the 4th

I don't know about you, but the fourth of July always leaves me feeling so happy with my life. I love everything about it.....summer time, BBQs, friends, watermelon, red, white & blue, parades, fireworks, and the music!! I am so grateful to live in this great nation that was founded on righteous principles and shepherded by honest men for so many years. I am so glad to have the opportunity to participate in government and know that I need to take my civic duty more seriously. I love this country so much, I love singing the songs seeing the flags and talking to my children about how it is that we came to be as a nation. I am so lucky to have family around me who love this holiday as much as I do, and to have a wonderful husband who knows more about the historical events leading up to the revolution and all the fun facts about it! We had such a great series of talks about it...
So in short.....HAPPY 4th of JULY!!!

I will include the words to the last verse of the National Anthem as a quick tribute... I don't think I have actually made it through without bawling once in my entire life....even as a little girl in church, I remember sobbing through it....here it is...

O, thus be it ever when freemen shall stand,
Between their lov'd homes and the war's desolation;
Blest with vict'ry and peace, may the heav'n-rescued land
Praise the Pow'r that hath made and preserv'd us a nation!
Then conquer we must, when our cause is just,
And this be our motto: "In God is our trust"
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

(seriously I am already dripping tears in just writing it)

Saturday July, 3rd we drove over to El Dorado Hills to watch the show they put on....it was actually really descent...perfect for the kids...not too loud!

(Gordon giving his new favorite look...a wink)

setting up shop....

there's nothing like killing time with a camera....our new one has a rotating screen so you can see yourselves while you self-portrait!!

Steve's responses to trying to get one of us where we both look normal...so much for that

I LOVE THESE BOYS....

there's nothing like glow sticks, grasshopper cookies, and twizzlers for fireworks!

Sunday July 4th we went to church, napped, and recovered from the previous late night....then had a delicious BBQ and Apple Pie with Family...it was a perfect day!

Hope your 4th was just as wonderful!!

big baby girl

I am just not sure I can explain how much I LOVE this little chubby girl...she is growing up too fast but I love to watch it happen, every new trick just makes me laugh, cry and love her more!! Look that those irresistible legs! And can you even stand that she was looking at a book before she toppled over to sleep...oh and she has finally learned how to drink a bottle...phew!

I love love love being a mother to such wonderfully adorable children!
I am so so very lucky!!

quick money

Gordon has always been very interested in the acquiring and spending of money and now he is hitting the jack-pot!!

He is seriously excited about losing teeth, for years he has envied those who get money just for teeth and now he can join the club!!

Tooth Fairy, Watch out...we have one motivated kid...since I took these pictures less than a week ago he has already added another tooth to his hit-list. He has 2 more that are starting to be wiggly and is convinced he can get those "out in no-time...I can wiggle them all night"

Ellie's new Best Friend

Ellie has a new BFF.....Lucy!

Lucy is a spicy little red head who loves all the same things Ellie does, it's a match made in heaven!

They're such cute little friends...we're so happy to have them!


Ellie regularly saves "Ucy Fox" a seat at lunch, snack, on the couch, etc just in case her friend wants to come over!