4th of July

We had a fun 4th of July. We woke up to clouds and a bit of drizzling rain, but the sun came out just in time for the parade and it stayed out most of the day. Some of us were hoping that it would stay cloudy for the parade, but no such luck. The kids were looking forward to lots of candy during the parade, but they didn't get as much as in years past. They got plenty, though. Noah loved the clowns, Kate hated them. When a clown would walk close by us, Noah would smile at the clown and shake his hand or take whatever was being handed out, but Kate wouldn't look at the clowns and she made it very clear that she didn't want anything to do with them. It is always very touching to watch the veterans walk/ride by and it is my favorite part of the parade. The tv characters were a hit with the kids.


We went to my parents' house after the parade for a barbecue and to hang out. My Mom, Dad, Zoe, Aly, Phil, and I played Phase 10, which took forever, but it was fun.

Zoe, Emily, Eleanor, Zach, Aly, Phil, my parents, and I went to the fireworks in the evening. Matt stayed home with Kate and Noah. They were content to watch "Yo Gabba Gabba". The fireworks were fun to watch as always. We watched from the bridge and we had a great view. There was a thin cloud in the way of some of the fireworks, but there were many others that we could see and enjoy.

Emily hasn't been feeling well since Friday. Matt wasn't feeling well on Sunday, so they both stayed home from church. Matt bounced back pretty quick, but Emily still looks miserable. Her stomach was upset over the weekend, but now she is dealing with cold symptoms.

I took the kids to Craig Pond this afternoon. My Dad, Phil, and Aly met us there. We didn't see any frogs, but there were some tadpoles spotted, along with many minnows and a few leaches.

Matt and Eleanor went out this evening for their one on one time. Eleanor spent her Walmart gift card (she bought a messenger bag that she gets to color and decorate the way she wants to, she bought a FurReal pet squirrel, and she bought some Reese's Peanut Butter Cups), they ate dinner at McDonald's and then dessert at Tim Hortons, they stopped at the Army Surplus store where Eleanor got a new bandana, and they went to Lowe's to look at flowers. It was a fun night out for both of them!

The rest of the kids and I spent the evening with my parents at their house. We ate dinner and then played Phase 10. We put a time limit on the game this time and played for an hour. Ice cream cones were a big hit at "Grammie's House" this evening. There is always yummy food to eat at "Grammie's House"!