The 4^th of July was always a big day for us. It was always a really big production. We always went to the Newport Back Bay Dunes. It was a privately owned cove. It had 2 swimming areas on sandy beaches, grass areas, stores and entertainment for the kids. Momma/cowgirl and I spent a lot of time preparing for this day. We had to get food, clothes, first aid kits, blankets, toys canopies and even a few small tents. Only having six kids, it seemed it was up to us to be there before (at least 5:30am) the gates open and grab the nice spots for the rest of the family and friends. When the gates opened (6am) we would all run with blankets and coolers in hand to find the best spot. Now all we had to do was to unload all the junk and set up the canopies and wait. Wait for what? First we waited for the sun to come out. It was always cloudy and cold at the beach this time in the morning. We all made good use of the blankets. We also waited for the family and friends to show up to claim their spot that we set aside for them. Hours of preparing and now hours of waiting. Then, we saw it. The sun was breaking through the clouds. Oh! and here comes the rest of the family.

By about 10am and all the kids were off playing, Momma/cowgirl started making lunches. Oh, by the way, she wasn’t Momma/cowgirl back then. Just plain and ordinary supermom back then. After the kids ate lunch they had to rest. It was a perfect opportunity for Supermom and I to take a swim, while aunts and uncles took baby and kid watch. We walked on the sand toward the water, my feet burning, but not hers. I ran for the water and dove in. She walked to the water and put her toe in. Then her foot and so on. When she finally got all the way in we went swimming. The swimming area we were in had a huge fiberglass whale for people to play on. There were all kinds of floating devices everywhere. Not too far away there was another swimming area so we decided to make our way towards it. We slowly walked in the water holding hands. Now, we were enjoying some of our time. Days, hours and minutes and finally, it was nice. Supermom and I spotted a little boy, maybe 9 or 10. He was fully clothed floating face up, kind of strange we thought. I wished I could float like that, I float like a bag of old horseshoes. Just as we were approaching him, Supermom noticed that he was frothing at the mouth and his hand was jerking uncontrollably then immediately his body turned face down and he sank. I dove after him and found him quickly. I carried him toward shore and hollered for the lifeguard. He couldn’t hear me. Supermom and I yelled louder but to no avail. Then I yelled ! HEY A**HOLE and got his attention. He came running looking more scared than I was. I laid the boy down and the lifeguard started mouth to mouth. It took what seemed 10 minutes of working on him before the little boy shot about a gallon of salt water from his lungs into the lifeguards face. More lifeguards arrived and put the boy on his side, pushing his stomach to repossess the oceans water. The boy was moving and mumbling and looked quite dazed, but alive! A crowd started to gather and supermom and I slowly headed back toward our kids and canopy to relax. A man came running to us and could not stop saying “thank you, thank you”. An ambulance came and took the shaken boy away.

So it took days, hours, minutes, and a second to be in the right place, at the right time. Soon it was time to do dinner and we could not be more rewarded as watching our kids enjoy this sandy nice meal. Now it became time to take down the canopies and settle on the blankets, wrapping up the children, trying to keep them warm and to watch the fireworks. Six kids and other family members all together watching a beautiful sunset and then a great display of fireworks. Momma/cowgirl and I are very blessed.