Tennessee Fourth

Oddly enough, we spent our 4th of July in TN. My brother Mark and his family live in Franklin, which is just outside Nashville. It was beautiful there and the weather cooperated quite nicely. Fortunately, everyone's schedules worked, so my entire immediate family was able to be there. 13 people, including 4 kids under 6 years old, in one house. Thankfully, we managed to dodge most pitfalls that such close quarters might amount to, which is both a testament to our wonderful family and to Mark's huge, comfortable home. Major fun was had by all.

Some highlights were playing games, watching my Dad draw stencils with the grandkids, watching the Wimbledon tennis final, fireworks at a local park and exploring downtown Music City. I must say, I'm not sure what I was expecting to see in downtown Nashville. I knew full well that it was the music capital of our country, but I was not braced for just how much music there was. We walked all over downtown and almost every single building/storefront had a live band playing music. Crazy.