This was the fifth consecutive "4th" we have spent in Europe and the 8th summer of my life celebrating overseas. For whatever reason our Independence Day's have historically made for pretty good stories.  Our first 4th was in Germany.  I was due with our first baby. Most memorable was a lone electric guitar playing the Star Spangled Banner and feeling super choked up. We parked in a field and had to drive off a small curb to exit.  In doing so we knocked our muffler clean off… right before I went into labor. Did I mention they had strict noise control laws in Germany?

The summer of '94 I was nearly due with Alannah.  We were in San Antonio and the temps were near 100.  We watched Selena perform at the base celebration that summer.  She would be murdered a few months later.  

In the late 90's we returned to our vehicle on an army post in VA to find it stone dead.  We tried everything we could but it was no use.  We had to get a taxi.  Actually, when you have six kids you have to get two taxis.  We split up the kids and Allen's taxi took off.  I got into another with the babies and we set off.  It was like midnight by then.  Our driver turned off into a dark remote area and I freaked completely out.  Didn't say anything but was preparing to be a statistic.  He must have read my mind because he quickly fell all over himself to explain he knew a better shortcut and sure enough we arrived home first. 

We spent a frigid 4th in Colorado about a dozen yrs ago.  We had hoped to see the fireworks up at a old mining town but didn't realize it could be 50 degrees up there, even in summer.  Totally were not prepared and decided that with toddlers along, discretion was the better part of valor.  

The year we left Colorado we spent the 4th watching a parade in our tiny cow town.  I use the word town loosely.  : )  I think the whole "town" was actually IN the parade. 

This year we celebrated at RAF Feltwell.  The RAF Red Arrows performed and the kids hit the carnival rides.  This year's highlight ended up being that there is one "gate" out of RAF Feltwell.  Thousands of people exiting single file.  That took about 3.5 hours.  I don't remember all of that.  I do remember waking up a few hours after we began lining up when I heard a boy ask if we were still on base.  Yep.  Still on base.  Still fun though. 

We had today to clean, cook, and pack and are off again for  a totally different adventure.