AMARILLO, TEXAS -- The fourth of July 2011 is almost behind us now, but we hope you got a chance to celebrate it whatever way you chose to do that.
A lot of you spent at least part of the Monday outdoors with family and friends, but chances are without fireworks.
Even though there were no fireworks, hundreds of people still gathered at Amarillo's John Stiff Park to celebrate Independence Day.
No rockets' red glare, but a lot of live music, food, even some rides and games for the kids.
Marine Staff Sergeant Robert Creeden says that, as a war veteran, he was just happy to be home and be with his wife and his kids.
"It's been really nice, I'm out here on recruiting duty right now so it's really nice I haven't had to go over seas in over a year now, I get to spend a lot of time with the wife and kids and like I said Amarillo is a really nice place to be, real patriotic place, I get a lot of admiration from a lot of people around here and it feels nice."
Creeden says that he wasn't bummed there were no fireworks, he says this year, the day was more about celebrating our freedom.
"Of course fireworks are always great to have and everything but it's not about fireworks, it's about celebrating the birth of the United States. Anytime you can together and celebrate that and actually have the means to be able to do that in our country is a true form of what the fourth of July is about."
Steven White, an Amarillo citizen who spent the day barbequing with his family, couldn't agree more, he says with our current conditions it's just not worth it.
"With the conditions we've had this year we're welcoming a laser show versus the fireworks this year, so we're really looking forward to seeing what it looks like, I think it'll be very good."
Sergeant Creeden also said you don't realize how much we have here until you go overseas and see what other countries do to celebrate their holidays.
He said we should feel lucky to be free.
