4th of July

4th of July

This year we celebrate the 4th at home with several neighbors.  There ended up being about 7-8 families there which included lots of kids running around.  It is so much fun knowing our neighbors and enjoying their friendship.  I just love it.  We cooked out, visited, and later had our little firework show.  The kids swam, threw water balloons, and ate all the fun 4th of July desserts. We bought some small fireworks earlier in the day which was crazy.  The firework stand was packed.  I can not imagine what they make in a day.  Macie couldn't wait to pop all the fireworks.  They both loved the firework show. Weston and Macie stayed up really later.  It was Weston's first night to stay up until 9:30-10 which we assumed meant he would sleep until his usual 8 or later wake up.  However, he decided he needed to wake up at 7 and MACIE who is always up by 6:30 slept until 8.  You just never know.

 This was our second year to make chocolate covered strawberries.  Macie got started by herself because we knew that when Weston got involved it would turn a little crazy and a little, NO, a lot messy.

  And...

 it did turn out pretty MESSY!

Zack said it stressed him out but I was prepared for the mess.  Sprinkles were everywhere, strawberries and chocolate were licked and licked, but the kids loved it.  Macie handed some out to her friends which I am not sure was the best idea being that extreme taste testing was going on.

Macie wore an impressive 4th outfit.  I tried to convince her to wear something else but some battles are not worth it.

 Making Popsicle for the night's festivities. 

 We filled up the pool for all the kids to swim in which they did.  It worked out perfectly.  The kids stayed over in our yard while the food and adults stayed at my neighbors.

 Macie had her first lemonade stand which I told her kids wouldn't have money and we didn't make a sign.  This was her last minute plan but she said it was free.  The kids drank the lemonade like it was the best thing on earth.  We kept making more which just thrilled Macie.  The sweet boy in the picture gave her about $1.50 which she was just thrilled about.

 Here are a few of the kids.

 PINTEREST POPSICLE 

All the kids loved them!

In fact, I think Weston maybe had one bite of something nutritious the whole night. I looked up and he was stuffing puff Cheetos down his throat and dancing in a circle at one point. He had two cupcakes and another Popsicle.  Some of the bigger kids love spoiling my kids.

 FINALLY it got dark enough to pop fireworks.

 I love Zack's face.

 Since Weston always wants to be by his daddy he was trying so hard to sneak away from me to be a part of the action.  This was his only shot.

Weston did get to shoot one firework which he thought was cool.  One of the funniest things that happened was we had one firework that came in our pack that was a little bigger.  I jokingly said, "This is the grand finale."  A couple of kids repeated it and were so excited.  The firework shot in the air about 3 or 4 times.  It was quite impressive...not like these $100,000 shows that cities put on.