4th of July Celebration

Next to Halloween, 4th of July is my favorite holiday mainly because of the parades, cookouts, and watermelon. It's usually a big family day. We meet on the parade route with our lawn chairs and bottles of water so we can grab the shade. After the little ones catch more candy than needed, the parade winds down and we head to Mom's house for hamburgers and hot dogs cooked on the barbecue grill in her back yard.

This year we did something different. We went to Austin for a long weekend. The Texas History Museum located downtown near the Capitol Building, offered wonderful exhibits documenting the history of Texas, from native Indians and Spanish explorers up through the oil boom and the aircraft industry. Three stories devoted to everything Texas!

The above is a photo of the giant lone star in front of the museum building. Believe me, no expense was spared in construction. Pink Texas granite everywhere, beautiful light fixtures, and lots of cool air (which is important when it's a 100 degree July day). God bless Texas!