It takes a lot of confidence to claim that you have the best 4th of July idea when a quick Pinterest search returns thousands of ideas. But I’m sure. I have the best 4th of July idea and I think when you finish this post, you’ll agree with me.
Why I Love the 4th of July
See, I absolutely LOVE the 4th of July. When I was a kid, the 4th of July was a favorite because we always had company. Either my father’s huge family would join us or my mother’s smaller family would. Either way, the day was filled with amazing food, fun games, and fireworks. I loved helping my mother get ready for the day. Watermelon, potato salad, and cake! I can’t ever remember a bad 4th of July. Everyone was always in a good mood.
It’s not surprising then that when it came time to choose a wedding date, I chose the 4th of July. At least it’s not surprising to me. Other people are usually surprised. My wedding day continued the 4th of July tradition for me. It was a time for family, food, and celebration. My husband and I have been married for 24 years and we still have fireworks.
The Best 4th of July Idea
You might be thinking that I’m going to suggest that you plan a 4th of July wedding date. Nope. Even though I don’t regret it at all, there was some grumbling about people not being able to find babysitters on that day. So keep that in mind for your future kids’ wedding planning.
You may be wondering if I have a special dish that we always serve on the 4th. I have made some fun red-white-and-blue dishes over the years, but no, that’s not the best 4th of July idea.
You may think that there’s a special activity that we’ve enjoyed that you just have to try. While we’ve done everything from play horse shoes, to having a huge fireworks display, to spending the holiday on a cruise shop, that’s not the best idea either.
Oh, now you think you’ve got it. It’s spending time thanking God for the freedom we have in this country. That’s the most important part of the day, right? We do take our freedom and God’s blessings for granted. I would never miss an opportunity to remind myself and others about all we have to be thankful for. I also think it’s important to teach our children about the 4th of July. They should know about our country’s history. There are great materials that make teaching them easy. But that isn’t the best idea I’m referencing.
The best 4th of July idea could be any or all of these ideas if you use them to make memories. My memories of 4th of July over the years give me such joy. That’s what I want to give to my children: wonderful memories of this day. You don’t have to make Pinterest-beautiful recipes or play games that require carpentry and art skills as prep. You don’t have to have Martha-Stewart-worthy decorations or plan a month-long study of the holiday. But you do have to do something–anything–special. Then enjoy it with your family. Have fun!
The last and most important piece of making 4th of July memories is to record them. Take pictures. Shoot videos. And for heaven’s sake, get in FRONT of the camera too. Your kids will treasure the photos and videos of you enjoying the day.
You know what would make the 4th of July even more memorable for me? Share a 4th of July picture of YOU with me at Homeschool Sanity on Facebook. Happy 4th to you, dear friend.
If you’re looking for ideas to make your 4th of July memorable, be sure to check out the hop posts below.
