look like a weeping willow tree and he said it every time one of those showed up in the sky. (cute) It was a fantastic display to honor our country's birthday.






I also want to remind everyone that many, many years ago there were brave souls that risked everything for the freedoms that we have today. We now have more brave souls that continue to fight to protect those freedoms that many of us take forgranted. I want to encourage all of you that the next time you see one of our brave soldiers to simply say thank you to them. You'd be surprised how happy you make them with a simple smile and a "thanks for doing what you're doing to keep us safe".

I hope you all have a great 4th of July, be safe and take lots of pictures!