Hope you all had a wonderful Fourth of July! I know I did!

I returned to the Cape Tuesday night after work to spend time with Kayla and Evan (remember them from Week 2’s post?) and had a blast!

That morning, we all sat down together to read the Bible and journal, which was such a precious thing to me. Being surrounded by friends as we all spent time in the Word is something I always treasure and to be doing it with friends who would be leaving soon made that moment even sweeter.

On the Fourth, I experienced many firsts, one being learning how play Settlers of Catan. I’d like to add that I almost won one game, which if you know me, is quite the accomplishment. I cannot claim strategy as a strongsuit of mine.

Another first was checked off when Kayla took me to see a Cape lighthouse.  This one was no longer in operation, but it was fun imagining the beacon being lit as it guided sailors home.

That night, we walked to a nearby beach with a group of friends to watch the fireworks that would be lit over the water. As we waited for the sun to set, we snapped a few shots and searched for sea glass (not an easy feat for a novice like I).

Finally, the fireworks began. They were shot off of a barge out in sea, so they not only lit up the darkened sky, but also the darkened sea below.

As more fireworks were lit, more smoke began to accumulate. At one point, the fireworks were hardly visible through the thick veil. Many of the groups on the beach uttered groans of disappointment, but I couldn’t help but be taken back in time to the War of 1812, when Francis Scott Key watched from afar as he hear the exchange of gunfire and cannons. Was this what it felt like, to not know who was winning, who was dying, who was still fighting?

In the moment when the breeze blew to reveal the fireworks once more, the second verse of our nation’s anthem came to my mind,

“On the shore dimly seen through the mists of the deep,
Where the foe’s haughty host in dread silence reposes,
What is that which the breeze, o’er the towering steep,
As it fitfully blows, half conceals, half discloses?
Now it catches the gleam of the morning’s first beam,
In full glory reflected now shines in the stream:
‘Tis the star-spangled banner, O long may it wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave”

Saturday, I was invited by a girl from church to a get-together her boyfriend’s siblings were putting on. An evening of badminton, campfire, laughter, cookout, and Scattergories awaited me and let me tell you, I haven’t laughed so hard and so frequently in a long time. Does anyone else enjoy a good belly-laugh?

The only evidence I have of the splendid evening is this picture of my dirty feet post-badminton. Photos certainly are a great way to remember a fun memory, but sometimes the lack of photos is that much more indicative of time well-enjoyed (that’s what I’m telling myself, at least).

I am getting ready to begin week 5 of my assignment…WEEK. FIVE.

I cannot believe I am 1/3 of the way through this summer and this time in New England. It has certainly flown, but my, how I have enjoyed myself.