The Fourth. God Bless America.

I love everything about the 4th of July: the festivities held in honor of our country and our freedom, the gathering of family and friends, folks dressed in their red, white, and blue, and of course, the fireworks. This year, we drove to celebrate with our good friends in Dallas, NC. 



We had been so concerned about the weather; the clouds seemed prepped and ready to unleash afternoon storms during most of our visit. We were lucky, however, and the kids were able to enjoy playing outdoors. Duff is Katie and Bryan's yellow lab. Gracie fell in love with him during our trip to the mountains two years ago. Ethan, being a dog-lover, also had fun with this sweet, gentle lab.



Once we decided we were going to forge ahead with our plans to grill out, Sean and Bryan made a quick trip to the store. When they returned, the kids were thrilled to discover they'd also purchased sparklers and poppers (which make loud popping sounds when thrown... or stomped on).



Katie is such a blessing to me and my family! She always has been, for the past 27 or so years. 


Ethan and Gracie absolutely loved spending time with Aniston, Bryan and Katie's daughter. It's very hard to believe she'll be celebrating a 1st birthday in August!


Yep, they're on the dog bed. I don't know what it is about dog beds; my kids do this same thing at home!



Bryan has always been so wonderful with my kids, even before he had his own daughter. He's so patient and is just an all-around great guy. 


I adored watching little Aniston take in this new experience. Her eyes were just so full of wonder as she watched the sparklers with her mommy. She also seemed to love the fireworks later that night!


As I mentioned before, we were prepared for storms the whole day. Somehow, we managed to avoid their fury. On the way to the firework show that night, however, we realized we might not be so lucky. Sure enough, soon after we found parking places, a thunderstorm with heavy rains made its way over us. Instead of staying separated in our vehicles, we crammed into the back of Bryan's SUV and hung out (rather closely) until the storm passed. It will be one of those memories we laugh about in the years to come! And isn't that what it's all about? We meet with friends and family to create traditions and memories that last, and bring us joy when we look back at how our time was spent. It never matters to me if things go as planned or not, just as long as I'm crammed somewhere, anywhere with people I love, making memories I'll always cherish. 

Once the storm did pass, we were treated to an impressive fireworks show in the small town of Dallas. It was actually one of the best I've seen, and it lasted longer than any I've been to. Thank you, Katie and Bryan, for sharing this day with us!


Comments

  1. Platinum RoseAugust 8, 2013 at 12:54 PM

    I love Gracie's shirt, and I'm impressed with how many great smiles you've been able to capture of hers lately on camera.

    Our son is also constantly playing on our dog's bed no matter how many times I tell him not to because he'll be covered in fur!

    It sounds like you had an amazingly fun 4th! I agree, it doesn't matter if things don't go according to plan. It's the memories created, with those you love and care for, that matters above all else. :-) I'm glad you still got a fireworks display in the end too, though.

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