Happy 4th of July!

Today is the 4th of July!  Our wonderful nation's birthday! 

We were supposed to meet Mike's mom at her house and then go to the Art in the Park in Mandan.  This is held annually during the July 4th festivities.  When we got to her house, she was not feeling well at all.  She overdid it yesterday in the heat and got overly tired and heated.  So today her body was telling her she was going to pay the price.  So Mike and I told her to relax and take a nap and he and I went out to sit on her deck.  This is pretty much the way the day went until about 2:00 p.m.  She got up and I fixed the three of us some sandwiches for lunch.  After mom ate, we told her to go to bed once again to rest and we went into the living room and watched TV.  About 5:00 p.m. the phone rang and it was Mike's brother-in-law Leroy asking us if he and Valerie were supposed to come for dinner tonight or tomorrow night.  Valerie couldn't remember which day they were to come over.  Mom told him it was tonight and Leroy said they would be over shortly.

Mike and I got busy putting together our 4th of July barbecue we planned.  We made bacon wrapped hot dogs, hamburgers, potato salad, macaroni salad, cole slaw, baked beans, and strawberry/blueberry shortcake for desert.  OK, so the salads, beans, and cole slaw were all store bought and not homemade.  Who cares?  It all turned out really good.  Quite delicious if we do say so ourselves.

At 8:00 p.m. Mike and I bid our goodbyes to everyone and headed to the motorhome to get changed and pick up another lawn chair.  We were heading to the state capital grounds for the July 4th program and fireworks.  When we arrived and set up our lawn chairs on the grass corridor in front of the capital building, a Jamaican band was playing on the stage.  After they finished, many of the states' political dignitaries spoke and then the Mandan/Bismarck Symphony began to play.  Totally awesome.  The fireworks began at about 10:30 and were totally spectacular!!!!!  We couldn't believe it, where else can you go and listen to a live symphony orchestra playing during a fireworks display, and not have to pay a single penny for it??????  North Dakota, that's where.  And ya'll wonder why Mike and I want to move back here permanently!  Our night was perfect!!!!!!!!!

Happy 4th of July Everyone!!!!!!!!!