The 4th Festivities

Joel is on call today and is so busy that he most likely won't be home til late, but it didn't mean that we weren't going to participate in celebrating Independence Day at all!


Saturday we headed up to a resident's home for a fun little cookout, followed by fireworks over Wolverine Lake. Liam learned how to roast hotdogs and marshmallows over the
fire, tried his first s'more, and thoroughly enjoyed watching round two of fireworks (round one was Friday night, after the Tigers game). Aiden was awake most of the evening, but didn't get scared from the loud noises of the town's fireworks (or the even louder noises from the neighbors shooting theirs off...).

 Wide-eyed baby watching the fireworks...

 My boys... :)

Pointing out the different colored fireworks to Matt

 Showing post-fireworks love for baby brother

Making a s'more for Mommy

 Liam: "more please"

Mommy: "s'more of what?"

Liam: "s'more!!"

 This proud new daddy already has skills!
Aiden was awake the whole time I had him, and when Matt took him so I could eat a piece of his wife's cake, he fell right asleep!

Then on Sunday, after a wonderful day at church, we headed back to Lake Columbia to enjoy the evening at the Hitz's lake house. It was funny to think just a month before, I was fully pregnant and was going to deliver the following morning! I was still able to relax though, as Kristen and Len took turns holding Aiden, and all of the Hitz family entertained Liam. Liam was able to go on his first jetski ride, played with bubbles and water balloons with Kristen, learned how to ride a bike (finally!) from Len, and of course played all afternoon and evening with his newest favorite friend, Tommie. Tommie took him in the lake, played ball with him, shared his ice cream, read books and entertained him all night long. Let's just say that all day long today, Liam has only been talking about Tommie (with a few mentions of riding on the jetski with Daddy and Len teaching him how to ride a bike). The Hitz's once again produced a fabulous dinner, and Liam and I stood out on the dock and watched round three of fireworks, until the mosquitoes started eating us alive :)

I'm so thankful for the wonderful family and friends God has given us, as well as the freedom to have fun and enjoy all that He has created (and given us the ability to create!). May we remember this freedom everyday... not only the freedom to worship and live in a free country, but also the freedom we have in Christ!