happy independence day!

we started out at the ward breakfast where we brought our own chocolate chips for our signature/custom pancakes - that's right folks, my kids have chocolate chip pancakes for breakfast - you should try it, they're gooood!!
kayak point was fantastic again!! traditions are so great ... i love to look back and see how we've grown and stayed the same! the weather did not look like it was going to cooperate for the 4th this year (which, frankly, would not have surprised me - the track record around these parts is not optimistic ... but we went anyway and got ourselves a little sun, a little food, a little sand and a LOT of fun!

digging in the sand - remember last year when abi got all those cuts on her finger tips ... she only needed to be reminded once or twice to dig with shovels!

the wind was not very cooperative - our kite would only get a few feet higher than daddy and then nose dive! but we tried!!

we took a family picture - several actually ... and this is the best!

and i practiced taking self-portraits ... whaduyathink?? i think i need more practice and maybe a few more lessons ... but someday i'll be as good at it as nicki and alicia and monica and stephanie ...

after kayak point we went home for showers and fireworks!! (nicki might have some pictures to share ... if she does, i'll post them here!) the wright's came to watch, play, and blow stuff up with us and then we had a slumber party!! the kids went to bed at about 10:30 and the moms and dads had icecream and pie, chatted and thought we might watch a movie ... but zonked out before it was over! breakfast was french toast and then then our friends took their tired brood home and we still had a saturday! it was GREAT! i love when holidays fall on friday!!

i am grateful to the men and women that stand guard and fight for our freedom. we truly are a blessed land and nation to have the rights, liberty and privileges that we do. God Bless America: the land of the free because of the brave!