Thankfully, as I write this, the temperatures here in Nashville have dropped just enough to still be hot, but not feel as though we are living in a great, big oven. This will make enjoying Independence Day much easier!
I love this holiday. Not for what we get to do, although that is fun, but for what it means to me. I am the child of a VERY military family. I have so many family members who have served, it's hard to count them all. I also married a man in the army, whose family is equally full of military service.
So, for me it's hard not to think about the meaning of the holiday. It isn't about h
aving the day off or going to a barbeque, although I welcome the chance to do any of those things. I just try to keep in mind what we are celebrating. So, having said that, here are my 5 things I like to do to celebrate the holiday!1. Fireworks There have been plenty of times that I have headed downtown to see the enormous fireworks display. But, if you have read this blog before, you probably remember that I am not a big fan of crowds. I love the fireworks downtown, but it gets pretty crowded. So, for me, just
sitting at my parents house watching the men shoot fireworks and seeing the kids enjoy the sparklers is all I need!2. Bake While I probably will not get the opportunity this year, I usually love to bake some cool cake or other food that shows patriotism in a yummy fashion! Since cakes are my new found passion, I have found one that I am excited to try. I am putting this on my to do list for next year!
3. History Marathon
Have you ever noticed over the Independence Day holiday there is a bunch of cool st
uff playing on a variety of channels? There are rarely times that I choose not to pour myself into housework and just watch so
mething on TV, but I have found that on holidays like this one you can actually learn a lot if you sit and watch some of the holiday programming. Last year the History channel did an interesting series called "The Presidents". You could basically pick a president to learn more about and watch an entire hour documenting their life, both in and out of the White House. Obviously, I did not sit and watch TV for 44 hours straight, I simply set my dvr to record a few that I found interesting. There is 
all kinds to choose from, from historic movies like "The Patriot" (awesome, by the way) to Band of Brothers (another great series), all the way up to documentaries about 9/11.OK, call me a nerd. That is fine. I like History, and I think that the more you learn about what our ancestors did for us, the more you appreciate the holiday.
4. Rest!!
Did you notice above where I mentioned how RARE it is for me to not spend my days working or cleaning house? Seriously, I stay pretty busy. So, I have decided that one way I celebrate is to take a day off. I am determined to enjoy myself this weekend. Let's not get crazy, I will not completely ignore my chores, but I promise to slow
down a bit.5. Thank a Soldier
I won't have to look far. As I mentioned before, my family is full of them. The latest is my husband's younger brother. We are so proud of him, he just graduated from Lousiana Tech and has been commissioned into the Air Force.
I also want to refer you to my sister's blog. She did a great post today that talks about this.
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