Happy Birthday America!

The 4th of July we actually spent "at home" with our best friends CAS & Christy. The kids loved shooting off fireworks. M&M enjoyed watching from afar. This is Carly and Daniel doing smoke bombs of all colors.

While David and Daniel ran around with their super-duper sparklers, Michael was more interested in the plane flying over-head.

Andrew lit some small sparklers for M&M. Mary Ellen wasn't so sure about being that close. Especially after she burned herself on a smoldering one a little later.

The day before the fourth, we drove to the upstate to visit Andrew's sister Amy. Papa and Mama Jo were there too, so it made for a complete family reunion. We celebrated with a flag cake that all the kids were excited about! We went to the pool and played and generally the cousins got to know each other. They haven't seen each other since M&M were about 6 months old.

Michael and Mary Ellen are so much like how Andrew and Amy were growing up. Although not twins like M&M they are very close in age. Mary Ellen shares many physical characteristics with her Aunt Amy, as Michael does with Andrew. Great picture of the 4 of them. M&M are still waving flags around the house...they loved it!

I love these last two pictures of Andrew with M&M and Brygs. Brygs was born just 2 months before M&M. It will be so fun seeing them grow up together. I'm sure they will be great friends!

I hope everyone appreciates those who sacrifice for our freedoms this year and every year. Great weekend of celebrating with OUR hero :-)

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY!

Papa & Mama Jo Visit!

It's been so nice to actually live near family again! Andrew's parents came for a visit a few weeks ago to help out with M&M. The initial stages of building our house has kept us busy and having to attend several baby-free meetings. So thoughtful that they would drive across the state just so we can go to a few meetings. We did lots of the standard stuff while they were here, like going for walks and playing in the pool. But you can rest assured that if we were inside, you'd find Michael with the train set....

...and Mary Ellen with the books!

We did get to spend time outside in the water too. The pool, the sprinkler or just the hose are hours of fun.

They were both fussing over who got to sit on the sit-and-spin. So our solution was just to put both of them on it. They seemed satisfied and had fun trying to spin it!

Mary Ellen hated the sprinkler at first. I think it was just cold and startling to her. So we eased her into it by stepping on most of the sprayers until she got closer and then used to it. Now that's the fun game...to stop up the sprayer with her foot or hands.

That little girl loves sticking her face right in it now!

Now have you ever seen a happier little guy? Michael has always LOVED the water!

I'm telling you...we've been to some really fancy pools but this little blow-up one is a hit! The best $10 we ever spent...got to love Walmart :-)

Fun time with Papa and Mama Jo! We truly feel blessed to be back in the South and know that M&M will be able to grow up seeing their grandparents often. Life is good!