Happy Independence Day!

What a fun weekend we had this year!  We missed traveling over to southeastern Idaho to visit cousins...but we made the best of sticking around home!  Andy and the kids got up early and went down to the ward's pancake breakfast while Addy and I slept in...then we all piled in the car and went to the parade in Melba. 

 

When we came home, we started making some of our party foods...to snack on all day...and to prepare dutch oven food to be cooking while we went boating.  When you have 100 degree weather, the best place to be...is in the water.

 

Tay made our famous bean dip...because what is a celebration without it?

The girls and I made "cute" patriotic appetizers! 

Matthew loved them...rice crispy treat stars and then yummy fruit.

While we were getting food prepared, Andy got the boat ready...

We made two different dips for chips and dug right in...we called it a pre-boating snack.

Tay and Lainah, looking all patriotic.

I thought we had enough sweets...but Taylor convinced me that I needed to make a trifle too. 

So I made him a deal:  he bakes the cake and I'd put it together.  As you can see, he thought that was a good deal.

And Addy really loved the layered jello cups we made!

After we had all the dutch oven stuff going and appetizers and salads prepared, we left for the lake.  It was a beautiful day, the water was glassy.  Rachel got up for the first time on the wake board, Taylor showed off his skills...and proudest moment of the day!?!  Andy got up on the wake board!  Woot!  Woot!  We've had a hard time getting him up...but thanks to pregnant mama's fancy driving...we got him up.  The kids were all impressed that I could even drive with my big belly in the way.  Then we found a nice quiet spot on the lake, put out the anchor...and all of us got in the water to cool off...it was a perfect day...couldn't have been better out there.

 

After a few hours of boating, we came home to dutch oven chicken and potatoes, baked beans...and all of our yummy salads and appetizers we had made that morning.  It was a yummy feast!

That night we went out to Melba's fireworks, and when we got home our neighborhood was exploding with huge fireworks...so we piled back into the boat, and reclined back to watch more fireworks until around midnight!

I was a day late...but on Saturday, I put together my new wreath...better late than never!

 

My grandpa is a World War II Veteran, and Andy's Dad was a veteran of Vietnam, and my Dad served in the National Guard.  I'm so thankful for our great nation, and for the brave men and women who fight to keep us free.  I know it's not perfect, and some of our leaders are less than stellar...but I still believe in the USA, and am thankful to live here where I enjoy the freedoms I do, and I'm proud to be an American.