Fourth of July '13

Happy Fourth of July!!!  Look at this great chalk art my brother and sister-in-law created with Addie and Ashton!  We were so happy that Jordan and Jen could come home for this holiday!  They are living clear over in North Carolina now and we miss them so much!  

We did a lot of fun things while they were in town.  One of the things we enjoyed doing was playing tennis.  Look at this gorgeous group!  We try to make it look like we know what we are doing!

This was my tennis partner today!  

Look at that form! 

We also returned to Jen and Jordan's old stopping ground... Independence, KS.

We love the water park up there!  

Sora wasn't feeling good so Sara stayed home with her and we brought Mika with us.

We loved riding around in the lazy river, racing down the slides, jumping off the diving boards, and hopping across the lilly pads!

The kids did this over and over again.  Well, the kids AND Jordan and Jen!

The goal was to not use your hands!  Hippity, 

hippity,

hop!!

I was there mainly to sit back and relax!!  After the water park we drove by Jordan and Jen's old house and then stopped at Braums for some lunch before heading home.

The Fourth of July was a lot of fun!  This year the Vaclaw's decided not to hold a firework show, so Randy and I, along with the Hansen's, held a neighborhood party.

 This has now become a staple at every Fourth of July party!  I waited too long and ended up with raspberries instead of strawberries, but it was still super delicious!

We sat up the food tables in the garage and just enjoyed each others company!  Love my sisters!!  And mine and Jen's outfits were not planned!  Great minds think alike.     

 Avery and Mika had fun taking care of all the little kids.

Here's Ashton with some of her and Addie's friends.  We love our neighborhood and all the kids that live around here!  This is Laynie Hansen and Adelade Vysotsky.

 Lots of games going on, especially corn hole!

 But of course the real show was the fireworks!  I think this is Austin's favorite holiday!  He couldn't wait for it to get dark!

 Spectators!!  I like to watch... I'm not big on lighting the fireworks myself.  I think my mom agrees!

 Addie with her Uncle Jordan... and a few photo bombers!  Hahaha!  Like mother, like daughter!

 Addie and Sora with some mega sparklers!

 Love this picture of Austin with the fireworks in the background.  That isn't a fake smile!  Fire makes this boy happy!!

  Even though it was more of a low-key Fourth of July, we loved being around our family and friends!

 We topped off the night with some flying lanterns.  They were beautiful flying through the night sky.  Happy Fourth of July, everyone!  I'm so grateful to live in this wonderful country and for the freedoms I have been blessed with and for those who have helped fight to keep those freedoms.  I pray that God will always be able to help us keep these freedoms.