Fantabulous Fourth!

We had such a fun 4th Of July holiday this year! We love celebrating our freedom and our USA nation's birthday. This year was the big 235th! But really any reason to have a get together in the summer time where family, friends, food, fun and fireworks are concerned is more than fine by us :)

To start off the shindig, it was nice to cool off on an extremely hot day by swimming at my sister's community pool in Gilbert. Not so fun having to share it with many others who had the same idea, but it worked out well enough. For everyone else anyways (I didn't swim, don't feel bathing suit ready quite yet), but the kids sure enjoyed Jared taking a dip with them and throwing them up in the air along with soon-to-be Uncle Adam. I did strip Aidan down to his diaper and let him wade his little feet, but that was about it for our little man!

For the BBQ portion of the party we ventured over to my parents house in QC and lounged around for a few hours eating, talking and watching old home videos. I get so embarrassed by the really OLD ones and how camera happy I was as a young kid. That sure doesn't happen now! I also brought along my new prized possession, my hot off the press blog book for my family to see. So fun to have all my hand work in my hands...so proud! As part of our holiday get together, we included a new chapter, one big do-it-yourself firework fiesta! Thanks to AZ for making fireworks legal :D We all contributed some "firetricks" (what our kids call it when they are little) fun and had a great time sending off the blasts of sound, color and sparks! Unfortunately one of those sparks hit Lexie's leg while posing for a picture, (no damage done, but I'm sure it hurt) and she was less than willing to take anymore pics or be near the fireworks after that. I felt bad since I made her take pictures obviously a little too close to the action :( Avery enjoyed the sparklers, but hated everything else, especially all the loud bangs and pops. Andrew was right in there having a ball with all the boys, no fear there in his element.

After our own firework show and now running a little behind schedule, we ran over to the side of the road not far from my parents house to watch the Schnepf Farms fireworks. It was fun to watch, but my hair, skin and contacts sure did not enjoy all the dust and grit thrown at them from the really windy night. With the wind factor and all the lightning around (rain that also came later), we were surprised to see any fireworks at all! We went back to my parents house after that for dessert and called it a fun filled night.

Jared went the back way home (he had come to the party right after work and from picking up fireworks so he had his own car) and got stuck in Schnepf Farms traffic, along with my sister and her family, so I was glad that I went the other way home because it definitely was a long day for us, but more than fun :)














Schnepf Farms Fireworks