4th of July

We'd been doing patriotic activities all week leading up to the 4th...painting patriotic rocks for the garden, learning about the Declaration of Independence, coloring our very own flags, telling stories about the Founding Fathers, making patriotic sugar cookies...we even learned the words to God Bless America and surprised Dad with a rousing rendition of it the morning of the 4th. We celebrated the 4th with gusto this year!

After a tasty ward pancake breakfast (with plenty of delicious food...always a plus!) and a quick morning cat nap (for some...ahem..) we went to a community parade and carnival where the kids got to jump in a bouncy house obstacle course and ride ponies. It was a fairly hot day (like a sauna, in my opinion) so after pony rides we headed home for more naps (again..for some..) and a good old fashioned BBQ in the backyard.

We even made homemade ice cream, a new tradition we want to start, and had the kids taking turns churning it by hand. Word to the wise, hand churn at the beginning of the ice cream making, not the end...I have all the grunts and scrunchy faces on video of the kids trying to turn that handle around when the ice cream was about ready.

Then on to our local fireworks show where we brought our own showstopping marvels to wow the crowds with: popits, sparklers, the friendship pagoda, a very disappointing chicken and eggs (again, no eggs came out this year!) the panda fountain, and our larger and flashier fountain purchases. We happen to see friends from church there and our kids were SO excited to do fireworks with them, it was a lot of fun, with smoke bombs leftover to pass around and extend the fun to another day.

At home we were all tired, except for Ammon and Liam, so we went outside and did more fireworks in the street. The whole time Shayla was begging me to go inside with her and watch from the window, but those that know me, know I have a neverending love for action so I couldn't go inside and miss something! So she relented and we stayed outside until we were all done.

We were having Josh light everything with matches...which didn't work out super well, so note to self...find or buy that little butane lighter before the 4th of July comes again. We all went to bed around 11:30pm, to the cacophony of fireworks being lit across the town. (like my big word in there? I subscribe to "the dictionary word of the day" email..hee heee)

It was a great day to celebrate the birth of our nation and I have much to be thankful for, from my family, to my Heavenly Father who allowed me to be born in this country into a great family, to those who give so much in the military (spouses and kids included!), to those who fought with courage to bring freedom and liberty to this land so long ago. God bless America, land that I love!