While I was in the Air Force, the holidays that made me the most homesick were not the ones you’d think. Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s would come around and I’d be excited regardless of where I was stationed. I would have the best time with all of my military family and friends and would call my parents on those days to check in and see how their day was going. But, I would get very homesick on Easter and the 4th of July. Those were the two holidays that would hit me the hardest. The 4th of July was the worst.
Growing up, every summer my family would go on vacation and it was usually down to the Lake of the Ozarks. We’d stay for about a week and my brothers and I would go fishing, swimming and we’d play 10 cent skee-ball at the Bagnell Dam Strip in Osage Beach. My family loved going to the lake so much that my parents ended up getting a lake house. This lake house is my favorite place in the world to decompress. Listening to the water hit the dock, all of the animal sounds or just nothing does wonders for the soul. It only make sense that it would be the family gathering spot for the 4th of July!
Can anyone say Fireworks, Fireworks and more Fireworks?!?!?! My younger brother and I made several trips to the firework store to stock up for the holiday. I’m pretty sure we thought we were going to entertain the entire lake with our load of fireworks! For those of you who don’t know, proper etiquette for shooting fireworks is when someone shoots them, everyone else screams, hollers and claps…and vice versa…it’s a thing. We provided two night of entertainment but our surrounding neighbors entertained us for a third night. It was amazing! Being from KC, of course we had “The Kingdom” firework! It’s only right!
Some of our Iowa family came down to spend the holiday and I was so glad they did! I haven’t laughed that hard in such a long time and my sister-in-law and I need to start a podcast because we are so funny – just ask us! My brother smoked a ton of meats, we had drinks, laughs, s’mores and the most relaxing time ever! Those are the things I would be homesick for when I was in the military. Now, I don’t have to miss them and I cherish the time I have with my family, making more memories. Please note – for those of you that receive an invitation for next year’s soiree, there will be a fisherman sorting hat for the house you will be bunking in…..”Don’t be Turner, you say? You could be great! Turner House! Yaaaaaaayyyyyyyyy!”
xoxo
Tracy
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