4th of July

The 4th of July used to be my favorite holiday. As a kid, we would go to my Grandpa & Grandma's cabin for the week. We would spend the time together 4-wheeling, boating, wave running, tubing, skiing and eating potato salad! Best of all, we'd all be together. We'd use all of our allowance to purchase fire crackers. My cousin Shawn and I would jimmy rig the fire crackers to see how many we could get going at one time. One time we boobie trapped the whole house with the pull string fire crackers. Every door, cubbard and drawer was attached to the string fire crackers. Oh how we laughed as our Grandma chased us around trying beat the snot out of us when she found out. There are many times I get home sick but I think the 4th is the hardest. It's not just the loss of youth and those days in the past but also the longing for my family, mostly the ones that have gone on. Shawn, I miss you the most during this time of the year. I hope you knew how much I treasured those times we had together. Nothing will ever replace the memories I have of the 4th of July weekend. Looking forward, I need to pull myself together and start to make new memories. Memories that will be as close to my kids when they're grown as mine are to me. To all of the Vallier's reading this (even though there aren't many of us) I hope you have a great 4th of July. I miss you dearly and I'll be home in just 3 weeks! To everyone else, treasure this time with your family and don't forget to tell the ones you love just how much they mean to you. Love, Jessie