OUR 4TH OF JULY

I hope you all had a blessed and super rockin' 4th of July!  We had a great day!  I had to work. (insert sad trombone: wa wa wa wa), because let's face it, Disney DOES NOT close down for the holidays, in fact they are crazy busy, just teaming with grinning, eager, hot and sweaty folks, ready to celebrate, shoulder to shoulder!!  Fortunately, I had a day shift and was off by 5:00 PM!  


When I arrived home, my awesome Jacob had grilled burgers outside, had a watermelon carved out, potato salad and the works ready.  We all sat down to enjoy our meal and boy howdy were those cheese burgers TASTY!   


It was a few hours until dark still so I took the kids down to the pool (we have nice neighborhood pool at the end of our street) and we enjoyed swimming and cooling down from the hot weather.  


We had talked about driving out to watch some fireworks in Celebration, but to be honest, after working so many years at Disney we are a little bit, I hate to say it... "fireworks spoiled".  It is just that we can see amazing fireworks every night.  It is not all as exciting as it used to be when the 4th rolls around to see the fireworks.  So, we decided we didn't feel like fighting the crowds in the heat and so we bought a box full of mini fireworks that we could do out in our street.  Well the kids loved it!  That was da bomb!  ;-)


Later that evening, the bigs kids and Jacob and I watched the movie, Independence Day, which was (insert falsetto surfer singsong voice) awesommmmme! 

Ok, this wasn't exactly on the 4th, it was at church last Sunday. I'm adding it because it is one of those rare moments that I have a picture with all the kids, AND they are CLEAN.  And NO, I am not one of those moms who dresses ALL of her kids the same every week for church.  NOT that have have ANYTHING against those moms!!  In fact I LOVE those moms and wish THEY would ADOPT ME.   I just happen to mention we were doing patriotic music for worship  (Jacob and I sing on the worship team) and Christina thought it would be awesome to help make them all look patriotic for fun!  

Before I left for work on the 4th, I laid out some clothes for the littles, and told Christina how wonderful it would be if she would get everyone dressed in a festive manner and do a photo shoot.  She did these pics all on her own!!  How blessed am I to have a 17 year old like her??!!

I will remind her next time to make sure whoever she asks to take the pics, takes a lot of shots so we have a few to choose from.  It is tough to get one with all looking!  There is just one shot like this and Hua's eyes are closed. :)

All the shirts are from Lolli.  Thanks Lolli!!  She made the boys shirts by just putting on the little sailboat decals!  Fun, right?? 

Matthew (13)

Christina (17)
P.S.  i <3 Hello Kitty!

Joshua (6)

(Ok, I guess he needs a haircut!  Apparently I am the only one in the house who knows how to comb boys long hair and do "the college sweep" ;) .  I was letting him wear that style, but every time I leave and someone else does his hair, it looks like a bowl cut.  :) 

Joshua and Hua Hua
These two are two peas in a pod.  Always together.  

Katie Grace Hua Hua (4)

Cute little bike rider!

Pool time!  Matthew and Hua Hua.  Refreshing!  It is hot here. 

Joshua and Hua Hua.  Did I mention it is hot here?  

Jacob (in his redneck tee - Git-er done) lighting a firework and making a run for it!

Every time they would be crackling, I couldn't help but sing in a bum bum bum  the tune to"It's a Grand Ol' Flag" along with the display so as to make it a more exciting spectacle for the whole family.  I'm not sure everyone appreciated my soundtrack.  

Happy Fireworks spectators 

Matthew's favorite part was lighting them  

He lined up a whole bunch and then we watch them crackle!

Home fireworks wouldn't be complete without sparklers for the littles!!

Hua Hua was not scared AT ALL of the sights and sounds of her first 4th of July and fireworks experience.  She especially LOVED the sparklers!!