Independence Day

Happy 4th of July!!! We are so grateful for this beautiful country we call ours.

Matt and I decided to keep our celebrations simple this year, and it was a fantastic little holiday. Our neighbors all hosted a 3rd of July party that included a bike parade for the kids, s'mores, fireworks, and some quality hangout time. Yes, our neighborhood is the cutest. And so was Jake in his little car.

We slept in this morning and then ate a delicious red, white and blue brunch of strawberry pancakes with cool whip, blueberries, and -- wait for it -- nutella syrup on top. It was delicious. Between Matt and my brother Matthew (who is awesome and came up to deliver Jake's car and hang out the night before), those pancakes were gone in seconds. The rest of the day consisted of a quality family nap, a trip to the town festival for some shaved ice, a BBQ'd dinner, and plenty of playtime with Jake before his bedtime. Then we cuddled up to watch The Patriot (edited of course) and paused at 10 o'clock to watch fireworks. We got a real treat when we realized we could see multiple town's fireworks shows from our bedroom window. So wonderfully simple.

Jake was so not into leaving the play for a family picture.