Best Twenty-Fourth of July Ever

We just had Utah's second Fourth of July, aka the twenty-fourth of July aka Pioneer Day.

I've actually been thinking about pioneers all month. I'm rereading The Work and the Glory. (For those of you who wouldn't know, this is a book series about a fictional family of early members of the LDS Church. It starts shortly before Joseph Smith begins translating the Golden Plates and ends about 20 years later when they reach the Salt Lake Valley.) The author is no Shakespeare, but overall the books are pretty decent. I find the story to be very faith-building. It digs into some pretty heavy doctrine. It also digs into some "controversial" stuff—which, when you put it into context, really isn't that controversial. (My dad always likes to say that looking back on history and applying your own values is invalid. You can only understand history when you understand the way the people thought at the time that history took place. It doesn't necessarily excuse some things that happen, but it does make you see that it's not fair to judge the people of the past by today's standards.)

Anyway, whether you have pioneer heritage or not, this is still an excellent holiday. It's an opportunity to celebrate heritage, perseverance, and freedom.

On Saturday, Mom and Baby Brother and I stopped by the Hometown carnival for some treats, rides, and the fishing pond. After that, Mom, Little Sister, and I got pedicures, and after that we ate Chinese food, went swimming at my grandma's house, and lit off fireworks in my aunt and uncle's driveway.

For the actual twenty-fourth, I wore a shirt I bought in Nauvoo. Dr. Godfather invited me and my immediate family to his beautiful home on a ridge overlooking a valley. He made us a delicious dinner of chicken, sausage, and rolls alongside one of my mom's fancy salads. I was asked to bring a dessert, so I dipped Oreos in melted chocolate and then acted like I actually did something.

After dinner on Dr. Godfather's deck, we went hot tubbing on his patio. Then we enjoyed dessert (my Oreos plus mint brownies plus brownie bites, lemon bars, and Mexican wedding cookies) while watching fireworks all across the valley from our amazing vantage point.

It was a lovely evening. I often struggle with being "present". It seems like no matter who I'm with or what I'm doing, my mind is always racing ahead to what I need to do next or lagging behind to something else be doing at the moment. It was nice to just relax for a change.