Independence Day

4th of July was great this year! 

Poor Ali didn't get to go to the parade.  She stayed and played with Nana. Nana sent a picture of Ali right before her nap. The parade was different this year.  Normally it runs through downtown but they changed it up making it run through Mackenzie park. It was confusing but we somehow ended up at the beginning of the start of the parade. 

We didn't get there early enough to be in the front row but we held Caroline so she could see.  Most of the flouts had candy. We weren't in a great position to catch it but Chris caught a bag of potato chips.  Caroline as pumped!

Caroline really got into sparklers & poppers  this year. 

Couple of 4th of July memories I have:

1. We almost always went to Stratford to spend it with my grandparents - Stratford had a little 4th of July event in the park. My grandmother sold baked potatoes for the Methodist church booth & I made balloon animals for the kids, mostly dogs, swords and hats.

2. My favorite thing growing up was trying to write  my name as fast as I could with the sparklers.

3.  When I was 16 I was driving all of my cousins around in my mom's minivan.  My cousin Eric thought it would be hilarious to shoot roman candles out the passenger window at  a speed limit sign.  Problem was all the adults were out on the porch and saw the whole thing.  I was grounded for 2 weeks.

4.  Jacee's lit a big fireworks  only she put it in upside down in the canister and it exploded in the field.  I think she might have lost her eyebrows.

Ali's first 4th of July:

We ate 4th of July dinner at Nana and Papaw's.  They bought a Rudy's brisket.  It was so tender! Ali had rice cereal which seemed a little unfair but she was happy to be eating.  

Aunt Jac and Ali

We didn't watch any fireworks show with the girls.  They were sound asleep before dark.  I did watch other people pop big fireworks from my back porch. It was a fun day!

A couple of pictures from this past week:

Matching Swimsuits from Nana

 We bought an inflatable pool that has entertained us for hours

Handwriting practice. We do 2 letters and 1 number a day a day so Caroline doesn't fall behind at school.  I have been using Handwriting without Tears.  Caroline seems to like it.

Picnic at the park.  Ali hung out in the baby bjorn

Ali is eating rice cereal and loving it!

Swimming with daddy

Playing at the science spectrum

Aunt Jacee bought the girls "If you give a moose a muffin" book. Caroline named the moose Muffin  We have read it over and over until Caroline now knows what's coming.

We tried out a trampoline park needless to say we WILL be going back!