My most favorite 4th of July ever...

Last night was the first 4th of July that I spent here in John DeShields (JDS). Over the years, I have heard from many people who live here how "eventful" the 4th is in JDS and East St. Louis. They were definitely right! We had a party on my porch for the teenagers in the neighborhood. About 10 kids came to hang out with us, while most kids were with their families. Fireworks were going off all over the place, people were shooting guns in the air and lighting dumpsters on fire. The fire department even showed up! As the volunteers and I talked, we shared how we felt like we were in a movie scene and were amazed at how HUGE this holiday is here in my neighborhood. We had a great time with the kids and each other. We watched the fireworks that the residents were shooting off as well as the fireworks in downtown St. Louis. From my back porch I can see the arch and the St. Louis sky line. I love living here, there's no place like it!