Happy July 5th!!

We started our July 4th with a ward breakfast out at the Baker/Morgan ranch. Brian had to go early to help cook (High Priests were in charge...last year they were too, but Brian still cooked and he was an Elder still last year). Nathaniel and I followed. Before we left I took a few pictures of him by the flag that a realtor put in our yard (and all the others in town, it looked like).
After the breakfast and program, we headed home to get the house ready and the lawn mowed...Joshua was coming home today!! He arrived, with Grandma and Grandpa of course, a little before 1 pm. It was so good to give and get hugs from our big kid again! Aunt Carrie arrived shortly thereafter. Brian got out the slip & slide and he, the boys and Carrie played on that a bit. I continued trying to clean the computer room/scrapbook room/everything else room so Carrie would have some space to sleep in that night. Eventually that got done, we had BBQ'd hamburgers for dinner (and cake & homemade ice cream for dessert...not birthday cake...4th of July cake. Joshua & Grandma are making my birthday cake today). We didn't buy any fireworks this year - a first! Between the cost and the dryness of California right now, we figured we'd do our part to prevent fires :) Brian and Joshua went up on the roof to watch the show from the high school. We sat in the backyard this year to watch...usually we sit in the front yard, but in the past 8 years our tree has gotten pretty tall and blocks a lot...as does the neighbor's tree. We had a great view from the back. Joshua wasn't overly thrilled up on the roof, but he stayed up there. This was Nathaniel's preferred way of viewing the show...
He didn't last long though...this is how he watched the remaining 20 minutes of 25 minute show.
He did wake up when we got inside and took another 20 minutes or so to get back to sleep due to all the bangs from the illegal fireworks in town (hello, obey the law folks! I guess they figure with only 3 police officers in town, they're pretty safe).

So, a day late, but it was late last night by the time I would've had time to post, so I waited until this morning. And for me, the big holiday of the month isn't until tomorrow anyway :)

Our little town does a pretty decent fireworks show...just too bad my camera won't zoom anymore!