Happy Independence Day!

Happy Independence Day! Korrali and I went to Cantigny this year to commemorate the holiday and they had a giant chalk board asking what freedom means to you. So here's the question, what does freedom mean to you?

?

To me, it means the freedom to debate over what freedoms we should have - we can talk openly about Hobby Lobby, and tell the world we love our Savior, and converse in a friendly way with people who have religious beliefs completely opposite of us. It also means the freedom to take my toddler to a giant park and let her run and play without worry of harm.

She agreed to wear her headband for almost an hour!

I always love and appreciate when places give out free baby-safe things to hold. This commemorative flag kept her hand busy enough to me to snap this picture and get my camera safe before preventing her from climbing off the rocks into this pond.  (She was too fast to prevent from climbing over the rocks, right next to the sign asking us not to climb on the rocks.)

She loved this fountain. I think we spent 40 minutes playing with it. To a toddler attention span, that's like, a million years. To her, freedom is playing in the water feature!

I'm also grateful for the freedom to eat candy or ice cream or brownies after my daughter goes to bed with abandon. Freedom is ability to be who I am without fear, to become something better, and to really love the process (and sometimes to hate that process too).

 I need to add here, that we spent the evening having a grill out with some really good friends of ours from college. Korrali Loved their cat. Cap.it.al L. It came downstairs when we arrived, and she didn't want to do anything else the whole time (aside from eating) besides following it, petting it, pointing to its nose, and occasionally trying to give it giant hugs. The cat was very tolerant of her petting, and seemed to enjoy sitting up to nose her finger, or reach and and touch her finger with a paw. I helped it escape from the hugs. The sweet critter was so patient. Every so often, Korrali would have a little private freak out of excitement.
Pet, pet, pet. Back up, crouch down, shake with excitement and shriek with giggles. (the cat escapes) Stand up, find the cat. Repeat. Also, we learned that Dr. Pepper BBQ sauce is really excellent inside a beef patty.