HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY!!

Never in my life have I been SO proud to be an American on the fourth!! One thing that living back east has done for me is give me a renewed love for our country!! We had a day of learning more about the USA!! We started our day by going to the National Constitution Center - I had tears in my eyes as we watched a play/movie about our nation and people who have made a difference in the creation of it! I was proud - I want my kids to KNOW that they live in the greatest nation in the world and that they can make a differnece! There were fun activities for our kiddos there - you can see the picture of all their cute hands with tattoos! Did you know there's a new $5 dollar bill being released with two darling blonde's as the face?

YEAH!! An AWESOME new president - I'd like to introduce you to MICHAEL BO BARBEN!! We couldn't celebrate the fourth without going back to the Liberty Bell!! Here's our red/white and blue kids in front! "The Liberty Bell cracked long ago, but as an icon of freedom its voice has never been stilled. Its crack is a reminder that liberty is imperfect, hopefully evolving to include those who have been denied full participation in a democratic society."

Look at Bo signing the Declaration of Independence!! Did you know it was signed in Philadelphia?? We also went on a double decker bus tour of Philadelphia! Our kids loved this - especially Bella! I had to keep a tight hold on her so she wouldn't fall over the edge! It was a great way to LOTS of the city in about 1 1/2 hours! There were a ton of festivities in Philly for the fourth - after looking for a parking spot (all parking is done parallel or if your lucky in a paid parking lot) we decided to get a philly steak and head for home! It ended up raining so we were glad we decided to miss the parade and Boys to Men concert on Benjamin Franklin Parkway! We finished off the night doing my MOST favorite thing - playing a mean game of "Canasta!!" We missed the fireworks - but did sparklers at home! Best of all I go to see Mike - my favorite Canasta partner! I LOVE THIS COUNTRY - I have loved learning more about it!