God Bless America!

We had an amazing 4th of July! As most of you know, we have quite a lot going on right now, what with a recovering baby, a clogged septic system, and a broken down car. So we decided that on the fourth of July we were going to not worry about anything and just have fun! Wednesday night we had some house guests! My young women's leader from my home ward, who is the same age as my husband (weird) and her family came to stay on their way to SLC. It was so fun to have them here and get to know their kids better! Mason, Cooper, Shiloh and Kinley. They are adorable! Because I'm the greatest, I made them Jello poke cake for breakfast :) You can't tell in the picture really, but the whipped cream is blue :)

 Then we hurried out the door to the parade. We were sittin' there in front of Jimmy Johns on the ground when Scott decided to call our great friends Justin and Courtney and see where they were watching the parade from. And Court said that the two green and one black chair in front of Jimmy John's were theirs! How perfect was that?! So we got to watch with Courtney and her two brothers and their families. :) It was awesome. Addy loved standing in the street with daddy picking up candy.

Justin's gym always does a float in the parade. We made Justin show off. He did some double back flip with a twist thing. It was wicked awesome :P Love you guys!

 We then headed over to the swings. Oh my gosh, Addy was so excited to swing again! She hates when I take pictures of her swinging, I'm not sure why. Probably because I wasn't pushing her very much. So she's not smiling :( Sad lol. But she loved it. The day before cast off day I got her a book at the library about swinging that says repeatedly, "Higher! Higher!" So she was yelling that lol.

 I always thought these swings were a bit big for one kid...

 We then headed home for swimming and popsicles. Addy sat in her pool for over two hours! She was so happy to be able to get wet and play in the water. And it was hot! Mom and dad enjoyed sitting in there with her and puttin' our feet in. It was really great.

 After swimming, Addy and Ellie both took really good naps. And then we headed to Menan for fireworks. We didn't want to drive to Idaho Falls and deal with the traffic heading back. And it was a great choice. We drove fifteen minutes to get there and it only took about twenty to get home. The fireworks were definitely not as impressive as I.F., but for the ease of it with the babies, we loved it! And they started at 10 and we didn't leave our house until 8 and there was PLENTY of room! It wasn't crowded at all. I thought it was a great firework experience.
Coloring waiting for the show to start. This girl LOVES to color! Sadly, I melted her crayons leaving them in the sun...how long do you think before she notices? lol

 Ellie is the happiest baby in the world! These jammies were a 0-3 month size which she has been out of for a couple weeks, but I got them for a dollar (the only size they had) and thought that maybe if I didn't wash them they would still fit...and they barely did. My perfect little American baby :)

 Oh my gosh, that tongue kills me. She is starting to mimic us with it! The other day Scott had her clicking! I should have videoed it!

And now we're back to the "lay on top of the baby" hugs. I'm sure Ellie is thrilled about it...

 Ellie loves her sister. She is always turning to look at her and every time Addy talks to her she smiles and talks back. It melts my heart. Addy loves to lay on the play mat with her and play with her. They are going to be the best of friends :)

 This girl has quite the crush on her daddy :) I love watching them play :)

 This look of surprise was due to a "kycle" (motorcycle).

Addy loved the fireworks for the first couple. I thought that she would enjoy them more, but she was tired and squirmy, so they didn't hold her attention long. She was more excited about the planes that kept flying by lol. Elise, on the other hand, was enthralled. She watched the entire show without looking away and without being scared. She loved them! And I think I watched her more than the fireworks. The reflection in her wide open eyes were enough for me!

I am so grateful for this country that we live in and pray every day that our leaders will somehow realize how great our country can be if they would let it. And that's all the politics I'll get into. I am so grateful for the men and women who fight to keep our freedoms. I'm grateful for the gospel and the freedom that I have to worship my Savior the way that I believe He wants me to. I am so grateful that I can raise my children in a place where I am surrounded by good friends and neighbors where they will feel safe and loved.

While waiting for fireworks, Scott was telling me about a devotional talk that he prompted for that talked about patriotism. The speaker, Elder John K. Carmack of the seventy, quoted a letter from John Adams to his wife in which he said that the independence of our country would be celebrated in the future with "pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations from one end of this continent to the other from this time forever more." That made our celebrations so much more meaningful to me. It made me realize that this truly is a day to celebrate and ponder on. It is a day to remember how blessed we are and to truly commemorate the greatness of our country. Happy Independence Day!