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.  

ice cream night

 Every Saturday we eat pizza together as a family.  Most weeks we make it at home but sometimes we go out and buy some.  We decided to get ice cream first (because dessert before dinner is sometimes just a must!).  After walking around enjoying our ice cream and getting reallllllly sticky, we finally headed for some delicious pizza at a pizza shop we had walked past earlier.  As we turned the corner to walk in the open doors, a bunch of people stopped us saying it was closed.  Just as I went to ask why I saw a giant flood coming in through the ceiling to the shop.  We BARELY missed our chance to get pizza but since its tradition, we hoped in the car and drove to get pizza from our good ol' back-up, Little Caesars.  

While we didn't get that pizza from the shop that makes me drool every time I walk past it, we still had such a fun time together eating what Mabey's eat best, Ice cream.  I eat it when I'm happy, I eat it when I am stressed, I eat it at every nap time and sometimes night time too.