Happy 4th of July!!!

We had a busy day from start to finish. First, Tom joined a few friends on the Arcata Plaza for their festival to be a "light in a dark place." They prayed for people and passed out the book of John. We have so much to be thankful for in this free nation. Then we headed up to Trinidad for the annual "Sylvan Harbor Pot-luck". It is our 4th in a row. Everyone decorates their own table and brings their own plates, cups, and silverware. It is by far the best food at a pot-luck that we ever eat! (And that is saying a lot since we attend a
Baptist church!!)
Most of the park is inhabited by older retired fisherman and their families...so the dishes that arrive are usually the freshest seafood available. Smoked salmon, albacore dishes, fresh crab cakes, gumbo with all kinds of sausage and shrimp, etc. Oh man, it is good. We always end up hurtin' ourselves with ready-to-pop stomachs. And there are two people who bring fresh homemade ice cream every year....with good flavors like peach or butter pecan. After Trinindad, we headed to McKinleyville to the Trepiaks for games. A friend made this dessert and when Riley say it he said, "Hey- it's the Grand Ole Flag!" Which was funny to everyone there because he is really too young to know about that song. The story behind that is Gigi in Texas sent a great hardback book of Norman Rockwell paintings to the lyrics to the song, "It's a Grand Ole Flag, It's a High Flying Flag..." We've been reading it and singing the song at home all week. Then after the ladies smashed the men in Mad Gab, we headed for Arcata for Fireworks. Unfortunately, it was pretty foggy by nightfall so we didn't get a great show. But Riley loved it all and we finished the day in our big family bed thanking God for the freedoms we have as Americans.