4th of July Weekend

Here we go.. our 4th of July recap.

Friday - we stuck near home, and Mark worked part of the day. That evening we spent Thomberg Family Pizza Night at Sammy Perelli's Pizza Place near our home. Mark and I enjoyed our pizza on their patio and the kids ran around the deserted tables.

Saturday - We loaded up the Pacifica and headed west for Kandi to Barb and Charlie's cabin. The kids enjoyed the water. I loved being the mommy who got to spend time catching, and catching, and catching as the kids jumped off the dock.

Cousin Eric, Ethan and Wilson Melberg at Kandi.

With the new season comes the next size up in life jackets. Anyone want to buy pink or blue in the up to 30lbs size? (Only worn three times).

Water time.

LeAnn Melberg, Andrea, Marly and Dean.

After supper and round two in the water at Kandi... we dried off and headed to Jan's on Lake Allie for fire works (and lots and lots of desert too). As we arrived, Michelle (pictured above) whisked the kids off for their first golf cart ride of many over the weekend. The Twinners and their cousins enjoyed sparklers too(with very close supervision of course).

Watching fireworks was the latest my kids have ever been up on purpose! Above is Wilson and Laura. Not pictured are Jason Walter and family, who headed back to Iowa the next day. They had been at a resort with Carol and Loren for a week.

Silly Mark and Me!

The Twinners - changed into PJ's and sporting Auntie Jan's silly Buddy Holly commemorative glasses before we headed to bed over at Mike and Laura's. Thanks for giving us a place to crash.

Sunday - We headed back to Lake Allie for dinner at noon at Jan and Sheldon's. We enjoyed boat rides and time with family. It was great to watch Sutton, Saxton and Sawyer (only 4!) ski around the lake. We headed for home with two cranky Twinners in the afternoon. Once they got in the car, the two spent most of the ride home giggling and jibber jabbering with each other. I thought they would crash... but oh no.. back in suburbia they hit the water again in their kiddy pool. They finished up the day by shelling their own fresh peas on the deck. The peas are from my cousin's field and picked just the day before by Mike and Wil.

Yum!!!! I can share.

Lately they like to sit TOGETHER in chairs meant for one...

For me, the 4th of July holiday is all about family. As we headed back to our own home at the end of the weekend, the emotion I felt most was LOVED. That is to be treasured always, even more than the sunshine we were fortunate enough to experience.