Happy 4th of July!

Happy 233rd birthday, America. We love you, and all that you stand for.

In honor of your birthday, we have decided to throw a giant party. We will sing songs in your honor. Perhaps "God Bless America". Or "Stars and Stripes Forever". Definitely our good friend Neil's "We're Coming to America" (...toDAY!...), and countless other classic oldies but goodies.

And all across this glorious nation, we will watch these:



No, not men in black t-shirts, but these. These beehive-looking/chicken-looking/booze-in-a-bag-with-a-straw-looking things:



Which will eventually go in these tubes:



Lots of them:



Randomly throughout the day, loud booming fireworks will be lit (which will scare the bejeezus out of the people that happen to be standing up close and personal):


And the amazing finale will come from here:

We can't wait!

{By the way, we were lucky enough to run into one of my dad's old Boy Scouts that I went to school with, who has been lighting fireworks in my hometown for 15 years now. He called it one of the best jobs ever. He said every year he loses a little more hearing (I held back the urge to use my witty humor and say "what?") but also says it's totally worth it.

He gave us a quick seminar on Fireworks 101. I was so excited - it was exhilarating to see it all up close! I had no idea the fireworks themselves actually looked like a beehive. Or chicken in a bag. Or booze in a bag with a straw -- whichever you prefer, really.

I have a whole new appreciation for fireworks, and the people that run the show. You won't catch me lighting fireworks any time soon, and I'll probably still be annoyed with the kids in our neighborhood that light illegal fireworks, but WOW they sure are cool! I'll probably get even more choked up than I usually do when we watch them tonight.}

God bless you, America!