Our Fourth of July

Years ago, Jordan and I lived on Center Street in one of my favorite little towns in America, Provo.   Every fourth of July we got to sit on our porch under the shade of all the sycamore trees surrounding us and watch the parade go by.  

I miss it.  I miss it so much.  I think our fourth of Julys together in Utah are among some of my very favorite memories.  The parade, the hot hair balloons, stadium of fire, and watching the fireworks on the grass of the golf course next to my in-laws home... I have always just loved this holiday.  

This year we woke up early and headed to Celebration with some friends to enjoy their little small town parade.  It was small, and simple... but just right!  

After getting home and having some naps, I started getting nervous that the kids wouldn't get to use the sparklers and smoke bombs we bought together because of a big rain storm.  We ran outside as soon as we saw it rolling in and tried to do as much as we could before it rained.

We then headed to my friends house for a fun BBQ.  We snarfed down food and then luckily the rain stopped just in time to run through some sprinklers and stay up WAY past bedtimes to watch the fireworks.

I am so grateful for this time we got to spend together celebrating this land that I love.   How wonderful is it that we get to live in a place where we can be FREE?! It isn't hard to get me emotional, but put a classic country song on during the summer and I am a bucket of tears.  

summer popsicles

It is really starting to get hot and humid here in Florida... like I open the door and my curled hair goes flat and my clothes instantly start sticking to my body.  It is quite dreadful, to be honest..But some things become so much more wonderful when it is that hot and your gratitude for those things goes through the roof.  

One of those things is, popsicles (at least for the kids... I prefer ice cream) so we have been whipping out the popsicles whenever we go outside to sit on our "porch".   I don't think there is a thing in the world that makes these two happier than popsicles.  They were all smiles, giggles, and cuddles while eating these. 

Because of the insane heat here during the summer I usually become even more of a homebody to avoid it but since I am trying to really live up our last year here I am on the search for fun things to do that are either in-doors or involves water... Maybe we will just live at our pool and sit on our porch eating popsicles?  haha That would be a step up from last year but we shall see if I can get more creative than that!