Monday, July 07, 2008

Proud to be an American

4th of July is one of my favorite holidays. It just feels so.......summer! It is cookouts, and friends, and independence, and being patriotic, and feeling like one community. I love community and togetherness. Maybe this why we like to cook people dinner so often. I feel like on the 4th of July people set aside their differences and their party lines and celebrate the freedom that we do have here. What a great country we live in. I am so thankful. I was telling my friends I feel particularly more patriotic this year. While at the beach we saw a big Army fighter helicopter fly along the coast and a American troop sat there in the open door waving at all us beach goers. It was very moving, here I am enjoying the beaches of the Atlantic coast while people are fighting for us, it is enough to make you cry and sing the national anthem. To commemorate these feelings I made an American Flag cheesecake, come on who does not love that!
We did enjoy a cookout of our own this 4th of July with friends. BellaRose and I had gone to pick blueberries with Heidi and her kids, and they just happened to make the perfect stars to this cheesecake and they just happen to be one of BellaRose's favorite fruits! While picking she would just pull them off the tree and eat them. I am pretty sure BellaRose felt patriotic as well with her red, white, and blue stars dress (sorry about the b/w picture).
Look at her being such a big girl walking with her daddy. She does take a couple of steps on her own, but not very often. She likes the security of knowing there is a hand to hold nearby, but really who doesn't!
On Sunday we headed back up to the High Country (notice a trend here) with Brother Ben in tow and went to one of my favorite spots Gragg Prong. I love this place because the trail goes along the river, and there are so many places to swim. Of course we get to this spot pictured and get BellaRose in her swimsuit and the boys jump in the water once and the rains started falling. It was torrential downpour! BellaRose did amazing and did not even care. I guess it is all water to her. The rain lasted about 20 minutes and then it cleared and the sun came out and we got all excited again, set everything out to dry and then another huge cloud came, so this time we decided to back it up. We still had a blast though. We got to see our good friend Steve in Banner Elk and meet his special lady friend, got BellaRose outside playing in creeks and streams. This is what it is all about!




A little blog housekeeping~ I changed around the links to the left. You can now tell when people update their blogs which may help us all save time, as I tend to go through the list everyday to see who updated. Also just to let you know, as more people are joining in on the blog world, whether they be reader or fellow blogger themselves, you can (most of the time) just click on an image to make it larger. Also I will add links from time to time and I always change the color and make the word bold when that particular word is a link to another web page. I hope this helps all you newbies out there. Thanks for sticking out another epic blog. You must really like us!

17 comments:

JTP said...

Reading your posts always makes me miss NC.... Nashville is not to big on quick drives for fun daytrips :-( Unless you count the Jack Daniels Distillery.... I know your cheesecake was delicious- it's so pretty! I may have to make a cheesecake myself- the last few weeks of pregnancy are making me soo hungry!!!!

JTP said...

Oh- neat idea about being able to see when people update their blogs...you are too smart!

Sunday Grant Photography said...

well JT blogger man is the one that is way too smart! i just go with what he says.

KatieKate said...

We like you a lot.

What is it with kids and water? Ry threw a fit this morning when it started raining and I wouldn't let her sit outside on the front porch.

Happy (late) 4th to you! It's my favortie holiday. Looks like you did it up right!

Niki said...

That cake was goo-ood. Even better than it looked and that's saying a lot. I love that last picture of BellaRose standing up by herself. She is getting SO big!

The Colorado Carrs said...

Try keeping a kid in a camper during a rain storm...sheesh....

I think BR looks just like Worth in that top picture. Cracks. Me.Up.

She is such a doll.

The Colorado Carrs said...

Sunday Rose

That is what nicole kidman named her baby!!!!! Isnt that the coolest!

Sunday Grant Photography said...

i know, how wild. i am sure there are going to be all the haters out there who think that sunday is such a strange name, and what were they thinking! I like to think that it is because of me that they did that :). they heard of me somehow and loved the name.

Just April... said...

Yes, I do really like you and I really to like reading all about the Grant house happenings! You seem to lead such a lovely, full and content life. It is a truly beautiful thing! :) Have a great day!

JTP said...

I was hoping Nicole and I would deliver at the same time and then we'd become BFF- obviously I would've told her what a great name she picked and that she should read your blog....man- why didn't William come last week! Oh well, maybe baby William and SundayRose will be in playgroup or preschool together.....

Sunday Grant Photography said...

william and Sunday Rose have to be in the same class. don't they live in franklin as well. any spottings of them. how much fun if you were in the same hopital?!

Julie said...

That cheesecake looked so great! nice job. And I like how you changed your blog roll thing. Pretty neat.

Oh yeah, you guys always go to the coolest places......love the pictures!

Unknown said...

O no, now everyone will know that I go a long time without updating. then again, maybe it will keep people going to see.
Why are you always so punctual, huh, it's not fair?
I want to go to that place sometime, I can't believe I never knew about it.
And, I want to meet Steve's denim designer.
And, I'm really bummed we didn't get to try that cute little cheesecake.
And, very moving thoughts about our country. It is great to be reminded of how fortunate we still are, especially right now.

Heidi and Richard King said...

You guys seem to be drawn to water! Isn't summer great? I love your flag cheesecake and wish I could have had some. I hate to think that we may have missed the last blueberries now, but I know that they went to good use! Yum. You are so amazing at so many things!

Anonymous said...

Good Lord, your child looks exactly like a combo of you and Worth! (How strange, she said with total sarcasm.) Sorry I've been totally m.i.a.-- just crazy around here lately. Er, more than usual, anyway. Am having fun reading up on all I've missed!!

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said...

The post thing is really cool! How did you do that?