Happy Birthday America!

Our family has had a great 4th of July weekend. On Friday we took the girls to the local outdoor water park for the first time of the season. I think that was a great idea because they are starting their swim lessons there next week and they had a chance to get used to the water before that awkward first day. We all had a blast. I got sunburned.

After some quick mattress shopping, we took them to the Village of Huntley Family Fun Fest. It was really cute and quaint. D.R. and I are both from a pretty big city, so all this hokey, home town stuff cracks us up. They had face painting for the kids and lots of little games where everyone wins a prize. I wanted to get a picture of the kids with their faces painted but by the time we got home some of the paint had wiped off. We had plans to go to the parade, but sadly Huntley doesn't have one. I guess it's Memorial Day when they have the parade down Main Street. I think I was more disappointed than the kids. We decided to go out for pizza at Tia's favorite restaurant. We even got to sit at "the big table" as Tia calls it. I wonder what will happen one of these days when we go there and the table is not available. She sure does think it's our very own table!

After their naps Tia insisted that we were going to bake a cake. I don't know where she came up with that but she was pretty adamant that we were going to make a cake for the 'merica flag. Earlier in the day D.R. had tried to explain to her that we were celebrating the birthday of our country. I guess that discussion turned into the need for a birthday cake!
Well, she was pretty convincing so we headed out to Target and picked up some cake mix. I had just learned about replacing all the ingredients that go in the cake mix with a can of diet pop. That's right, no eggs, no oil, no water. Just one 12 ounce can of diet pop. It reduces the calories by half! That's my kind of cake. The kids thought that was so much fun, and as you can see here, enjoyed licking the batter. I normally don't allow them to do that because of the raw egg in the mix. Now with the can of pop idea, they can go to town!


Today turned out to be a beautiful 80 degree day. We filled up the pool for the kids and headed out. We discovered a nice little toad waiting for us on the patio table. D.R. said it fell out of the patio umbrella, and then wouldn't move. I pointed it out to the girls who of course went squealing across the yard and wanted nothing to do with it. Dad to the rescue, he scooped it up and put it in the garden for us. Here he is before D.R. moved him, probably scared half to death. Can you see him?


After the BIG scary toad was taken care of, the girls had a great time. Tia loves the pool, and Gia loves making a lovely mess of my garden. I had to take a picture of them in their patriotic bathing suits.



Overall we just had a really nice family weekend. Isn't that what it's all about? Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

Happy Birthday 'Merica Flag!