HAPPY 4th OF JULY!!!!!!!!

Usually, on the 4th of July, we go to my Mom & Step-Dad's for a BBQ - hang out there, then go home for awhile, and take whoever wants to watch the firesworks with us and go find a good spot.  Last couple of years, we've gone down the Dead Fleet and sat there. 

That didn't happen this year.  My mom is in Ohio for my Uncle & Aunt's 35th wedding anniversary party ...  so she's not here. 

So today was filled with ... a little fun, some good food, and relaxing.... 

I got on my shirt!!

We have been discussing this, well, since we moved in here.  About how nice it would be if we could see the fireworks from our patio on the Fourth of July.  So - we stayed in, just to see if we could. 

But during the day, we just tried to relax.  We got Miss Elly (Dad is picking her up tomorrow) ...during the afternoon, we decided to go up to the pool ....  I wasn't going to go in, but I could be up there to take some pictures and stuff. 

(Flag up by the pool)

I did stick m feet in the pool .... 

Elly is such a WATER BABY - it's not even funny - and she has no fear - so we really gotta keep an eye on this one.  (ALL THESE PICTURES, I feel the need to note that either she is with in my reach or DB is right off to the side out of view of the camera.)

Daddy has been teaching Kaedyn how to swim, he's doing the back float here....

Funny story.  This little pool soaker ball thing was found at the pool, DB threw it towards me when Elly was in her float (which she can have a bit of independence in) ...  and in the first pic of the collage below, you see her by DB and the ball closer to me.  We told Elly to swim and get the ball.  Well in her float, swimming is leaning forward and kicking her feet hard.  So she swam the length of the pool to get the ball .... she ALMOST had it and then it got away from her ... so she had to get in there again and when she finally got it she lifted it up and goes "I GOT IT!" LOL

Popi right by her cuz she wanted to sit on the steps

Kaedyn fiound some sort of water return, he put the pool noodle up to it and created a little fountain ...

Elly sitting by me on the steps

I love this pic (below)

Once we got back inside, I got Elly dried up changed, we curled up in my bed and she covered up with Nonna's fuzzy blanket.   She literally didn't move much at all for an hour.  She was awake the whole time.  Popi was working on hamburgers (Num num!) and fries and we were going to eat before going to sleep!  Then hopefully she'd sleep through the night.  She was tuckered out!

Ahhhhhhh ..... nope, she fell asleep .... 

But she didn't sleep long and when she did wake up, she got to eat in Nonna & Popi's bed - lol - which she'll probably never get to do again because we can't stand crumbs in the bed ...  she was good she did get a lot crumbs in the bed or whatever, lol ... 

By the time it got dark, and fireworks started, ...  Elly was asleep.  Kaedyn didn't care much.  Nathan didn't like the sounds.  Noah (after it was done) goes "It was fireworks night?"  :::palm head:::

This was small shows all over across the water ... there were simply TONS going off ... little private shows.... 

But the big display ..... are all the pictures below.  All taken from our patio!  <3 

It was a great great day :)