First 4th of July as Americans

There was something special about Independence Day this year. As we attempted to explain what the holiday was all about in 3-year-old terms, we got to talking about the freedoms we enjoy in our country and how it differs from Russia and other countries around the world. Knowing what we know about Maya and Tristan's lives in the orphanage and their future prospects in that country, and seeing their lives now and the bright futures of opportunity that they have before them, it is hard not to experience a surge of patriotic pride and gratitude for those who have fought and worked for what we so often take for granted.

Even though it doesn't get dark enough for fireworks till after 10pm here, we decided that these new little Americans needed to experience some real fireworks. There are lots of places around here where you can see fireworks, but we opted for a park we often go to, where they shoot the fireworks off over a lake. It is so pretty with the reflections in the water, and we found a place across the lake, so they weren't loud enough to scare the kids. We arrived a few hours before they started to find a spot and the kids had fun goofing around, eating treats and watching the boats on the lake.

Believe it or not, Alex took this photo of yours truly!

We thought Maya and Tristan and Alex might be scared by the fireworks, but although they wanted to sit on our laps, they seemed to really enjoy them. We got home around midnight. Everyone fell asleep in the car, except Maya. She never does. I think she was enjoying seeing all the store lights pass by us. We realized that none of the little ones have had much experience seeing the world when it is dark. They loved seeing the sunset over the lake, the stars and moon up in the night sky, and as we walked back to the car, Isabelle was terrified of a dark shadow that she thought was a hole in the ground.