Proud to Be Canadian

We had a barbecue yesterday to celebrate Canada Day!  Since July 1st fell on a Sunday we weren't able to go out to any of the Community celebrations and decided instead to celebrate it as a family!  I found Canada t-shirts for Jared and I at Michael's for only $3.99 and Emry had one from last year that still fit her, Armin wore Calum's from last year and Calum got a new one too!  I also found paper plates with the maple leaf all over them and styrofoam cups that said EH! on them.  I was looking at my cookie cutters the other day and noticed I have a maple leaf cutter so I decided to make sugar cookies for Sunday too!  I even had the brilliant idea to arrange them on my huge white platter to look like the Canadian flag!

We invited Buck and Arren and their family over as well as Myrna and Rachel and her boys!  It was nice to be with family for such a wonderful celebration!  We barbecued hamburgers and hotdogs.  Myrna brought the buns (always the best!!), Rachel brought jello, and Arren brought the watermelon.  We had chips and cherries, cookies and chocolate cake.  The kids played, we didn't even see Emry and Lily for most of the day, Gilbert finally got to play a video game with Uncle Jared, Liam and Calum played with toys in the basement, and all the ladies stayed upstairs and visited!  Armin was totally taken with Jonas and played right next to him for the afternoon, I was surprised with how gentle he was considering the brother he has to put up with!!  Later in the evening Dave and Char and their kids came over, and we had more dessert and a nice visit with them too!  It was a nice day, one I thoroughly enjoyed.

Jared laid a sheet of plywood over our island so we could better serve the food.  I am excited for our real counter top to be put on, there is so much space!

I foresee, two best buds!!

I loved Armin's expression in this picture!

Jonas loved chewing on our coffee table!

I am proud to be Canadian...I am so thankful to live in a country where we are totally free...free to worship as we like, free to walk where ever we want, free to go to school, free to speak...I am thankful I can send my children to school without the worry of an ambush or a mine going off as the bus drives the roads.  I am thankful Jared can work where he wants, and learn any skill he wants.  I am thankful my children don't have to fight in any wars unless they themselves decide they want to.  I am thankful as a woman I too can go to school and learn anything I want, that if I needed to work I can.  I am thankful I can go to church and believe in what I have decided and not been forced to worship...I truly am proud to be Canadian!