4th of July Festivities

I LOVE THIS DAY!!!  I love it for what it means, I love it for the memories it brings back and creates, and I love it because who doesn't look good in red, white, and blue?! :)

We had a lot of fun celebrating America's birthday this year, and will continue to celebrate with our friends in our circle this weekend.  I have always loved this holiday, and when we moved to Omaha I think Jovan started to figure out why.  People here are just as crazy as am about the day!

I love decorating for the 4th and start right about Memorial Day weekend and will leave my patriotic decor up until it's time to decorate for football season.  This is the door sign I made this year, and I love how it turned out!


Our festivities began Sunday night at our church's annual Fireworks Bonanza.  It's really cool because we have a worship service, then there are food vendors and bouncy houses and other fun activities for the kiddos to play around on.  Everyone just comes and sets out their chairs, tents, and blankets and hangs out listening to a band or other music play until it's dark.  Then, of course, the real fun begins!  God has blessed us with a church home we really enjoy, and has answered our prayers about finding a small group.  We had a great time hanging out with our small group friends followed by some amazing fireworks!

Lainey wore the outfit Lilly is wearing for her first 4th of July.  I love when I get to put Lilly in Lainey's old clothes.  Brings back such fun memories!

Lainey getting ready to jump on one of those bungee trampoline things.  She had a blast!

Lilly had made a wardrobe change into her pjs for the fireworks.

The girls minus one

Lainey and her friend Ellie

 We're already looking forward to next year's Fireworks Bonanza!

On Tuesday night we went to the small town where my dad is from where they always have a street dance and a band.  We also went to check to make sure the blankets I had put down to secure a parade spot were still there.  It's crazy!  You are officially allowed to start "reserving" spots at 6 p.m. on the 2nd.  I went down at noon on the 3rd, and there was not much "prime space" left, but I did get us some shade with some curb spots also!  It never ceases to amaze me what a big deal this small town parade is!  Love me some Independence City!

Nana and our sweet girl

Lilly is thrilled, ha!

Waiting for the parade to start

The night of the 4th, we headed to watch fireworks.  We went up to my dad's elementary school and sat on top of a massive hill (the same hill we used to sled on as kids-so fun!).  It was really neat because we were able to see fireworks all over the city as well.  The girls wore their 4th pajamas, and everyone had a great time. 

Exhausted!

We had one of the most fun Fourths I remember in a long time!  Can't wait to do it again next year!

Happy 4th of July!

Well it is officially my most favorite day of the year, and this year has certainly not disappointed!  My parents came in this weekend to celebrate as we always do.  Our weekend started out Friday night when the whole family went for my ultrasound to find out early what the sex of this baby is.  For all like three of you that actually read this, I've probably already told you!  For the rest of you...we're not really making it all too public for a couple more weeks!  Anyways...that was our eventful Friday night followed by hanging out on our "upper deck."  We call it the upper deck because we are lucky enough to have a patio on the lower level too. 

This picture makes me laugh.  Clearly I went for the candid look, and everyone kinda looks a hot mess.  Oh well!  We were enjoying the absolutely amazing weather we get at night here!

Saturday we just hung out and did a little shopping.  Our local outdoor malls here have concerts on the weekends, so we went and took one in Saturday night.  I didn't get any pictures, but Lainey was quite the dancing machine in the middle of everyone dancing to EVERY song!

Sunday we went to church and then got ready for our block party.  One of the first things we were told when we moved in to this neighborhood was how big they celebrate the 4th of July.  They were not kidding!  The whole circle gets together to grill out, talk, and shoot off an ungodly amount of fireworks!  I really wish I would have gotten an "after picture" of the street and all the fireworks remnants.  Omaha made fireworks legal this year, so we have heard/watched fireworks every night for the last week.  I told Jovan that people here are just as nuts about the holiday as I am, and he really didn't believe me.  I kept telling him that Omaha was very different from Memphis, and while there are some July 4th nuts like me there, EVERYONE in Omaha is crazy about this holiday.  He has since retracted his statement and admitted that I was right! :) 

Today we were going to participate in our neighborhood parade, but I fell behind on wagon decorating, so we decided we would save that for next year!  We went to the Ralston parade this afternoon.  This was probably my 23rd or 24th parade there in 28 years.  I love the fact that my kids will get to grow up with this tradition now too!  Seeing as I am preggo and pretty tired, we didn't last the entire parade, but I tried! 

Tonight we went swimming and then I left the rest of my family to watch fireworks and Lainey and I went home.  I'm pretty sure she hasn't been to bed before midnight this weekend, and I figured that she may need a little more sleep for school tomorrow!  All in all an exhausting weekend, but I wouldn't want it any other way!  I'm already looking forward to next year!  Happy 4th of July!