Happy 4th of July!!!

We had a fun-filled 4th of July! Jeff actually had the day off which was such a blessing for all of us. He's been working an incredible amount of hours (about 70 hours a week) so having him around all day today is something none of us have taken for granted.

We started out going up to Big Lake so Jeff could show the kids where he grew up and he could see how much has changed around there! It was a trip down memory lane and the kids thoroughly enjoyed it. Sadness hit when we went past his old house and, not only is it in foreclosure, but they had put it up on auction in May. The house was really falling apart and the lawn was up to my waist. Abby asked why Jeff was sad and he explained that this is the house he grew up in and it's just hard to see it this way. She started to cry too and said that she never wanted to leave our house. What a sweet, compassionate little girl.

Then it was on to a park in Elk River where we grabbed lunch at Burger King before hitting the 4th of July "carnival" they were having at a nearby park. At Burger King Eli wanted nothing to do with sitting in a high chair. He wanted to be a big boy at the big kid's table! Jeff and I just watched the kids for a bit and commented on how quickly they grow up. At the carnival, the kids were able to go on a couple rides and they each had a pony ride. That was definitely a favorite.

At about 8:00 tonight we had our own little fireworks show with our neighbors in their driveway. That way Eli was able to witness his first fireworks! He absolutely loved them -- saying "oooooooh", raising his hands in the air, and clapping at the end --- until the last couple. They had a bit of sound to them and he clung onto Jeff's shoulder.

The kids are at a real fireworks show (as Noah put it) with Jeff while I'm here with Eli while he sleeps. It was such a wonderful day. Noah has begun a rock collection and was collecting a lot of rocks from the park in Elk River. Each time he found a rock he said "Another memory!!!" I really liked that...because today was all about making memories with our children.