America, the beautiful!

Yesterday, we celebrated one of my favorite holidays, the Fourth of July. Matt took the medical boards earlier this week and he was finally stress free. We decided to kick off the holiday with a trip to Preston Hope Park. It is probably one of the best parks I have ever been too. There are tons of playgrounds and a little village that the kids can run around and play in. We all had a blast. I think for a moment Matt and I reverted back to being children. We went down all the slides, we took a ride on the swing, and we just HAD to try out the teeter-totter. LOL Unfortunately, the batteries in my camera were dead so I didn't get a picture. I told Matt we will have to go back and take one for sure. =c)

(The school house in the village.)(The kids roaming the village.)(Gabriel decided to make a stop at the bank.)(I guess he ran out of money.)(I was able to catch this picture. He was really enjoying himself.)(Matt, Kaia, and Gabriel enjoying lunch.)

Later that night, we met up with some friends to watch fireworks. (Me, Kaia, Laura, and Emily.) (Seth, Adam, Matt, and Charlotte)

We had to wait about an hour or so for the fireworks to start.

Kaia loves Charlotte! She even willingly shared her pinwheel with her.

Gatlin LOVED the fireworks. I was totally caught off guard by his reaction. He was laughing so hard and was so excited. I have never seen him so happy. He never looked away from the sky.Gabriel was having a bit of a rough night. He just wanted to run everywhere. It wasn't safe for him so, Matt and I had to fight with him. He was so upset and then, the fireworks started. He loved them too. He sat in my lap and kept saying "Yay!" each time one went off. Kaia loved them too. She kept saying, "Oh that is so cool." and "I see pink, green, and yellow!" It was one of the best days that we have had in awhile. I always get so excited to celebrate holidays, especially the Fourth of July. It is a great reminder of how fortunate I am to live in this great country. Growing up, I was always taught to never take advantage of my rights and freedoms but, to cherish them. I remember on my 18th birthday Grandma called to remind me to register to vote. It is a blessing to be able to make a choice and to have a say. I am so grateful for all the people that fought to free this country and the ones that still continue to fight for that independence. I truly live in a blessed land and I am so proud to be an American.