::fourth of july::

We had a pretty busy 4th...

We started out with the "firecracker 5K"

Then we met up with my brother and his family and Grandma and Papa Kitty at the pool...

she liked to go down all by herself!

don't ya love his face?

Portie calls those "gaggoes"

lovin' the Twizzler!

Then, over to the park for a picnic and some fireworks...

monkey man!!

cousins

"The VooDoo Orchestra" (all highschool students)

Chloe likes to pretend she's sleeping in pictures

"fiyeh wehks" were fun. The huge ones were "daddy ones" the little bitty ones were "aww, it's a Coopie one" and anything in between were "Mamma, Chloe, or Portie ones."

We had a great 4th. This holiday always makes me feel proud. I feel blessed to live where I do, and am thankful everyday for my freedom and the sacrifices made by so many for me to have it.

::a good ol' summer day::

Sno-Cones and the park

(thanks for the tip, Care!!)

we went here...

to get some of these

(I told Matt I wouldn't mind havin' one of those machines-he laughed ;) )

I think they liked 'em.

Then on to get their play on...

he was telling me something, can you tell??

Coopie...

...didn't play 'cause "he too liddow." So he ate some bananas and took a nap.

(I feel like we always get pictures of him just like this everywhere we go-he does get out of his carseat once in a while, I promise!)

::7 years::

us 2...

us 5...

[her] favorite thing about [him]:

"he's the best dadduh"

&

"he always comes to my rescue"

[his] favorite thing about [her]:

"she's the best mamma"

&

"she supports me no matter what"

::slip 'n' slide::

Remember slip 'n' slides??

We played with one this afternoon. It was kinda tough to get 'er goin', but after some finagling and a little vegetable oil (!!!), we were smoooooth sailin', er I mean slidin'.

::Papa Guitar's visit::

On Sunday, Papa-with-the-guitar came for a visit...

...so we went here for brunch.

The next day, he came up to our house.

He helped pick out and plant some new flowers.

...and played with the kids.

We're glad you came, Papa. Come back and visit soon!

::dadduh::

{Cooper}

7 months

{Porter}

3 years

{Chloe}

5 1/2 years

Blessed indeed is the man who hears many gentle voices call him father.

~Lydia M. Child, Philothea: A Romance, 1836