Another milestone 4th

I wish I could take credit for this firework shot, but it's a Google image. I tried taking shots of our city firework show this evening but my camera's shutter speed just isn't fast enough. We did however see some great ones like these! Our city was one of the only cities in the Austin area who still held a show - most others canceled because of a burn ban. So there were a TON of people. So the kids and I went and parked to watch while Stephen stayed back home because he works at 5am tomorrow.

Yesterday on the 3rd we had some of our neighbor's over for a BBQ. Kate brought this yummy rice crispy treat with very patriotic decor. It was a nice time and the kids ended the evening running in the sprinklers. We have some wonderful neighbors.

2 years ago...

On Facebook today I posted:

2 years ago on the 4th of July James quit using his binky cold turkey (Penny chewed up his last one)...this 4th of July our 4 year old Jimmy-James learned to swim (no floaties) all the way across the pool over the deep end. They sure do grow up fast.

You'll notice in this pic and video James is no longer wearing his neon orange arm floaties. I don't know why I thought to try today, but I asked James if he wanted to take off his arm floaties and try to swim with out them. 

So he tried...and wa-la...he can swim!

This short clip is of him in the 3 ft. area. But he amazed us with swimming all the way across the 5 ft. area to the otherside of the pool (I messed up taking that video). So proud! I think the mask and snorkel gave him confidence and peace that he could breathe while swimming and his head under the water.

Earlier this morning our wonderful neighbor Kristen (whom is also a great hair stylist) cut the kids hair for me. Doesn't Madeline look older with her new layered cut!? Kristen also showed me the proper way to use the clippers on James and cut/blend his hair. I'll have to give it a try next time. But both the kid's hair looks great!

These pics are of the kids waiting to see the fireworks.

It was a gorgous 4th of July night here in central Texas!

What a fun 4th!

We had a super fun 4th! Uncle Steve and Braden joined us for the day. We ended up going tubing on the San Marcos river, having a yummy dinner at home and ending it with lighting fireworks and watching fireworks from our home.

Braden and Madeline making silly faces.

Braden relaxing on the river.

Uh oh, Stephen found a water gun.

A tube floating by us with a 4 legged friend on it.

The 3 guys making their way around the bend.

San Marcos is such a nice river!

Madeline getting Braden with the water gun.

Uncle Steve enjoying the river.

Me and my baby boy.

Perfect Facebook profile pic!

Our toothless girl.

Cheeto face!

All the greenery along the river.

Lot of people out celebrating the 4th!

Braden wanted to go a 2nd time on the river - so we went twice today! Just took the shuttle bus back to the start and hopped in the river again!

After dinner we sat out front our home. Braden and Stephen lit off some fireworks they bought earlier. And we sat and watched along with all the other fireworks in the air going off around us.

It was a fun filled day!

eGo Archive Photos - 4th of July Edition

The 4th of July is probably Stephen's favorite holiday. Before we had the kids (and after too when we were in town) we had a tradition of spending it downtown in Huntington Beach. We had friends who lived right on Main Street and we were privileged enough to join their party every year and watch the parade. It was always so much fun seeing old friends there. So I decided to look at all of my July pictures on my portable eGo and post one from each year.

July 2004

Madeline's 1st 4th of July, in front of our friend's home on Main Street in downtown Huntington Beach. Our last 4th of July before we moved from California.

July 2005

Madeline watching the parade go by in downtown Central Point near our home in Medford, Oregon.

July 2006

Visiting California, Madeline and her friend Delaney being pulled in a wagon down Main Street in downtown Huntington Beach.

July 2007
James' 1st 4th of July spent at home in Kyle, Texas. With our cousins from Hawaii visiting.

July 2008
Back in California again! James with his buddy Isaac down in Huntington Beach at a bonfire.

July 2009

Penny's 1st 4th of July. We took the kids and Penny down to the beach in Port Aransas, Texas. We would've gone there again this year but already had a July trip planned and plus Tropical Storm / Hurricane Alex is not making the Texas coast a place to be for the 4th of July.

Earlier this year I made a free photo calendar on Shutterfly. And for each month I put a quote. For this July 2010 the quote is:

"The patriot's blood is the seed of Freedom's tree."

by Thomas Campbell

As Americans we all have much to be thankful for. Living free lives. Free to choose what we want to be. Free to choose where we want to live. Free to choose what we believe and have Faith in.

Spent the 4th in Port Aransas

Stephen took a vacation/holiday day off on the 4th...so we decided earlier in the week that we would go drive down and check out the Texas coast. It's only about 3 hours south. We love to celebrate the 4th in Huntington Beach, CA and since we couldn't be there this year we decided why not spend it at another beach! It's really nice having the luxury of Stephen's Hertz rental car and free gas. Road trips seem much more less costly because of it. We stopped at the Corpus Christi international airport to fill up on gas...it's a small airport and their Hertz location was very outdated and small. I swear the single gas pump they had was one made in the 70's!

After we filled up on gas we drove up the coast to head to Port Aransas island. We drove over a very big bridge and had a great view of the USS Lexington. It had some planes and helicopters on it's deck. It was really cool to see!

Not realizing Port Aransas can only be reached by taking a ferry boat across we got stuck in the holiday traffic and line of cars waiting to go across. It made our 3 hour drive a 4 hour one, but it was worth it.

Madeline kept asking "are we at the beach yet?", she finally got tuckered out when we were waiting in line for the ferry. Oh and we brought Penny Lane along with us, she was really good in the car - didn't whine unlike the kids. :)

The ferry ride.

Finally we made it across on the ferry. Palm trees, seagulls, pelicans and beautiful ocean water...we've made it to the beach!

Texas beaches are way different than California ones. I actually prefer the sand better here, it's real fine and soft like dune sand. And didn't know what to expect with the water. We saw the water near Galveston when we visited Houston, and it was pretty brown and yucky looking. But here it was blue and green...and the temp, was like tropical Hawaiian waters probably 78 degrees...we loved it!

James has always been hesitant about swimming in the water, especially if it's cool water. But he LOVED this beach.

Penny of course dug it too. She swam in the shallow surf. Ran from the little waves that chased her. And happily sat next to me when I lounged in my beach chair on the shore.

Stephen enjoyed his cold beers while walking Penny around and watching the kids splash in the water.

Of course Penny got plenty of attention by other beach goers. Asking what sort of breed she was and commenting on how cute she is. Even a few dog lovers pet her and let her lick them with a doggy kiss!

The kids probably spent 4-5 hours straight splashing around in the water. Stephen and I would take turns taking them out where they could jump up and down in the waves. James wouldn't stop giggling even after a few waves caught him in the face.

Madeline did a lot of rolling around in the surf. I could hear her talking and singing playing pretend. Something I remember doing at her age.

There was tons of people there...lots of college kids but lots of families too. A lot of people put up tents and flew their kites. It's nice because here in Texas you drive up right on the sand...so you don't have far to walk and find a spot.

This is how I spent most of the day, digging my feet in the sand as the warm water would come up with each wave. I enjoyed watching Madeline and James have such an enjoyable afternoon.

Madeline likes to get buried in the sand. Ya lets just say lots of sand in the crotch of her swimsuit! LOL. Penny was curious as was James. After she sat there for awhile we video taped her breaking out...

Check out Penny Lane in the back ground! :)

All in all we had a very fun 4th. This may become our new 4th of July tradition if we can't get back home to HB.