I haven't always loved the 4th of July. It was always fun to have a swim party or a BBQ. We never really went down to the corral areas and watched the fireworks withthe rest of the livestock. We did watch from our roof on occasion. However we did live in the ghetto and so there were all sorts of hooligans that had snuck insane amounts of fireworks back from the most recent trip to Mexico. We would all go outside and watch them go off. the cops would come, citations issued, and then we all went back inside. The founding fathers would be proud.
When I was on my mission, the 4th of July brought new meaning. I was in a place where freedom was just starting to develop. Our day to day hassles would continually remind me of how great it was back in the USA. 4th of July rolled around and, as a mission, we were invited to the embassy party. We decided that it was going to be a great 4th of July day. P-Day was switched so that we could have the whole day to celebrate.
We started by making home made decorations. Actually Sisters Campbell and Merrill did that. It was very high class artsy stuff.
Then it was time for our blueberry pancake breakfast. 
DISCLAIMER: ALL PICTURES SHOWING SISTERS IN ELDERS' APARTMENTS ARE NOT RULE BREAKING SITUATIONS. IN BULGARIA THINGS DIDN'T WORK THE WAY THEY DID IN YOUR MISSION. THEY WERE MORE AWESOME.After the pancakes we moved on to the feats of strength. Brett Tobler would do 10 or 12 every time he walked through this doorway. He was strong. I watched him knock a guy out in one hit. Then I got sucker punched in the ear. That's what I get for watching.
After that we moved on to the embassy party. They had a flag ceremony. I almost shed a tear. The marines brought out a cake shaped like a white house and we all had a great celebration.
Later that day it was dinner time. We decided to be patriotic for the southwest USA. We made fajitas. It was totally good. At this point in our culinary careers we didn't know that we had to remove the seeds from peppers. They came with there own internal fireworks.
And what 4th of July would be complete without an eating contest. Brett Tobler took this very seriously. I'm sure he won. My face was on fire.
This was the best 4th of July that I have ever had. It made patriotic music my favorite holiday music. When your morning starts John Phillips Sousa style how can it be bad? Hope you have an exellent 4th of July!
2 comments:
Chad, you were just a baby back then (weren't we all?)....
I think it's funny that you mentioned that you weren't breaking the rules. It didn't even phase me--we were at the Elder's apartments all the time. Of course, the entire district had to be there together, but that's just how it was where I served, too.
There's definitely something about not living in America that makes you appreciate it that much more. I have to say, the Embassy there did a fabulous celebration. I don't even remember celebrating the 4th when I was out. But, there were always fireworks going off to celebrate something in the Baltics--so it was like the 4th at least once a week for me. :)
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