Independent Day

May I just say, right from the outset, that Manassas City does it right? They really know how to put on a show. For the last five years or so, we've gone over to Manassas to see their fireworks show on the 4th of July. We usually make a day of it, getting some good sausages and kraut, some fried dough with powdered sugar, and a mess of bbq. It's something I look forward to every year, not to mention the superior fireworks show they put on. Just mention the Fourth and my mouth starts to water.

This year was different, though. The 4th fell on a Sunday, and so no brats, no dough, no bbq. My taste buds were outraged.

I could justify the fireworks show, though, since we don't pay to get in, and afterall, Heavenly Father did set this country up. It's by His hand we're all here today. I thought it a good opportunity to celebrate that fact. I hope I'm not becoming one of the godless horde I so often complain about.

The show was fantastic again, though marred by a 15 minute intermission between stages of the pyrotechnics. It started off with a bang, so to speak, and went for a good 7-8 minutes. Then, nothing. The "band" played on (music supplied by a town speaker system and someones iPod, no doubt), but the fireworks were earily silent.

In the distance one could see the fireworks display from the city of Manassas Park. Theirs was pretty good, too. But we sat and waited, and at last the fireworks started up again. Good thing, too. The natives were getting restless.

Hannah was in rare form. She is such an independent thinker. She had to wear her Chucks with a dress. Nothing else would please her. You can see that evidenced in the video clip at the bottom of the page. She's the most independent little girl I've ever known.

Jacob had a good time, too, playing around with some of his friends and making me take about twenty pictures of him and his mom doing goofy faces. This is one of the better ones. Better, as in, goofy. Yes, they're all like that. But I love them. Kelly has the most child-like (NOT childish) spirit I've ever known.

The only thing Manassas really has to do is find some way to get people out of there without having to wait an hour. This is the scene more than 45 minutes AFTER the fireworks had ended. We waited about 20 minutes after the show had concluded and then had to walk about five or six blocks to our car. We waited in traffic for a good 20 more minutes before finally getting into some open lanes where we could actually drive. But, I must say that it was worth it, even though my taste buds will protest every day having to wait so long for their annual savory sensations.