Independence Day 2017

  

Hello my friends; I don't even know if there are any of you out there still - this sweet space that means so much to me has been so neglected lately and I haven't been able to visit some of my favorite places on the web either.  I find myself using my blog to help me remember things that I can't remember - dates and years of different trips or activities, and the photos are continue to accessible and special to the girls who love to look at things here too.  We have had a whirlwind of nonstop visitors to our new home the past month and we have so enjoyed sharing our space and spending time with them but are admittedly worn out and enjoying the quiet of the past few days to catch up on cleaning and other chores that have been pushed aside in favor of more important things.  The next few posts will hopefully include some pictures of our latest doings, but I decided to start with the Fourth of July for fun. 

We walked down our long driveway to our neighbor's house for a big fun old-fashioned party.  The girls spent most of the afternoon racing down the slip 'n slide hill with lots of friends.  At first they were hesitant and unsure but after a few tries, they were keeping up with the fastest!  My favorite was watching Rosie get a running start and then sit on her bottom with both feet straight in front of her using her hands and arms to push off and get up speed as she sailed to the bottom.  What a delight it is to me to see them having such fun and trying new things!  

Our neighbor graciously paddled a few sets of girls around their pond and Lyddie with her new friend Bella could hardly wait their turn; she kept the lifejacket on from the second she realized she was going to get a turn until she got back from the trip.  Her face, all lit up in that canoe picture above, looked just like that all evening as she flitted from one thing to the next.  The picture where she is waving to me behind the camera is so bittersweet to me because I am aware that these days of unfettered and un-self-conscious joy are limited and I eat up those little gestures all the more because of it.  

(Fireworks ended up being kind of traumatic because there was an accident so that the fireworks others were setting off shot at all of us who were sitting in its line of fire. I won't share more for the sake of privacy, but we did end up with a trip into the ER and the injured party is recovering now and should be fine.  All of my girls were safe, for which I am endlessly grateful.  Bottom line - be safe in your fireworks plans every year and take every precaution for safety.)

We were so thankful for the happy memories that we got to make with friends and family that evening surrounded by beauty and nature and music and laughter.  Happy Summer.  💗