Fourth of July, revisited

You have to love a nation that celebrates its independence every July 4, not with a parade of guns, tanks, and soldiers who file by the White House in a show of strength and muscle, but with family picnics where kids throw Frisbees, the potato salad gets iffy, and the flies die from happiness. You may think you have overeaten, but it is patriotism. — Erma Bombeck

We didn’t put together a big show this year (as we have in years past) because there was a baby sleeping in the house just a hop, skip, and jump away down the hill (who I happened to be nursing for the first 30 minutes of the “boom-pops” with Daddy). When I did make it out there, this is what I managed to capture.

James turns four next week and he was SO funny this year, doing everything his dad did. Lowell is two and a half and was scared of the noise, but curious about the “lights.” Grandpa grabbed him and they watched from a distance, down by the bench at the barn. We are looking forward to when the boys get older, braver, and more adventurous and we can really blow some stuff up.

This is the first year any of our children has been brave enough to hold the sparklers. I just love these white spikey ones!

The sparklers make some excellent lighting! Just after taking some of these, James announced that he would like us to please get our fire away from all around him. You just gotta love how they put things.