We had a great Fourth of July! We got to have Jonathan’s Mom join us for the weekend. We started our day off with some yummy buttermilk pancakes and just hanging out together.

Then we packed a picnic and found a place to sit for the parade. The kids have always loved going to a parade for the Fourth, unfortunately we hadn’t been to one for a few years. This year, since we moved, we were blessed to have the parade come almost out our back door! So, we got out there early and lathered up in sunscreen and ate our picnic while we waited for the parade to come around to us.

We were at the end of the route, so I was worried that the kids would be disappointed by the amount of candy they got, but it worked out just fine. They got just enough to keep them happy for a few days plus some coupons for free ice cream! After watching the parade for over an hour, we were ready to get out of the heat and decided to go home and grab some ice cream before our next stop.

After cooling off we went to a friends house for a shrimp boil. They also happen to have a pool which was a great benefit for the kids.

The pool felt great on that hot day and I got to cool off a little sooner than I expected. My kid’s haven’t had any swimming lessons yet, so I try and keep a close eye on them. I was standing next to the pool and my mother-in-law yelled, “Lydia!” I looked and there she was bobbing up and down in the water a little too deep. I immediately jumped in and got her out. Thank God, we caught her right away and she was fine. She had just taken 1 step too many toward the deeper end. She was ready to get back in right away. Grandma got her suit on, to keep a closer eye on them while I went home and got some dry clothes. I, unfortunately, had my phone and camera in my pocket when I jumped in, so I put them in some rice. When I got back I gave Grandma some reprieve and took my turn in the pool. Everyone did fine and had lots of fun.

Then it was time to eat. Our friends had made a wonderful feast! Boiled shrimp, corn, sausage, potatoes, garlic, and onions with some cayenne pepper. It was delicious! After all that time in the pool, I was done swimming for the day, so I told the kids they would be too. Joel still wanted to have some water fun, so he found some squirt toys and was squirting people in the pool. He got a little carried away and ended up in the pool in his clothes. Thankfully he made it out okay too.

We went home to get him changed and watched some fireworks that our neighbors had bought. Then we went to a friend’s house to watch the big show.
We had a great day with great friends and family. I am so thankful for our freedoms in this country, great family, great friends and our great God!

Now it’s time to shop for some swimming lessons and a camera!