Fireworks, Friends, Family and Freedom

Over July 4th weekend, Baker, Owen and I were in North Carolina to celebrate The 4th AND the wedding of my dad and Martha. It was a wonderful weekend. Owen is only 5 months old and has already accumulated TONS of frequent fl yer miles. He was such a good boy! There were, of course, flight delays again this time but he handled it so well. We arrived in Raleigh late Thursday night, after waiting on the first plane for over and hour due to mechanical problems and THEN having to be re-booked to another airline. On July 4th, Owen was in the parade with his Grandmama and had a fantastic time. He was so cute on that red, white and blue float! I think he was the cutest thing in the whole parade and I am grateful that he was able to have that time and experience with my mom. That evening we had dinner with mom and went to watch the fireworks...Owen LOVED the fireworks. He was mesmerized with the sounds and colors. He wasn't scared in the least and just sat and watched. It was a feeling I can't quite explain- watching him and thinking about how blessed we are as Americans.

Saturday, we were very busy setting up for a BIG party that we, along with Martha's children, gave them to celebrate their wedding. We had a Low Country Boil at their new home with over 100 people. We had so much fun with Kelly and her husband and kids (Martha's daughter) and Mike (Martha's son) planning and getting ready for the celebration. We are thrilled to have them as part of our family now. Baker did an AMAZING job preparing the Low Country Boil for all those people. A great time was had by all. Owen got to meet LOTS of family and friends. We are so happy for them and know that they will be happy together. We are grateful to have new members to the family.

Sunday, Dad and Martha were married at the church I grew up in and it was a very nice ceremony. After that, the family gave them a reception then we were off to the airport to travel home. It was a busy weekend, but a great one as we got to spend time with Mom and Dad an lots of friends and family. We saw beautiful fireworks and we were able to sit back and take the time to appreciate FREEDOM. I hope that Baker and I do a good job teaching Owen about what a privilege it is to be an American and to appreciate the men and women who have made that happen.

I can't believe my little boy is 5 months old! He has grown exponentially in the past couple of weeks...he's getting HUGE! He's getting close to being able to sit up on his own and he's rolling over ALL the time! He's such a happy boy. He laughs and smiles all the time. Baker and I get a stomach ache from laughing at the funny thing he's always doing. Motherhood is such a dream come true for me! I thank God every day for Owen. I realize how blessed I am to be a mother and to have such a precious son. Family and friends mean so much to me. I am so grateful for my family and friends for their constant love and support. This is the time of my life!