Happy 4th!

Happy Birthday, America!

Hope everyone is recovering nicely from their late night 4th of July festivities, with all their digits intact! We started out our celebrating a day early with sparklers, pops, snakes, and party poppers at McC's house on the 3rd.

This picture cracks me up! I was laughing so hard I was crying, when I first saw it. It still makes me chuckle. Crazy mom!

Snakes always seem to be anti-climactic.

We enjoyed frozen treats outside in McC's new backyard.

The kids had fun inside as well: this is the boys' favorite activity. They have a clear tactical advantage from the overlook. If you're sitting down below in the living room, you are fair game.(Notice all the darts on the floor behind Sam in the 2nd picture!)

Yesterday we went to the Coralville parade in the morning. The kids got an obnoxious amount of candy!

Went home to recup in the afternoon, then went to Brown's for pizza, then to Iowa City fireworks. We hadn't been to the IC ones for years, because McC's always lived so close to the Coralville ones, we'd park at their house and walk to the fields next to the school, and have a fine spot, a nice sensible distance away. At the IC fireworks, we ended up right by the skate park, very close to where they were shooting them off. The fireworks were right on top of us! I'm surprised that ashes weren't raining down on us! You literally had to scrunch down in your seat and lean back, and put your head back. We were too close, in my opinion. Next year with a baby, we will definitely not be able to sit that close! The boys all enjoyed it, and had fun having both sets of grandparents there to hang out with. Two late nights in a row, caught up with them, and they slept until 8:45 this morning - which is late for them!