Fourth Of July 2012

We had plans to go  to our family's cabin up near Sundance for the fourth, but in light of the Alpine Loop fire something just told me it wasn't the best idea.  I was afraid the winds would shift and we'd have driven the 1 1/2 hours up there just to turn around or for someone to have an asthma attack because of the air... I don't know, something was just making me uncomfortable, so with much persuasion we convinced Mom that it would be a better idea to do a BBQ here in town.  So we all headed out to Grandma Jill's house and ended up having a wonderful time!!  (And Mom even got a quick nap in!)  The boys wore Grandpa out playing on the tramp and swinging on the swings and we had wonderful food and wonderful company.  My parents neighbors don't have much family around so they joined us as well.  It was very low key.  I made the kids take some pics as soon as we got there so that we could just sit back and relax the rest of the time... oh how I love these little faces...  they are the reason my heart continues to beat every second of every day.  As much as they can make my blood boil, they sure can soothe me just as quickly.  With those big brown eyes and perfectly golden skin, they leave me swooning.

I cannot even believe that my boy is going to Kindergarten in a few short weeks!

Sometimes a bit shy and sweet...

 but usually outgoing and pretty happy... last week at church he came into the chapel from class holding his little "friend" Allison's hand.  After which he informed me he had kissed her on the cheek!  Ahhh!!  This boy is already attracting the ladies!  What am I going to do with him!?

As for this boy, he has just grown by leaps and bounds and always has us laughing with or at something!  He is so fun and keeps our lives happy and full of joy!  This is Ollie's "right back atcha kid" face... I love it...

High pitched laugh face ;D heeheeheeheehee

SO stinking handsome are my boys!  I'm a lucky lady!

And of course Daddy's crowning jewel... Little Miss Sugar and Spice (mostly spice)

Happy girl

Love those little piggy tails and that sweet sweet smile...

This picture reminds me of all the pictures of Duc and his siblings when they were younger... so prim and proper... as a matter of fact this little lady has lots of Phan features...

And what's the fourth of July without cousins at the bbq?!  These are my sweet nieces Sophie and Marleigh. I can't believe how fast Sophie has recovered from her surgery.  She already has hair coming in so fast!  You can see a bit of swelling in the forehead still but that can take up to a full year for that to completely go away... all in all it's been a speedy recovery for this little trooper!

Big brother Tyson was there too, but Brock and Carter decided they wanted to go hiking for the day with their Uncle instead.

Ava looks at this picture and exclaimed "It's my Linsday!" I hope that's ok that you now officially belong to Ava now Linz...

Tongs.  They're the new fork.  It's all the rage you know.

what will happen when I let these tongs expand in my mouth?  I don't know, let's find out!

At the end of the day we all came home and enjoyed the view from the freeways and highways as fireworks went off around the city, exhausted and happy we were.  As I watched some of the fireworks bursting into glorious shades of red, white and blue, the words of our National Anthem flooded my brain "...and the rocket's red glare, the bombs bursting in air, gave proof through the night that our flag was still there..." I thought of my fellow countrymen fighting with all their might... I thought of, Francis Scott Key, the man who wrote the lyrics, originally a poem, for this song.  My heart was, is and always will be, full of gratitude for my country and for the Men who fought so fiercely for the rights and freedoms I enjoy today.  As I looked at the three happy faces in the back seat, I thought that surely my heart should burst at the seams with gratitude.  I feel truly blessed to live in the most wonderful Nation in the world.  We may not be perfect but that's part of the beauty of it all.  Now more than ever it is so important to me to continue to fight for these rights.  To fight for a better country, and to make sure our founding Fathers did not die in vain. May
        God bless America, my home sweet home.