Happy 4th of July - 2011

            HAPPY 4TH OF JULY!!


I read P. Allen Smith's blog tonight and he wrote about 10 things that inspired him about America.  That really got me thinking about what truly inspires me about our country.

1.  Our soldiers and their families who endure great lengths of time away from one another, and then struggle to readjust to life back at home as a family.  Our society doesn't make that easy.  God bless them for their willingness to give themselves so selflessly.

2.  Yellowstone National Park - such a beautiful place, and so full of the wonders of nature.  Where else will you find geysers, mud pots, hot springs, Earthquake Lake, and so many other thermal wonders?  I was there as a teenager, and sure hope to get back there to see it again one day.  We saw Glacier Lake that same trip.  What a beautiful place that is!

3.  Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse, and the Bad Lands in South Dakota.  It's an interesting place to visit for people like me who are intrigued by rocks!  Nearby, you'll find Devil's Tower in Wyoming.

4.  My parents inspire me.  Both were school teachers for all of their adult lives.  Now that they've retired, they continue to work with young people.  Mom tutors "youngsters" of all ages at her business, "Project Excel".  Dad is the head librarian at the New Windsor Library.  Mom coordinates the best VBS in the country (in my opinion) for Calvary Lutheran Church in New Windsor, and Dad always volunteers to teach a class.  There aren't many people in this world that will devote themselves to the education of children.

5. My kids inspire me.  They each had difficulties in school.  Two were ADD kids (struggling with distractibility issues) and the other struggled with a serious reading disability.  School was not easy for any of them, yet they let me push them to be the best they could be and all three have high school diplomas.  One has begun work on a college degree and the other two will begin in the fall.  I couldn't be more proud!

6.  Dr. H. Farouk Sadiq, and Kathy S. in the NICU at Cardinal Glennon Children's Hospital are truly angels on this earth.  I cannot say enough good things about them or our experience at Cardinal Glennon as our newest grandson, Liam, was treated for Premature Lung Disease there.  They truly love kids and it shows in everything they do.  Their knowledge and expertise is unsurpassed.  My wish for you is that if you ever find yourself in need of treatment for a sick youngster, you'll find the wonderful compassionate people of Cardinal Glennon.  They are angels indeed!

7.  The Smoky Mountains - oh, what a beautiful part of our country!  The clouds hang over the mountains and there are waterfalls to be found amongst the mountains.  There are trails to hike and animals to be found in the wild.  Gorgeous scenery and not far from most of the population in our country.

8.  Food - we have access to every kind of food, every single day in this country.  Our grocery stores stock local produce when it's in season, but they stock produce from every part of the world year round just so we are able to eat what we choose year round.  Amazing!

9.  Work - Even in the worst American economy in decades, we are still able to find employment.  I thank God that all of our family members are employed.  Katy and I work for a great family centered company.  Paul works for a company that struggles, but continues to provide him a good place to work.  Luke works for Lowe's and Emma will return to Dierbergs after her maternity leave.  I can't say enough about how kind the people at Dierbergs have been to Emma during her pregnancy.  What a great company!

10.  My grandchildren - what a fabulous inspiration to continue to be healthy and love life!  One child is no more special than the next, but each new baby reminds us to become more healthy so we are still here to enjoy school plays, ballgames, graduations, and weddings.  I can't wait to experience all of it!!!