Freedom

The 4th of July was a busy one...filled with a lot of fun, family and food! Always a great combination! We started off at 5:30 am - up and at 'em early to get ready to run the 5K in Provo. All of the girls ran - Me, Rylee, Kamryn and Lexi. A couple of other cousins were in on the action.

(Kirsten, Avynlee,Kamryn, Lexi, Olivia)

Brad and Coleman met us at the finish line to take a few pictures.

After the race, we watched the parade in an AWESOME spot. My niece and nephew saved a spot right on the median on Center Street so we had a great view. It was a little bit overcast which made it even better! (No pictures of the parade...camera battery died!)

After the parade we headed to moms for lunch and then on to the pool for some more fun! We got cleaned up and headed to Max's house for a BBQ and then we were off again...this time to the Stadium of Fire to See Hannah Montana and the Blue Man Group. The show was nice, but I have to admit that my favorite part (by far) was the pre-show. The men jumping from the plane and landing in the stadium, the 1000 + dancers, Glen Beck, and the best part for me...the military bringing in the flag. ( I "borrowed" this picture from my sisters blog)I have always been one to get a little emotional when I see the flag. I can't help the tears welling up and thinking of how many blessings I have. This year was a little more emotional for me. I have always appreciated the military men and women and their families, but this year it hit so much closer to home. This year I have a family member and a good friend (serving together!) in Afghanistan and I have been able to see first hand the sacrifices that are being made every day. I am so grateful for the opportunity to live in such a great place and have such wonderful friends and family so close. I appreciate the freedoms that I enjoy every day and the many people who make that possible.

The past few months have been difficult for me in many ways and I have had to do some pretty serious "soul searching" to find true happiness. Friendships that I once had have now dissolved, people have said and done things to make me doubt myself. Through all of this, I have come to the conclusion that I can't make anyone like me or be my friend. If they don't appreciate me, I am better off without them. I have also come to the conclusion that I have AWESOME friends who love me for who I am...friends and family who laugh with me, accept me the way I am, enjoy being around me and help me want to be a better person. These are the people that I am grateful for in my life. These are the people that I enjoy sharing my life with. It's like a new found "freedom" when you get this realization. I have been able to reflect on the great things in my life and let the rest go without any more sadness or regret. This is the one freedom that I am especially grateful for this year. The freedom to be me!