Hi Dolls!

I find it hard to write this blog post. July 4th is a bittersweet holiday for my family. We celebrate with a family get-together and cooking on the grill. I find the United States' Independence Day, July 4th, hard to celebrate because the 3rd of July is my beautiful angel brother's birthday! This year he would have turned 52. He was shot and passed when he was 23 years old. Every year, we celebrated by gathering the family, having a cookout and party for my brother. When he was young he thought July 4th celebration was for his birthday! Not till he was grown did he realize the fireworks were for our country! So every year since, we have gathered, cooked out and celebrated Kevin's life. this year is no different.  Though the family has grown and babies were born after his passing, I feel he knows us all and is with us when we celebrate the 4th! 

We have a family gathering in honor of our country's freedom! We have the normal cookout food items, plenty of soda and water. We celebrate by having a big meal, hamburgers and hot dogs and all the fixin's! No cookout would be the same without my Aunt Nita's coconut custard pies, allthough my aunt now has Altzhimers and doesn't remember how to cook them, we have learned from her and they are still a staple in our holiday meals. We usually top off our meal with a red, white and blue decorated cake in honor of the 4th and of Kevin! So to the USA, my beautiful country, I wish a happy celebration of freedom, and to my angel brother, happy birthday Kevin, I love you!