Love of Liberty

I am so grateful for my liberty and freedom!

Abraham Lincoln once asked, “What constitutes the bulwark of our own liberty and independence?” He then answered, “It is not our frowning battlements, our bristling sea coasts, our army and our navy. … Our reliance is in the love of liberty which God has planted in us.” 

Moroni, the great Book of Mormon leader, was someone who loved liberty. We read:

“Yea, we see that Amalickiah … led away the hearts of many people … to destroy the foundation of liberty which God had granted unto them. …

“And now it came to pass that when Moroni, who was the chief commander of the armies of the Nephites, had heard of these dissensions, he was angry with Amalickiah.

“And it came to pass that he rent his coat; and he took a piece thereof, and wrote upon it—In memory of our God, our religion, and freedom, and our peace, our wives, and our children—and he fastened it upon the end of a pole.

“And he fastened on his headplate, and his breastplate, and his shields, and girded on his armor about his loins; and he took the pole, which had on the end thereof his rent coat, (and he called it the title of liberty) and he bowed himself to the earth, and he prayed mightily unto his God for the blessings of liberty to rest upon his brethren, so long as there should a band of Christians remain to possess the land” (Alma 46:10-13).

One tradition that our family loves to do on the 3rd of July is to pack a picnic, blankets, chairs, and a frisbee and go to a golf course that puts on a great firework show.  We sit with our neighbors on a huge hill, share treats, play, listen to the live bands, and let the kids run/roll down the hill before the fireworks start.  Here are some pictures of past years:

Well, yesterday we were not able to celebrate our tradition at the golf course because our kids were sick and we didn't want to spread hand-foot-mouth disease along with our treats to our neighbors.    We were all pretty bummed because as you can see - we have a blast!  So this is how our night went instead:

• The kids got their pj's on.
• Kaylee had an emotional breakdown because she realized we weren't going to the golf course.
• We loaded everyone in the van and drove to the golf course hoping to find a place to park and watch the show from the van.
• The streets were packed but we finally found a place to park with a limited view of the fireworks.
• The kids complained and whined.
• We left and drove away in the middle of the show.
• About a mile from our home we found a place to pull over with a great view of the fireworks (now much farther away).
• The kids pulled out some blankets and spread them out on a strip of grass and started to watch the show in our traditional way with Eric laying down with them.
• All of a sudden, sprinklers came on right under and around the blanket.
• We all rushed back into the van and finished the show.
• We came home and watched some of our neighbors fireworks before going to bed.

What a day!  I sure hope that the kids are not sick next year!  It is so much easier to lug coolers, chairs, strollers, blankets, and 4 kids up to the golf course than what we did last night!

Again, I am very grateful for the liberties that I enjoy so that we can do things like this together as a family.  Thank you to all of those men and women who risk everything for these liberties that I love so much...even the sprinklers.