4th of July 🇺🇸

We got back from Branson and had a couple days to recover, and then I got to do a cool thing on the 4th of July...!  Every year on Independence Day, they swear in new citizens at a naturalization ceremony Thomas Jefferson's Monticello!  I've always wanted to go, but it's usually so hot, and I don't actually know how to go about getting tickets, so I've never bothered before.  But this year, my choir was singing at it, so I got to go AND I got to park up on the mountain rather than having to use the shuttle!  WIN!

Unfortunately, it was still insanely hot, and they had us seated in the very very back of the tent, so I couldn't really hear much (although I did catch some of what was sort of like testimony meeting for any of the new citizens who wanted to talk about their experience, and that was very moving!).  So it wasn't ideal.  But I was still glad that I got the chance to be there!  Go, America!!!

First time I think we've ever been allowed to wear open-toed shoes with no socks or hose.  Which should tell you just how hot it was!!!

Check out my red and blue accessories!

We got up and sang three separate times.  The middle set, we had to cut short because the governor was there and decided to go off-script and shake all the new citizens' hands.  I guess politicians gotta politick.  I also ran into my friend Raptor from FIA, who I hadn't seen in several years, so I was very excited to catch up with her!  (And I was even more excited to learn that she'd had the baby she had been desperately hoping for!)

Overall, it was a cool experience. But I sure was happy to take a cold shower afterwards!!! (And a nap. I think we met at the carpool location at 6:30am???  For the summertime, this is INSANE!!!)

We were supposed to go to the pool and grill with our neighbors in the afternoon, but then it just poured all afternoon so that didn't happen.  (That was not really a bad thing, since it was the beginning of the end of our drought!)  It cleared up enough for the fireworks show around 9pm, and then we did sparklers in our driveway and stayed up way too late to watch Trump's speech (which was hilarious) and the crazy fireworks in DC on the television.  A very late night, but a very patriotic day for everyone!