The Red, White, & Blue

Happy Independence Day!

I always hear stories about barbecues and cook outs taking place on the 4th of July.  I may have even participated in several of these, but I do not really remember very many of them.  This year I tried to do something to better commemorate the occasion.  So... we made a cake :)

(Matt's Note: I was on tour with a rather large group feeling the weight of complaining people when my phone buzzed and i looked down to this picture. "look what i made" was all it said. I had to smile at the sheer cuteness of Jessica and her common lie that she has no artistic ability.)

I have never made a flag cake before but I really wanted to this year.  I was craving some berries and cream.    It just happened to end up with 13 stripes on it.  Shear luck! 

(Matt's Note: They had his whole barbecue thing the day I was getting home from tour...before I got there. :) yep. They couldn't wait another 4 hours until 930pm till I got there. Turns out there was something about it being a bit late for an outdoor barbecue. GOSH! haha the food was wonderful as leftovers too.... I'd also like to say that the tour after this occasion I went out and got a fresh grilled steak in Denali and enjoyed it immensely. Take that! :) )

We had an official 4th of July Barbecue and it was awesome.  Of course we grilled some good old fashion beef patties but we also found these really yummy chicken patties that have spinach and cheese and stuff mixed in.  There was also grilled corn on the cob, zucchini, and mushrooms.  

We also had potato salad, carrot sticks, homemade onion rings, and of course every dipping sauce known to man.  Of course the best part was the bacon I put on my hamburger.  There was so much yummy food I almost didn't have enough room for all of it... almost. ;) 

Oh and for dessert we also had some amazing macaroons and apple crisp.  

We were able to spend time with family and enjoy one another's company.  It was a very good night and I really enjoyed spending time with family, even though my wonderful husband was not able to come to the whole of it.  

I truly am grateful for this great country in which we live, for all the lives that were lost protecting our rights, and for the opportunity I have to be apart of it today.  I recently have been inspired to learn more about our history and the things that have shaped our country.  Learn from the past to help shape our future.  

(Matt's Note: Happy 4th Everyone! I hope you all had a great day of fireworks and barbecues. May God bless our precious liberty and help us to always remember those who gave their names, lives and sacred honor to establishing, preserving, and defending this wonderful nation.)

Highland Games

Every since I met Matt and we started dating I have heard about the amazing Highland Games.  Sounds fun right?  I mean games are fun, so going to higher land to play games must be fun too right?  The year we were dating Matt bought be a ring at the Highland Games.  It is very pretty, it has an emerald in the middle and a Celtic knot on either side.  Last year during the festival both Matt and I were working so we missed it.  This year I figured it was about time I go and see for myself what the Highland Games were all about.    

Turns out, the Highland Games are part of a festival in Anchorage every year where people with Scottish ancestry come and more or less celebrate the fact that they are Scottish.  There are booths set up everywhere with everything from Shortbread cookies to Scottish kilts.  They invite bagpipe bands from Alaska to come and play for everyone.  They were more or less like marching bands, the matching outfits, the marching formations, but with only bagpipes and drums.  I learned that bagpipes and actually very complicated to play, apparently it takes 6 months before you can even play a song on one.  Do you realize how much patience that would take...? 

Here is a really tall man from the band.  As you can see he is decked out with skirt... oh I mean Kilt.  We asked him if we could have a picture with him, he asked if I wanted to hold the bagpipes and before I could even respond they were in my hands.  I think it is safe to say I will not be taking up bagpipe lessons in the future.  Also, if you look closely... Very closely... you can see the ring I was talking about. 

The actual games referred to in Highland Games are the old school muscle competitions.  They had a field where athletes were competing all day.  They had things like the Tug-o-war, the Caber toss, the Hammer throw, and throwing really heavy weights in different directions - for height and for length.  Similar to the types of things they do on the movie Maid of Honor.  All the guys competing were super buff, the girls competing were super buff too.  All in all, it's amazing no one ended up in the hospital.  

The Highland Games were in large part an excuse to dress up and get in touch with your roots.  Everywhere I looked there were men dressed in Kilts or families all decked out in plaid.    I even saw a lady that reminds me of the girl in Brave.  

  

 

Traditionally kilts are plaid and come in bright colors, but now they are making some that are more functional called Utilikilts like what DJ has on... Google it. 

There were two rock/bagpipe bands that got on stage and performed for us that day.  The first was really entertaining, one of their drummers was crazy.  He had so much energy and was rockin' out to the music a lot (while wearing a kilt of course).  They did have a really neat sound though, the coolest part was that they are actually from Scotland and just came here to do a concert for us.  Yes, that means their accents were sweet.  The other band was actually from Australia, but their music had bagpipes in it too... also the didgeridoo.  They were selling didgeridoo's along with their cd's at a side table.  Guess who brought one home with us as a late Birthday present...  Yes,  the music man of the house.  He could not have been happier. 

The Highland Games had the biggest turnout ever this year.  Either people are faking it or more people are discovering that they have Scottish heritage.  I found out that day that I actually have some Scottish in me too.  But alas, the time has come to put all the kilts away until next year when the games begin again.