For the last 27 years I have spent July 4th at the farm in Virginia.  And I wouldn’t have it any other way.  It’s my favorite holiday.

(Well, I did miss one holiday gathering the summer I worked as a camp counselor at the YMCA of the Rockies in Estes Park.)

The party is traditionally the Saturday nearest to July 4th and this year that puts the party on July 7th.  Which meant that we stayed in our own actual town for the official Fourth of July!

It’s truly a best of both worlds scenario for us this summer – we get to celebrate our favorite annual tradition AND we get to celebrate locally too!

Yesterday was a sweet and happy party with friends that included a gigantic slip and slide (and a couple of abrasions and goose eggs) and food galore (mandatory – right?) and fabulous company, lots of laughter and a stellar fireworks display.

This weekend we caught another impressive fireworks display at a local church event.  I cannot get enough of fireworks.  I don’t know exactly why I love them, but I really do.  They just feel like magic to me.  

Then we’ll head off to the farm (where the internet is unreliable and the mountains are rolling and the grass is green and there’s a guarantee that people are happy to see us).  We’ll do all the things I love about the farm and July Fourth.  The boys are stoked to fish continuously and I’m grateful that they can do that without my having to facilitate the experience.   We’ll laugh late and long.  I’m excited to bring the floor plans of the new house (thanks SO much Chelsea) along so we can rearrange furniture and make plans and gather ideas.

I want to convince someone somewhere to help me build this in the kitchen.  (You think I am kidding.  But I am not.)

I love that long driveway at the farm and I already have a playlist that gets started the minute we cross the Franklin County border.  Yeah, the playlist is called Franklin County.  And yes, it’s country music.  I’ll bring my cowboy boots.  No one can stop me.

Ryder will run free and wild.  Dog loves the farm as much as I do.

And everything everywhere will sloooooow right down for a couple of days, including me and my brain and my heart.  Farm Time is real and it’s worth driving for.

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