The fourth of fourths

Our family is still young and in the formative years.  Putting thought into how we spend our time together as a family, how we can deepen and enrich even the ordinary days, and what traditions we will build on over time are conversations we have often, especially when a holiday is around the corner.  

 When it comes to special times of the year, and especially birthdays and holidays, those are the memories I hope our boys can look back on and remember with fondness and what we did to make it special for them.  Our desire is that they will be able to look back and see where we wrote lavish celebration and meaningful times together into their childhood stories.

 July is a season of celebration for us.  It starts out with a bang as we celebrate Independence Day with all of it's patriotic glory and firework amazingness.  And Tommy's birthday is shortly behind it on 21st and there has always been excitement buzzing in the house as the day approaches - especially now that he's older and looks forward to his birthday with eager anticipation.

 Our holiday yesterday was one for the memory books.  We spent most of our day poolside with friends.  

 We grilled out, held each other's babies, gave piggy back rides in the pool and we helped ourselves to a kitchen full of patriotic-themed goodies.  

 

We laughed and played and then ended the night with a trip out to Lake McQueeney to join some other friends for a big fireworks extravaganza.  They shoot off fireworks right from the lake and you have the most incredible view in their own backyard.  We couldn't have had a better seat.

  It was quite possibly the most amazing display of fireworks I have literally ever seen in my entire life.  They were so close, so big, so awe-inspiring. It was absolutely extravagant.  Words or pictures simply cannot capture how my heart was stirred in last night's glorious display.

 On the ride home, Todd and I looked at each other and said - oh, we're doing that again next year!

It was a sweet day for us - full of fellowship and friendship and sweet community. 

 It was indeed the fourth of fourths.