To be honest, the 4th of July isn’t usually a big deal for the Rubins.  Not that we don’t love our country and cherish our freedom from tyrannical kings, but we normally don’t celebrate much beyond some yard work and a BBQ.  This year was a refreshing change and hopefully something we can continue in years to come.  We started the day off by heading to Tryon Palace in New Bern, where a group of historical re-enactors read the Declaration of Independence for all who were gathered.

It was an impressive performance, and a great reminder of what the holiday is all about.  The occasional shouts of “down with the king” as the document was read set the ambiance perfectly.  There was also a group of drummers and fifers that played some great patriotic tunes as well.

Faye was particularly interested in the band, and was playing her own “flute” along with them (as seen here).

There were lots of activities for kids and it turned out to be a great day for all of us.  We made it home in time to meet up with some good friends (and Faye’s new best friend) for some good food and play.  With some strategic “quiet time” and sugar loading, we hoped Faye would be able to hold out for fireworks after dark.  Her only previous experience with fireworks did not work out well, as she freaked out after the first boom.  Preparation paid off this time.  With her “kiddie” ear muffs in place, she was unfazed by the noise and fascinated by all the pretty lights.

We headed out with our friends to see the show near the base.  It turns out the little town of Havelock puts on a pretty impressive fireworks show.  There were 30 minutes of some pretty big explosives.  The kids did great (Gavin slept through it all) and we all had a picture-perfect Fourth.  Photos from the day are in the gallery.

I have received your calls, emails, and letters of complaints regarding the lack of posts on the website.  I was a little disturbed with the violent demonstration in the front yard, but I fully understand the mass discontent.  Apparently, raising two kids with a mom who is trying to finish a masters and a dad who works 12-hour days, is harder than we thought it would be.

Well, I took some vacation for Passover and hopefully have made up for the blog hiatus with the mass of new photos in the gallery.  Speaking of Passover, we have had a full house for over a week now, with grandparents, uncles, cousins, and great grandparents coming from five different states to celebrate our freedom from slavery (or at least to taste Shannon’s brisket and pinch Gavin’s cheeks).  It’s been wonderful seeing everyone and the kids just loved all of the attention.

The grandparents Pilvinsky came by first and grandma hit the jackpot with a home-made Thomas the Train dress.  I have never seen Faye so excited in my life and we had no less than 10 comments on the dress when we went out for the day.  The rest of you might as well just start saving for a sports car for her 16th birthday because I doubt anything will top this dress until then.

My dad and the Edelson clan rolled in as the Pilvinskys headed out.  Sam was so good with Faye and Gavin and all the kids had a blast riding bikes, playing games, and exploring together.  The trip out to our secret beach was a highlight as always.

We had a great seder with the crew and several other local guests.  We even had a rabbi on loan from the Navy as a special guest.  Shannon had been stressing for a couple weeks now about getting the house ready and all of her cooking preparations, but she really did a stupendous job.  Each year the food gets better and better, and this year was the best yet.  Scrumptious brisket, homemade gefilte fish, matzoh kugel, matzoh ball soup, freshly grated horseradish (thanks to the rabbi), and the best Pesach brownies on earth.

It turns out the rabbi is an avid cyclist, so we went for a ride together on Emerald Isle on Sunday and then met the family at the beach for a nice Passover picnic.  It was a beautiful day and Faye got to try out the new kite grandpa Jerry brought for her.  The weather was perfect and Faye was having such a good time playing in the water, I just could not resist the shutter button on the camera.  There are tons of photos from the event for your enjoyment.  There is video from the weekend to follow, but I have to wait for my dad to send me the footage.

As fast as everyone arrived, they are all gone now.  It has been a whirlwind tour and while we miss the great company, we are doing so in a quiet and peaceful house once again.  We still hope for “next year in Jerusalem”, but in case that doesn’t happen, we look forward to next year at the Rubins’ again!

It’s great that Faye can be more involved in the holidays now that she’s a little older.  She helps daddy light the candles and says “amen” after each prayer.  She really wowed me the other night when she actually said “shema” all on her own.  Each night before she goes to bed we kiss the mezzuzah on her door and say the Shema.  A couple nights ago, before Shannon even said anything, Faye spurts out “shema” (the word, not the whole prayer) all on her own.  It was a wonderful moment for me.

Of course since daddy wears a kippa when he says the blessings over the candles, Miss Faye has to do the same thing (hence the American flag kippa).  I know it’s not the norm, but she looks so cute with it on and gets so excited to wear one like her daddy.  You can see more pictures here.

Our monkey… dressed as a monkey.

More photos in the photo gallery