The 4th

The 4th of July.  It's a favorite holiday around these parts.  (yes I realize the 4th was nearly a month ago.  I was unable to blog for nearly a month and a half and I am still trying to catch up.  bear with me.)

It is one of my favorite holidays because it was the first time Aaron slipped his arm around my shoulder as we sat on the beach watching the fireworks over Mission Bay.  I was 17.  He was 19. 

And now those 3 belong to us.  My how time flies.

James loves the 4th because we get to go to the country club with our friends Bill and Melody. It is pretty much the Disneyland of 4th of July events, without the millions of people who are at Disneyland for the 4th of July.  Games, prizes, hot dogs, cotton candy, ice cream, popcorn and snow cones every where you look.

And things like this.  This was a new one.  James took one look at it and was more than ready to try it out.  He went high.  Really high.  In fact, he went so high he scared himself a little, but stuck with it and soon was having fun again.  How could he not love a 4th of July like this?

Then there's this little girl.  Last year we brought her to the 4th celebration and she was 4 days old.  She was snuggled in a sling on my chest and everyone kept asking me, "do you have a baby in there?"  I sure did.

And look at her now; walking around like she's been doing it forever.  

At the end of the night we all watched the fireworks.  James sits there with a huge grin on his face and his hands over his ears cause the noise is too loud.  William copies James and does the same thing.  Last year Lilly slept through the whole thing.  This year she slept through half of it. 

I like celebrating our country's birthday.  I like all the sweet memories it holds for me.  I like the 4th of July.

God Bless America.