TRUE FREEDOM

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4th of July always marks another year of baptism for me. This year marked my 7th! I cannot tell you how long ago that feels (the feeling of not partying for that long :) WOW!).

But at the same time it seems like just yesterday I was standing in a river with a group of people I hardly knew witnessing me burying my old life (right along side my then fiance). I have never been back since. I gave it all up that day and chose to die to my old self. I chose to walk out in FREEDOM from that day forward. Who knew then that so much was to come in the 7 years following. (I am not sure that I would have "signed on the dotted line" had I known!) I look back now and realize how much I have GROWN spiritually, mentally (and physically... ;) I know God still has a lot of work to do with me... I am just thankful we have been together now for 7 years. It is one heck of a start to a relationship I will give you that!

Life has certainly taken on a whole new look since that day 7 years ago.

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Growing up I remember all of our family getting together to celebrate the 4th of July with a big bang. We would basically just hang out (with family of course) and cook out and shoot off fireworks.

Now, as a kid, it was this huge whoopty doo that happened every year. It was always filled with some kind of water (balloon, cup, bucket, hose, shoe) fight and hide and go seek game in the corn fields when night fell. I do remember bits and pieces here and there, but I do not remember when it all fell apart.

We no longer have those family get togethers. We have kind of just all went our own separate ways.

As I got older I used to go hang out with FRIENDS and we used to party 'til the sun came up. Out on the lake, out in the country...wherever really. Wherever you and your friends were so there was the party. Lots of laugter and music and ..... well you get the idea.

Now that I am saved, married and have littles to look after, well, the partying has tapered and now it has been reduced to cooking out and sitting pool side at the rent's (In-law's) house. Not that that is a bad thing. It is just kind of taking some getting used to (yes still) that's all. Not my usual everyone running around trying to dodge water balloons and hiding in the corn fields or being out on the water in an innertube floating the river. We are having to start new traditions now and in the years to come.

New friends, new faces and hopefully soon new places.

We have discussed when Bear gets a little older and the fostering life has waned then we would love to travel and see all the highlights for 4th of July; a different place every year. When we get older and our kid(s) start getting married then we will settle down and start having fun parties and celebrating at home.

Being with famiy and friends is GREAT FUN but there is just so little of it these days. We used to hang out with friends even as a couple and for some reason that has even stopped. I am not sure where that fell off either. Oh well...I guess nothing lasts forever; not even friendships if they are not meant to last.

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This year we were at the Rent's house cooking out and swimming with J's family and some friends; Even Moe baby's daddy came to celebrate with us and be with his son for the 4th.

The boys enjoyed lots of food, smooches (thanks Nana :)), Ice cream and swimming.



Bear has been terrified of his face getting in the water but now it has come to this...



YES that little blob under the water his him after jumping in.



He has come to love jumping in and going under water. He then pops up and starts kicking. Soon he will be swimming I am almost sure. We would set him up on the side and no sooner than we were removing our hands from him he was jumping in again. He was having a blast!

Moe baby has not been feeling too well. His very back molars have been coming in for a while now and it keeps him pretty much icky. I am so ready for OUR MOE to be back! He did have fun with his daddy and playing in the water and eating ice cream however.

Bear's back molars are coming in too but he is not AS bad about it. He has been different also but not as bothered by it.

After all the hoopla with swimming (at 10P) we traveled down to the river to watch the huge firework show. It was fun but sometimes I wonder if it is even worth the trip for 25 min of explosions. The boys did good holding out til then but man after that it was REALLY time for showers and bed for all of us.

J does not do his best thinking when he is tired (so from now on I WILL DRIVE US HOME).
We ended up taking several WRONG turns (which to him were normal seeing that he drives for UPS he knows the roads... BUT NOT LIKE THIS!) that led us into the heart of the GHETTO! Mardi Gras has nothing on downtown waco on 4th of JULY! OH MY STARS, FIREWORKS, and DYING LLAMAS!!! I thought we were going to die. I was watching people walk right next to our windows brushing up against our car, mobs running here and there jumping from one fight to another.

Then we would have to pull over (wherever you could) to let the 15 screaming, flashing, police cars by to go break up the next fight. It was TERRIBLE I tell you, like end of the world terrible ('cept that was them PARTYING!)

I was praying that we would just survive that part of the drive home! I am not kidding 30 min of being in that crowd makes me happy I now live in the country again! WOW! Fireworks would go off and I would jump and hit the floor board, I thought I had just been shot! haha okay not that bad but I was a bit edgy!