Independence Day

Hooray for the red, white, and blue! Friday was the day to celebrate America....but, for us the celebration started a little later in the day. While a lot of folks had the day off, my hubby still had to work, which meant I was solo with the kids like normal until he finished for the day. He did get to work from home though, so we got to peek in at him from time to time. The house was pretty tidy already, so I let the rest go for a while and got some good quality play time with the kids that morning as well....Not a bad holiday after all!

Reid was working on his pulling up and standing skills.

He wants to play trains too!

Uh-oh!

The brothers

Hadley Girl is not going to be left out.

Mom and I thought about taking the kids to the town pool to do a little something different but decided against it since we figured it would be crowded on the 4th. Instead, she said we could come over and the kids could play in the water table. We planned to shoot for noon, but Hadley and Reid didn't make it; they konked out for early naps right after lunch.

Since I knew the younger two would sleep for awhile, Caleb and I went to my mom's while they rested at the house with Dave. It worked out perfectly because it gave me some quality time with my firstborn plus I got a little relaxation time in the sun.

Mom had a sprinkler she's been using for some new grass that made for great fun.

NaNa tricked him with the sprinkler, but he "tricked" her later.

Caleb kept wanting to turn the spigot off and on, so NaNa taught him how to cinch the hose to stop the flow instead.

We got out of the water after awhile and enjoyed a few other things around NaNa's house too. We found a little nest with four eggs in her fern, rode the "Chicken Wagon" around to pick raspberries, and even spotted a turtle.

Caleb kept telling us you couldn't eat the berries until we were done unless you forgot...but, he kept "forgetting."

Most of the raspberries weren't ready yet but should be soon. We even found a few black raspberries on our hunt.

The turtle wasn't afraid of us. He just kept looking around.

Dave called when the younger kids woke up and we went home to get everyone ready for the evening festivities at my Uncle Greg and Aunt Julie's farm. The hubby still had some work to do, so we tried to be ready when he was done.

Hadley was at the door eager to get there!

Sometimes picnics and outings can be stressful, trying to balance three little ones and all of our plates of food. We had so many friends and family around though that everyone took turns loving on my babies and helping so it really made for a relaxing evening for us to enjoy ourselves instead of being overwhelmed.

Hadley is truly Granddaddy's girl. She goes running straight for him.

The kids' favorite part was the pool. This was the first time they'd been to a "real" pool this summer.

Ready to swim! Someone please help that girl with her life jacket.

Beautiful view!

Granny and Grandma offered to watch Reid for a bit while I went down to the pool with Dave and the other two kids, which I thought was a good plan since I wasn't sure how cold the water would be or how much help my hubby would need. After sticking my foot in and feeling how warm it was and seeing how well Caleb did on his own with a life vest, I decided to go get our littlest family member and take him for a dip too.

He was busy meeting new people.

He made quick buddies with my Granny's brother, Uncle Eddie.

Things were going so great until it was time to get out. Then, Hadley started having a meltdown about getting out of the pool and Caleb stepped on a bee that he said stung him twice. (That poor fella can't catch a break!)

Cupcakes and grandparent loving fixes everything.

The rest of the evening we just enjoyed each other, the people around us, the gorgeous scenery, and the band.

Grandma, Aunt Maragret, and Granny were a trip together. Here they are all pretending to share a cane.

Finally, it was time for what we'd all been waiting for - the fireworks! We got out our jackets and some blankets and settled in as the sun set.

I don't think there is a more beautiful spot to watch fireworks.

Some kids that were running around had some extra glow sticks they gave us, which were great sources of entertainment. All through the fireworks, Hadley kept squealing repeatedly, "Lasso...lasso....I need horsie," as she waved hers around in the air.

Reid had a bit of a hard time falling asleep with all those loud noises, but he finally drifted off in Daddy's arms.

I think this is the first time we've really had the opportunity to sit and watch fireworks as a family since Caleb's been born. It was such a nice evening and an event that I hope my aunt and uncle will continue at Meadowbrook Farm for years to come.