An interesting Fourth of July

Happy Fourth of July! Looking out my bedroom window it looks like it will be a nice evening for some fireworks. Seeing that Ayla goes to bed so early, we won't be going...

An interesting fourth it has been. As I'm sure all who read this know, my Dad had some pretty major surgery yesterday to remove a melon-sized tumor from his shoulder. It has been a stressful week. Monday (June 29) Dad was scheduled to have what was believed to be a benign tumor removed from his shoulder. But when the surgeons got in there they found it to be a different story. They let us know that it was cancer (a soft tissue sarcoma) and Dad was scheduled to have it removed Friday, July 3rd.

The surgery went well and they successfully removed the entire tumor and saved his arm! This is good news! So I spent the morning up at the hospital sitting with him.

Generally, Dad and I have a different fourth of July tradition. Each year for as long as I can remember, he and I go to the firework stands on Monona drive here in Madison and pick out A LOT of fireworks and light them off! (usually after the big city fireworks are over) Obviously this tradition has been tweaked a bit the last few years since Ayla has been around. Also, the Martin family has taken to saving some fireworks and lighting them off in the snow at Christmas time! If you've never done that, you should definitely try!!

Anyway... I mostly wanted to type this blog for the sake of keeping a record of what's going on in life.... I'm sure both Dad and I would rather be lighting off fireworks tonight. If you are of the praying kind, please shoot a few of those up along with your fireworks tonight. Love to all.