Yes, I changed it again....

in honor of the upcoming holiday. For those of you that read my blog on a somewhat regular basis, you may notice that I changed the background again. I have become a little obsessed with blogging and like to change the background according to different holidays and seasons.
Speaking of the upcoming holiday, happy early 4th of July!
As ususal we don't have any big plans and that is perfectly ok with me. This time last year we bought a little kiddie pool for Savannah and let her play in it for the first time. She loved it! Shortly after that she was crawling. My how time flies! (unfortunately, our dog ate the pool because we left in the backyard blown up. I guess he thought it looked like a fun chew toy)
This year we will be going to Lake Jordan on Friday for Aric's annual office lake day. Aric's boss bought a lake house a few years back and had it completely re-done and I must say, it is awesome! Not a day goes by that we are not thankful for his job and the great benefits that are included.
Back to our plans for the weekend, Saturday is open to whatever we want to do (I love those kind of days) and Sunday is a glorious day to worship our Lord and Savior. Last but not least, Monday is a holiday for Aric (yay for 3 day weekends!) So as you can read, we are pretty simple folks.

One last thing before I go, I also like to post fun facts about the holidays that roll around. I hope you enjoy as much as I do! (it's the small things)

-When the holiday was declared a holiday. Although Independence Day is a legal holiday, it was not declared so until 1941. This was the date that signified the formal adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776.
-The introduction of fireworks. The 4th of July is synonymous with firework displays and are a staple in the celebration. History shows that they were originally made in China as early as the 11th century. This was during the time that the Chinese people used pyrotechnic mixtures for war rockets and explosives.
-Uncle Sam. The 4th of July facts surrounding the term "Uncle Sam" was finally clarified and popularized during the War of 1812. This is when the term originally appeared on supply containers that held war materials. The "Uncle Sam" symbol became synonymous with servitude and devotion, as in Uncle Sam wants YOU. Although there was heavy recruitment taking place, Congress did not adopt Uncle Sam as national symbol until 1961.
-Two factoids. 1)Full support of the Declaration of Independence was not supported by all members of the Continental Congress 2)a representative of Congress rode horseback 80 miles to reach Philadelphia and break a tie in support of independence.
-The Liberty Bell. Originally there were two versions of the Liberty Bell. At the time of their manufacturing, one was found to be defective and had to be melted and recast. The second bell subsequently was also found to be defective. It too had to be melted down and recast. Without any defective places, the third version of the Liberty Bell rang every 4th of July from 1778 to 1835. According to history and tradition, as it rang, it cracked as it was being tolled for the death of Cheif Justice John Marshall, the longest serving Cheif Justice in the Supreme Court.
-Our national poem. A Wellesley College professor, Katharine Lee Bates, was the author of the patriotic poem, "America the Beautiful" which was published on July 4, 1895.


Happy Independence Day Everyone!