Happy 4th of July!

We had a fun day celebrating our freedom as Americans! I am so thankful for the men and women who risk their lives on a daily basis to protect our freedom, for their families who are left behind with a void while their loved ones are away...worrying & missing their husband or wife, mom or dad, son or daughter, or friend on a daily basis, for the bravery and pride that touches every part of their lives as they represent our country.

We joined two other couples from our small group for an Austin style 4th of July celebration. First stop, Rudy's, for some Texas BBQ.

Ryan, Truman & James

Katie & JennAfter dinner, we all headed over to the Congress Ave. Bridge in downtown Austin. It is home to the largest urban bat colony in North America, estimated at 1.5 million bats. Each night in the summer, the bats emerge from under the bridge at dusk, blanketing the sky as they go out to forage for food. The event has become an unusual tourist attraction, drawing crowds of visitors and locals alike to the bridge most summer nights.

The lake was busy with boaters & kayakers out to enjoy the holiday, and they began lining up in the water below the bridge to watch, as spectators began lining the bridge.


Do you see those swarms moving past the skyline? They could easily be mistaken from a distance by an unknowning viewer as swarms of bugs, or even birds. Nope. Bats. Millions of bats.

This was my first time viewing the bats. It was quite a site! The individual bats are much smaller in size than I had imagined. Swarms of bats appeared from under the bridge for a good ten minutes, making their way over the water & trees before disappearing in the distance.

We chatted as dusk turned to dark, and then enjoyed a colorful fireworks display from our spot on the bridge. We had one of the coolest evenings we've had in Austin lately, and there was a great breeze, which made for a pleasant evening outside and a rare break from the heat of a Texas summer. Such a blessing! We capped our night off with some local Amy's ice cream.

I hope you enjoyed a fun celebration with your family and friends as well!