The fourth

And now to celebrate America's birthday!


We dressed in our finest red, white and blue and trotted out the flag.  Wyatt has been in cub scouts for a while and is a flag ceremony pro.





After a stirring flag ceremony we did the second-most-american thing we could think of...we went to the movies.  I know, not the most traditional of events for the 4th of July but it kept us entertained.

For the evenings festivities we made our way back over to the peninsula for the fireworks.  We haven't been to see fireworks for the last two years--you can imagine the excitement.


Adell fell asleep in the car about 3 minutes before we got to our fireworks spot--then she stayed asleep in the stroller until the fireworks started.


We watch the fireworks at this great place right on the water.  They launch the fireworks off of a barge out in the bay.  The kids can run around on the grass and a band plays.  There is plenty of space to set up a picnic blanket and hang out.  Colter ran all over the place and tried (with surprising success) to take the cell phones of strangers.  He would spot a person talking on their phone and wander their way...waiting for them to set the phone down on their picnic blanket...then he'd sneak over and try to grab their phone.  Rascal.





Lorien and Wyatt had free reign of the place.  They came back to our picnic blanket every so often for cookies and to tell all the hilarious things they were up to.


Will's brother, Alan, and his family met us for the fireworks show.  Colter found a new distraction in harassing his cousin, Hazel.


Look how adorable Luke is...super adorable.


My kids are adorable too.





Will woke Adell up about 30 minutes before the fireworks started.  We had tried to wake her earlier--much, much, earlier--only to watch her grab a blanket and snuggle back down for "just a little more rest" as Adell put it.











I always feel like we are in the Disney version of Sleeping Beauty as the sun sinks lower and lower.  Right before the fireworks start I think "The sun has set!  Make ready to welcome your princess!" and the fireworks start to go off.  Sleeping Beauty has always been my favorite Disney princess.


I don't know what was happening behind me when I took this picture...it wasn't the start of the fireworks.  Maybe a cool boat was sailing by?


This was Colter's first experience with fireworks.  He did well!  Other than trying to steal cell phones, run into the bay, or run away from us in general--he was great.


Happy birthday America.  You sure are old!