Tuesday, July 8, 2014

Land of the Brave, the Independent, the Free

I am of the patriotic sort. The girl who wears red, white, and blue on the 4th of July and who insists on attending parades (even though my kids think they’re too old) and planning barbeques (even though they all whine) and then finding the best local fireworks show (even if I have to go without them). I love everything this holiday is about, what it stands for, and how it came to be. And I have a very special place in my heart for The Star Spangled Banner, particularly after a few years ago when I visited the very place where Francis Scott Key became inspired to write it.


But sadly, in South Texas, there is no parade, no city carnival/festival, and only a very small fireworks show in one of the nearby towns. Instead, we got up before sunrise and drove an hour away to see baby sea turtles released into the wild. We spent the day at the beach. We had our barbeque and spent the day together, and regardless of the whining, my family remembered why the country celebrates this glorious holiday.

Because thousands of brave soldiers have fought, and continue to fight, to keep our country strong—to keep us free. Because of that freedom, I am brave enough to follow dreams of my own. Like writing. And my kids can follow their dreams.

So, you know how two years ago we moved to Texas so I could finally live by my beach (that I LOVE)? Well. Not all dreams last forever, and my love affair with the beach was to be short lived in order for my husband to chase a dream of his own. I won’t go into all the crazy exciting details about it, because you can read about it here, but the bottom line is, the Giles family is headed BACK to Utah! This means another cross-country move.

And it’s happening fast. As in, now.

So please forgive me if over the next couple weeks I’m a bit absent. I promise I’ll be back in due time. And hey, if you follow my Facebook author page, I’ll post pictures along the way.


Happy July!

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