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Fired Up for Fireworks
by Martha Matthews
As a child, I remember looking forward to the fireworks on the 4th of
July with such anticipation that I could hardly wait for the sun to go
down. We would pack the station wagon with blankets, pillows, sandwiches
and sodas and head for the beach near our home. Every year our town
sponsored an incredible fireworks display overlooking the San Francisco
Bay. We would have to stake our spot on the beach early in the day to
make sure we had a front row seat for the show. My family and I don't
live there any more and I think the town has since stopped having a
fireworks show at the beach.
Now my family and I spend the 4th of July at my parent's home. They live
on a circle-shaped street which they close off for the afternoon to have
a big block party. The kids decorate their bikes with red, white and
blue streamers and ride around in parade-like fashion. One of the
neighbors makes homemade beer and invites everyone over for a taste. The
parents provide all the fixings for the children to make root beer
floats. You should see the mess they make. Boy do they have fun! Next,
we all sit down to an all-American 4th of July dinner: hamburgers,
potato salad, macaroni salad, baked beans, Jell-O fruit mold, lemonade
and ice tea (well it's our version of an all-American 4th of July
dinner). Then, around 9:30 p.m., everyone sets up their folding chairs
in the street and we watch the fireworks that come from the near-by city
park. We also enjoy lighting sparklers and other (legal) fireworks of
our own. It is the perfect ending to a perfect day.
As my husband and I raise our children, we are striving to build a love
for God in their hearts and also teach them how to have close, loving
relationships. By building family memories like these we are teaching
our children that relationships are more than just co-existing in the
same home. Relationships are built on involvement and shared
experiences. It is memories like these that we hope our children will
draw from as they approach the very turbulent pre-teen and teen years. I
hope that they will look back on these times with the great fondness and
know how much we love them.
Important: if you are using fireworks this holiday you need to take
precautions. Check out this site for tips and procedures to keep you and
your family safe:
http://www.fireworksafety.com/
Have a safe and happy 4th of July!
About the author
Martha Matthews is the Executive
Director of Christian-Homemaking.com,
a web site with resources devoted to helping Christian Homemakers Manage
their home. She also has a popular free monthly newsletter for Christian
Homemakers called The Christian Homemaking Newsletter. To subscribe visit
www.christian-homemaking.com/newsletter.html
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