Happy Independence Day!

I cannot explain in mere words (maybe interpretive dance) how awesome it was to go to the NSL Independence Day celebrations this year with the kids.

We started off grilling at my parents house. James makes some killer BBQ. Our meal consisted mainly of a wide assortment of meat and rice. Yep, that's how we do it-who needs veggies? Then there was the usual chaos as we tried to get out the door to walk up to the golf course to hear James & his band play.

Checklist:
1. blankets
2. drinks
3. books
4. sunscreen
5. diapers
6. wipes (and thank goodness for these! Cotton Candy is the stickiest stuff on teeny hands!
8. cameras
9. purses
10. All family members

Once we got up there and settled, James' band had started and were doing a great job! Harrison in particular LOVED it! He loves listening to James play the guitar anyway and just flipped out that James was up on stage playing with his band. Every time a song was finished, he'd clap and yell, "Yay James!" Even after James' band was done, he'd yell, "Yay Peder" (he thought the next band's name was Peder). He literally would not stop dancing to the music. He went all night until the fireworks were going to start and we had to pull him away from the front where everyone was dancing.

His dancing consisted of:
1. Making sure his "Crown" or in other words his glow stick circle was on his head properly
2. Stomping/running in place to the music
3. Swinging his arms back and forth as high as he could!

Occasionally, he'd bounce up and down and turn around in circles. It was just the funnest thing to see. My cheeks hurt from smiling!

It was fun for the girls too. They probably ate 4 cotton candy sticks between the 2 of them and had fun dancing and playing with their friends too. The girls other Auntie's and Uncle Eddie were there and so they had lots of great attention. Mel had fun flirting with Nick and getting toted around by her fabulous aunties & uncle. Alia had some friends there her age that she got to play with too so she was kept pretty busy.

When it was time for the fireworks, I was a little worried that Harrison and Mel might be scared. This is the first time I think that Harrison had seen big fireworks so close and Mel wasn't even 1 yet last year so I don't think that counts. So Mel did get really scared at first. They were just so loud! So I was the lucky Auntie who got to cuddle her during the fireworks. I covered her teeny ears so it wasn't as bad and after she realized that it wasn't too bad and actually pretty cool she sat all bundled up in her blanket and would occasionally say, "Yay" or "Oooo", then she'd sneak her little hands out of the blanket to clap then hurry and tuck them back in. Harrison loved them from the minute they started! He kept stomping to the music or the Boom sounds the fireworks made. I liked them a lot too, they were great Dad, good job!

Anyway, we had another great Independence Day. Thanks Dad for all the hard work you do to make sure it all goes off without a hitch. It has totally become THEE place to be!