Independence Day

The last few years, I have come to realize that Independence Day is probably the  most exhausting of all the holidays; especially with young kids. This year, we had a full weekend of late nights, sun and water and fireworks. Eh, a little less sleep never hurt anybody, right?

 

First we went to the fireworks at USU with most of my family. We ate dinner at a park, and then treats and glow sticks kept all the kids entertained for a few hours while we waited for the fireworks.

 My kids: always so photogenic, right?

 

 Oh! These cousin moments melt my heart!

 

Then on Saturday, we went boating with Teep at Willard Bay. We've gone a couple times this year, and both times I was really excited... until I realized that I'm uber pregnant and wouldn't really be able to DO much on the boat. But we had fun nonetheless.

 I told Josh to get a picture of me in that hat, because it wasn't going to happen again.

 The first time Meili went on the tube this year, she went with me and she was such a wimp that she just ducked her whole body down inside the tube so no one could see her, and she just kept telling me to tell Teep to go slower. After getting used to it a couple times, she became quite the little daredevil!

 On Sunday, we stayed the night at Josh's parents' house. Originally we were just going to sleep in the backyard in a tent, but Jake and Kami offered us their trailer instead, which was awesome. And the kids basically thought it was the coolest thing ever. (Meili claimed it as her own personal clubhouse, and kept trying to run off to show her cousins her new crib.)

 We did a few fireworks...

 ...And played on the four-wheeler

 ...And played a little round of baseball. With tennis rackets.

This may be a new tradition. I think it was definitely a highlight for Josh.

 Then, on Monday, there was all the usual Honeyville festivities.

 The parade.

Meili is the one lounging in the giant red hat.

I was told by those on the float that Grant really didn't want to share his candy by throwing it. No surprise there.

 Then the carnival at the park

 My children caught several fish is the live fish pond. We won't talk about how "mostly dead" they already were.

 A popsicle is only truly enjoyed if half of it ends up on your face and shirt.

 Then we finished it all off with a water party at Papa Anderson's.

But of course that just couldn't be the end. That night, we went to a party at our neighbors' house, and then the fireworks in Hyrum because Josh had to be the "DJ" for work.

Random

I'm just trying to finally get caught up on all the pictures I have floating around, so this is a photodump, that is definitely not super exciting or totally in order.

Starting with the day that Meili decided she wanted to make an apron. She cut these pieces of fabric and pieced them together the way she wanted them, and I just sewed exactly as she said, which means that she ended up with this very fashionable and durable piece of work...

 I told her that when life slows down we will make her an actual apron, and she is very excited for that day.

 Meili and I had to get our sleepover on the tramp in before the new baby came. Around the end of June, I decided that we were running out of time. After trying to watch a movie on the wall with treats and popcorn, we gave in and decided it was just too light outside-hence Meili and Grant squishing their little heads together to try to get a peak.

 After the movie, we sent Grant inside for some girl time.

 Even 8 months pregnant, I love sleepovers with this sweet girl!

 Somehow my ten-year anniversary with Josh just came and went this year. We have no money, and LOTS of other things going on currently, so I threw together this basket that had a card with it that told the story of our engagement. I also got him a keychain (because 10 years is aluminum or metal) that says, "I still do..."

Our marriage has been anything but perfect, but I will tell you that I've been teaching classes about relationships for the last 4 years, and the more I talk about my relationship with Josh, the more I realize that there is definitely a reason that we are together. He compliments all the areas in me that are lacking, and I couldn't find someone more patient and selfless than the man I chose to be with. Thank goodness for him, and I am grateful everyday for my knowledge of eternal families!

 I can't even tell you what Grant was eating but look at that cute messy face!

 Josh took Grant to Fathers and Sons, so Meili and I had our own campout in the family room. I wonder at what age you stop being able to sleep on the floor with nothing but a pillow a blanket. I have passed that age!

 Josh and I bought a new bed, that came in these boxes that were just screaming "Make a fort!" So this was family home evening one Monday, and I'm not even going to talk about how long it stayed up, before we finally decided it had been long enough.

 We watched my brother's dog while his family was at Disneyland. This is how Grant takes care of Wedge. (Notice all the things that it takes to make Grant happy in his mind: Yankee blanket, treats and trucks. Done!)

 And his face over in the corner! :)

 We have lived in our house far too long to not realize that we have perfect hammock trees, and we have a hammock! I can't believe I could have been relaxing all this time, and I've been missing out!

 The Monday before we had our new baby, I was out of ideas for Family Home Evening, so we made sock puppets. They were definitely homemade, and our puppet show went absolutely nowhere, but the kids keep finding them whenever I try to put/throw them away, so apparently they enjoyed their sock puppets.