Pancakes, Bar B Que's, and Fireworks...

What else do you do on the 4th of July, right? Every year on the 4th of July there is a pancake breakfast at the Cherry building in San Jose, where we used to live. We thought about going this year but decided we would have to get up too early to get down there by 8:00 (It also wasn't a very practical use of gas to drive down there for breakfast, back to our own ward party in Fremont, and back down to Kelsey's parents for dinner). So we slept in and had our own pancake breakfast at our apartment.

Another building in our stake has a full baseball field and picnic area so the various wards took turns having activities out there. Ours was at 2:00. We were only able to stay for lunch, but it was good to visit with and get to know some more people from the ward.

After that we headed down to Kelsey's parents for dinner. Her dad bar-b-qued various types of meat and we visited with everyone.

Her siblings YSA ward had a bar-b-que there for lunch and some people from that stayed around. After dinner we went with them to see fireworks at the San Jose Giants stadium. They shoot the fireworks off from the parking lot right behind the outfield wall. They rope off about 50 yards or so, but you can go and sit at that point. It pretty cool to be that close and to see them light off the fireworks and then see them go off literally right over your head. Kelsey's family has been going there since she was little. This was my second year going now, so I guess we can say it's our family tradition. Since the city of San Jose didn't do fireworks this year that was the only place to go so there was tons of traffic getting out. But from listening to the radio that was a problem all over the place.

So, that was our 4th. Pretty traditional, but I guess that's what the 4th is all about, tradition. I'm grateful for the opportunities that we have to look back and celebrate the great men and women who helped form our country.